My financial-services journey began in 1980, when I passed the Singapore Insurance Training Centre certification examination and joined AIA Singapore as a Financial Consultant. What began as preparation for a new career grew into four decades of learning, agency leadership, training, association service and speaking across Singapore and the region.
Explore the journeyAfter entering management in 1983, I pursued courses offered through the Singapore College of Insurance, LIMRA and The American College. The School of Agency Management in 1986 deepened my interest in developing leaders. In 1994, I joined Singapore’s inaugural 23-week Agency Managers Training Course.
After graduating, I was invited to moderate AMTC and served as a licensed moderator for more than two decades. The programme strengthened field managers in planning, recruiting, selection, training and performance management, while promoting the Chartered Insurance Agency Manager designation as a professional benchmark.
As lecturer and moderator for SCI’s four-day Pre-Management Orientation programme, I helped aspiring leaders understand sales management, communication, performance management and leadership. Across 61 intakes, the course became a valued introduction to agency management and, in some companies, a benchmark for promotion.
When AMTC was temporarily replaced, I became a certified Facilitator and Chief Facilitator for the Essentials of Management Development programme. It developed proactive leaders through vision, values, recruiting, training, supervision, goal-setting and long-range business planning.
I served on the pro-tem committee that helped establish GAMA Singapore on 30 November 1995, became a council member, later served as President, and continued as Immediate Past President and on the Board of Governors. I also participated in its 2005 transformation into the Financial Services Managers Association, completing about 25 years of association service by 2019.
When FSMA restored AMTC to Singapore in 2008, I continued moderating the programme. Its peer-oriented learning and practical operating plans remain valuable because field leaders must continually sharpen the skills required to recruit, develop and sustain effective teams.
One of AMTC’s most practical tools is DOME—a planning process that can guide both work and personal life. It keeps action focused on clearly defined objectives and makes correction possible along the way.
GAMA Singapore was born from the desire of agency leaders across different companies to support one another and strengthen professional education. Its early slogan, “Growth through Sharing,” captured a conviction that has guided my own service: the industry becomes stronger when experienced leaders generously equip the next generation.
Beyond the industry, I also served for nearly three years as a certified WorldTeach trainer through Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. After training in the United States, I conducted courses in money management, marriage and Christian growth for churches in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Over the years, I have spoken at conferences and seminars in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States. Engagements included programmes for GAMA, insurance companies, professional bodies and Christian communities.
A defining moment was speaking at the GAMA LAMP annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, from 23–26 March 1997. More than 2,500 field leaders and executives from over 50 companies gathered there. As one of a small number of Asian speakers, I presented “A Recruitment System That Works!”
My central conviction was simple: if we want better productivity, we must improve the systems that help people succeed. Quality recruitment must be continuous, disciplined and supported by a thoughtful selection process.
Each step was designed to establish fit, character, realistic expectations and readiness. The goal was not merely to hire more people, but to select well, train patiently and develop professionals who could serve families with competence and integrity.
Read “Seminar Recruitment That Works!” →