Head of Regional Operations Risk & Controls (Asia), Sept 2020- Present 

• Hands-on leadership to drive communication with key internal stakeholders includingSenior management

• Implemented a progressive, effective and efficient Operational Risk strategy, and RiskFramework in operational practices to embed risk-based frameworks and compliance standards and policies into the Department processes and standards, including RCSAs, Control Testing, Quality Assurance Programs, Remediation programs

• Raise and embed the mindset of proactive Risk Awareness at all levels of the organization

• Audit management: SOX, AML, regulatory and internal audit management exposure

• Data analysis to extract meaningful information that will drive risk management strategies and form the basis of plans to strengthen controls

• Work closely with 2LoD (Operational Risk Management and Compliance) and Regulators, representing the business unit, providing input and feedback, seeking advice, and identifying best practices

Achievements

• Created and implemented Operational Risk & Controls Framework and strategy inOperations across the Asia segment of 10 countries

• ConductedTraining needs analysis and planning training programs for 1LoD to improve risk awareness and provide ongoing coaching to ensure continuous improvement of internal controls to strengthen risk governance

• Led a team of 30people across Asia on a direct and matrix reporting relationship. Coached, upskilled, and provided training programs to grow team members’ capabilities, risk knowledge and soft skills

• Simplified systems causing a backlog in claims and implemented status notifications to customers (claim received, claim pending requirement, claim approved/declined)to reduce calls from clients to find out their claim status. As a result, case turnaround time was within expectations (7 days from the last document received) and more than 3000 long outstanding cases which had been open for more than 2 years were cleared within 12 months.

• Drove the planning and launch of campaigns to encourage customers to sign up for recurring payments, to reduce policy lapsation and identified and set up new premium payment methods to enable customers to have easier access to premium payment arrangements 

• Setup a Deferred Premium Payment arrangement in response to the pandemic situation; whereby customers who had financial difficulties could apply to defer the premium payment, but their coverage would remain in effect. Proposed that interest charges be waived during this period, to further help customers to make ends meet, which assisted more than 1000 customers.

Head of Customer Experience, April 2016 – Aug 2020

• Leda team of 50+ Operations staff from 6 departments; including Policy Servicing and Administration, Collections, Claims and Call Centre and Branch Services,Admin departments

• Initiated and participated in customer-centric operations transformation programs to improve the customer experience while maintaining appropriate controls to safeguard the company, customers, and employees.

• Participated in Customer Journey and Design Thinking workshops

• Drove process improvements for greater efficiencies and better risk controls and worked closely with regulator and 2LOD to ensure Operational compliance with regulatory, compliance and risk management standards

• SOX and other Audit management and Budget setting

Senior Manager, Policy Servicing, 2008 -June 2016

• Led a team of 45 people handling policy servicing processes, including collections, customer service

• Setup banking agreements with various banks to provide the most cost-effective recurring billing arrangements

• Ensured compliance with SOX, PCI-DSS, AML, regulatory, compliance and risk management standards

• BusinessContinuity Planning, SOX and other Audit management, and budget setting

Prior to 2008, I was employed as an OperationsTeam Lead,Personal Lines (General Insurance) with AmericanInternational Assurance (AIA) and as Credit Evaluation Executive  with Hong Leong Bank