Group Vice President, Global High Net Worth Operating Office

About FWD Group FWD Group (1828.HK) is a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 40 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828.

For more information, please visit www.fwd.com

PURPOSE The GVP, Global HNW Operating Office owns the operating engine that turns FWD's HNW strategy into consistent, high-quality execution across markets. Reporting to the Chief Officer, FWD Global HNW, the role provides end-to-end ownership of the HNW value chain behind distribution,  underwriting, new business and case management, policy administration, client service and compliance, whilst building a centralised HNW platform that embeds common workflows, governance and service standards across Hong Kong, Singapore, Bermuda and future hubs such as Dubai.

At inception the role also carries Strategy & Enablement, providing a lean, integrated leadership point for operating-model transformation and business performance. As the business scales, Strategy & Enablement separates out and the role sharpens its focus on running a scalable, well-controlled global operating platform.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Operating Model & Transformation

• Own the design, build and continuous improvement of the target operating model across all HNW hubs, eliminating fragmentation while preserving jurisdiction-specific regulatory and policy-administration requirements.
• Establish common, end-to-end workflows, governance and service standards so every step of the HNW value chain has a clearly identified owner regardless of policy jurisdiction.
• Lead the operational build-out of new hubs (Dubai, Bermuda and future markets) and stand up shared-service capabilities where they improve efficiency, consistency and scalability.

Underwriting, New Business & Case Management

• Oversee the underwriting function and the 'follow-the-sun' model, ensuring complex and jumbo HNW risks are assessed with consistent standards and appropriate window authority across hubs.
• Own case intake through to policy issue including triage, coordination across advisers, underwriting, operations and control functions, and management of documentation, progress and cycle-time bottlenecks.

Policy Administration & Client Service

• Ensure accurate policy issuance, ownership and assignment records, and reliable execution of policy changes and jurisdiction-specific transactions.
• Deliver high-quality post-issue servicing that supports persistency, premium financing and complex, cross-market client and adviser needs.

Compliance, Finance & Controls

• Embed day-to-day compliance within HNW operations, securing regulatory sign-offs and supporting filings across jurisdictions, while coordinating with Group HNW Legal & Compliance and adhering to the Group-wide supervisory framework.
• Own HNW finance operations, including expense management, management information, dashboards, planning and performance reporting.
• Maintain a strong control environment with clean audit and regulatory outcomes across all hubs.

Technology & Platform

• Drive delivery and adoption of a single HNW technology platform, giving all teams end-to-end visibility and a seamless broker experience across jurisdictions.
• Champion data quality, automation and straight-through processing to improve speed, accuracy and scalability.

Strategy & Enablement (at inception)

• Translate strategy into delivery, securing Legal, Compliance and functional sign-offs and carrying decisions through to execution.
• Support sales enablement (structuring, training, content and marketing) and the development of the global HNW platform, transitioning these to a dedicated Strategy & Enablement function as the business scales.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Build, lead and develop a multi-hub operating team, across Hong Kong, Singapore, Bermuda and Dubai.
• Partner closely with Distribution, Products, Group functions and local BU leadership to balance central standards with local execution and continuity.
• Clear performance reporting, decision points and recommendations to senior leadership

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

• Senior operations, COO or transformation leadership experience in life insurance, private banking or wealth management, ideally within the HNW / UHNW segment.
• Deep understanding of the HNW value chain, underwriting of complex and jumbo cases, new business and case management, policy administration and in-force servicing across multiple jurisdictions.
• Track record of building and scaling multi-hub operating models and standing up new locations or shared-service capabilities.
• Strong grasp of compliance, controls and regulatory expectations across markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Bermuda and Dubai.
• Experience delivering technology platforms and driving automation and straight-through processing in a regulated environment.

KNOWLEDGE & TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Strategic and commercial mindset, with clear ownership of outcomes and the ability to link operational performance to financial performance
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, comfortable operating with senior leadership, Group functions and local BUs.
• Strong people leader able to build, motivate and develop teams across time zones and cultures.
• Structured, action-oriented and pragmatic, balancing central standards with local execution and continuity.