At AIA we've started an exciting movement to create a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone. It's about finding new ways to not only better people's lives, but to better the communities and environments we live in. We need great Actuaries who want to be part of something bigger than finance alone. Because the better we can nurture our financial wellbeing as an organisation, the better we can support and make a difference for our customers when they need us most. By ensuring our products are well designed and priced, analysing business performance and ensuring proper management of insurance policies in-force, you're not just safeguarding AIA's financial wellbeing. You're securing a better future for the people and communities we serve - today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
If that interests you, read on. About the Role • Accountable for defining, implementing, and enhancing the HNW underwriting strategy, ensuring comprehensive risk management, and driving forward innovation within the HNW segment.
• Lead the HNW underwriting function to achieve best-in-class risk selection, operational excellence, and the adoption of innovative underwriting practices.
• Establish strategic direction to modernise underwriting, cultivate aa high-performance culture, and promote sustainable growth of HNW business alongside exceptional client experiences.
• Drive HNW business outcomes through superior, market-leading technical underwriting and seamless, prudent underwriting practices.
• Ensure high-quality case submission, exceptional service for onshore intermediaries and alignment with underwriting standards to support profitable new business growth.
Roles and Responsibilities: Case leadership and technical oversight - Manage the intake, triage, and initial screening of HNW/UHNW cases from brokers, private banks, agency, and family offices. Conduct risk assessments based on the relevant guidelines, identifying standard and complex risks. Provide structured case analyses with recommendations.
- Ensure compliance with product rules, jurisdictional restrictions, related regulatory checks and group risk appetite prior to final referrals.
- Make underwriting decision on jumbo, impaired, or otherwise complex HNW cases, including trust-owned and cross-border structures.
- Offer expert opinions on borderline cases and lead negotiations with reinsurers on facultative offers and special terms.
- Oversee consistency of underwriting decisions across geographies, distribution channels and product lines using regular calibration and file reviews.
- Resolve escalated case issues from distribution, regional underwriting teams and operations within agreed service levels.
- Manage case turnaround within the agreed SLAs.
Underwriting Strategy, Process Improvement, Governance & Compliance - Define and own the underwriting strategy, risk appetite and underwriting manuals for HNW/UHNW business
- Set and maintain underwriting authority limits, retention levels and reinsurer referral rules, act as the approval authority for large and complex cases.
- Establish robust underwriting processes, covering medical, financial, compliance, and regulatory assessments, within delegated authority frameworks and SLAs.
- Regularly review and refine technical practices to ensure adherence to company risk frameworks and standards.
- Maintain detailed documentation and reporting for local regulatory compliance and conduct periodic technical audits to ensure alignment with risk classification and group compliance.
Partner Management - Act as point of liaison with all external and internal reinsurance partners on all underwriting related matters.
- Strengthen strategic relationships with distribution partners (brokers/private banks/family offices/agency) to align underwriting strategies, practices with broader business objectives.
Portfolio Support & Analytics - Monitor the regional pipeline and key metrics, such as case volume, conversion rates, and declination reasons, and report findings monthly to Leadership Team.
- Provide feedback to refine products by highlighting intermediary requirements and risk trends observed during case intake.
- Utilize data and technology (including GenAI solutions) to optimize underwriting efficiency and decision accuracy.
Reinsurance & Capacity Management - Serve as the key liaison with external and internal reinsurance partners on underwriting and claims matters.
- Drive treaty negotiations and capacity arrangements for facultative jumbo cases as the underwriting expert.
Cross - Functional Collaboration - Provide support to LBUs to deliver strategic initiatives / projects in relation to new business growth through underwriting optimization of process and support for future developments (for example with integration with Gen AI, Chat GPT, LLM's and AI technologies)
- Provide support on new product development and design and develop service propositions that make us more customer centric and increasingly competitive.
- Foster collaboration and communication across functional teams to align underwriting and operational guidelines with Group standards and company risk strategy.
- Work closely with senior underwriting leaders to implement innovative underwriting practices, including technology adoption, to enhance conversion rates and efficiencies without compromising integrity.
Leadership & Capability Building - Lead and enhance the HNW underwriting team (underwriters and case managers), ensuring expertise in HNW/UHNW underwriting with in-depth knowledge of complex financial structures and global risk perspectives.
- Develop technical excellence by systematically identifying training needs, defining clear development paths, and establishing succession plans for underwriting and case management roles.
- Implement LBU rotation and coaching programs to create an environment of formalized and continuous training and development to build underwriters and case managers with HNW knowledge and experience.
- Promote thought leadership through industry insights, engagement, and internal research on topics such as AI risks (fraud/deepfake) and genetics (individualized treatments).
Job Requirements: - University degree in business, finance, risk management or related field.
- 15+ years of executive leadership in underwriting, ideally with HNW/international cases.
- Exposure to Asia wealth markets, cross-border structures and broker/private bank channels.
- Expertise in:
- Life underwriting and risk selection (medical, non-medical, financial and regulatory/compliance principles and practices)
- Rules engines and digital underwriting platforms.
- Predictive analytics and data integration.
- Expert knowledge of reinsurance treaties, agreements, and available capacity
- In depth knowledge of personal, business, unique estate/family office and insurance planning needs tools and techniques.
- Ability to actively assist distribution personnel in positioning the Company as the lead HNW underwriter in the markets.
- Strong capability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all field personnel and reinsurers.
- Excellent client service orientation
- Entrepreneurial and commercial thinker.
- Ability to operate in multi-stakeholder environment managing potentially different expectations and needs.
- Ability to operate across different business and country cultures.
- Proven track record in change management and strategic planning.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.
- Recognized industry reputation and visionary leadership.
- Strong English and Chinese proficiency; Mandarin an advantage.
Others: - You are required to obtain relevant license if your job involves in regulated activities
Build a career with us as we help our customers and the community live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.
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