HKUST Business Review

46 HKUST Business Review Driving Growth and Innovation in theWorld of Insurance A champion of staff empowerment and innovation, Winnie WONG, CEO & Executive Director at Asia Insurance & Avo Insurance (HKUST MBA Graduate), redefines an industry transformed by technology. A flash of insight early in her career in the insurance sector led Winnie Wong to a decision that was to prove eye-opening and instructive. Already on the fast track as a group management trainee with Swire Pacific, she nevertheless realized that a formal business qualification was essential if she wanted to keep moving up and to speak with confidence and authority on the broader aspects of corporate strategy and issues shaping the industry. MBA as Career Launchpad Therefore, she pursued the part-time MBA at HKUST Business School and, as the youngest member of her cohort, gained far more than expected from being taught by experts, mixing with classmates from widely diverse backgrounds, and tackling the type of real-world business problems never even imagined during her previous degree in English literature and translation. “At the time, I only had three years’ work experience and was still very much in learning mode,” says Wong, who is now chief executive of Asia Insurance Company, a market leader in Hong Kong in B2B general insurance, and with a fast- expanding presence in the region. “All the courses were practical and relevant, providing an excellent foundation for a non-business student and for networking.” In career terms, Wong was first attracted to the insurance sector by one of its key selling points: everyone needs protection – from individuals to multinationals – which means the pool of potential clients is almost limitless. Early on, though, she found the work environment still extremely male-dominated, with traditional hierarchies and much out-of-hours socializing. Not a keen golfer or a big drinker, she had to take stock. “I believe there are different ways to succeed; it is not necessary to just follow what others are doing,” she says. “You should be yourself, and if you work hard, people will see your value to the company and the industry. I was always well prepared for every meeting and, in that way, was able to show my worth.” Empowering Staff Things have been changing. Nowadays, on balance, more women than men work in the sector, though this shift is not yet reflected at board level. Wong showed the way by championing equality initiatives and activities that empowered and engaged employees.