100 influential women in re/insurance


“Banking was a path that most of my peers took as it was more trialled and tested. I, however, had a preference for insurance as it was the path less travelled and for that, it seemed more interesting to me.”


Name: Cindy Foo


Company: Asia Capital Reinsurance Group Job:


Head, Southeast Asia and India


Timeline: 2007—Joined Asia Capital Reinsurance Malaysia


Cindy Foo’s experience in the re/insurance industry spans a spectrum of underwriting, broking, client management functions in Asia. She was previously with Swiss Re and Munich Re before joining Asia Capital Reinsurance Malaysia in 2007; since 2012, she has been based in Singapore with Asia Capital Re and now handles both treaty and facultative reinsurance from Southeast Asia and India markets. Foo holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the National University of Malaysia and is a Chartered Insurer of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK).


Why did you choose to work in this industry initially? It was a close choice between a career in banking or insurance. Banking was a path that most of my peers took as it was more trialled and tested. I, however, had a preference for insurance as it was the path less travelled and for that, it seemed more interesting to me. Nevertheless, I was still open to both options and my first two job interviews were with a local government bank and a local insurance broker with a can-do attitude. I chose the latter and have been in the re/insurance industry since.


What has been the highlight of your career so far? Over the span of my career in the industry, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable experiences across a spectrum of underwriting, broking, and client management functions in Asia. For me, each new lesson that I learn at every step of my career is a bonus and I continue to marvel at what I can still learn about the industry as well as myself as I build my career.


What has been the biggest challenge you have


encountered? By giving me the opportunity to take on a management role,


44 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | 2015


Asia Capital Re has offered me my biggest exposure by far. Since assuming my current position, I have had to grow and evolve to take on new responsibilities apart from simply underwriting. I recognise that a successful manager needs to be a good decision- maker who is responsible for managing and allocating the right information and resources within the team. Perhaps more importantly, as management, I also recognise that I represent the company when interacting with not only my team but also our business partners. It is a demanding role but I am thankful for the new levels of corporate and personal maturity that I have gained within such a short span of time. With the added responsibilities of my current role, life as a


working mother has also become a challenge but I believe that a good work-life balance is not a fallacy.


If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? It would have been teaching. I gain a lot of inspiration from the interaction that I see between my children and their teachers. Teaching is a fulfilling career as it allows you to educate our children of today and help guide them to full potential in life. By interacting with children, you would also be surprised at how much you can learn from them about the simple things in life.


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