“Observing the complexities in the aftermath of natural catastrophes, where we quantify economic and insured losses but also see the devastating effect on people’s lives and the impact of human lives lost. It continues to be very sobering.”
Name: Sharon Ooi
Company: Swiss Re Job:
Head of P&C Reinsurance, Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan
Timeline: 2008—Head of P&C reinsurance, Swiss Re 2006—Head of property & engineering treaty, Southeast Asia and India, Swiss Re
Sharon Ooi joined Swiss Re in 2006 as head of the property & engineering treaty business for Southeast Asia and India, following Swiss Re’s acquisition of the former Insurance Solutions, where she worked for five years as part of the leadership team responsible for the strategy and technical underwriting of all property & casualty treaties booked in the Singapore office, which covered the South and Southeast Asian nations. She was also responsible
for the technical underwriting of
regional treaties, including Hong Kong and China businesses and for all property per risk treaties for Asia Pacific. In addition to her underwriting role, as assistant general manager, she also supported the day-to-day running of the Singapore branch, took part in client and internal branch audits, as well as internal and external training on property underwriting and reinsurance principles. Prior to former Insurance Solutions, Ooi was with OCBC Bank in Singapore in business process reengineering/risk management, where she was involved in improving business processes in the bank’s various departments. She then moved to GeneralCologne Re as property & casualty underwriter for Southeast Asia. Ooi holds an Honours degree in Cell and Molecular Biology
from the National University of Singapore. Her successes include having a well adjusted family that puts up with her busy traveling schedule, as well as championing diversity and growing the business as a valuable contributor for Swiss Re.
Why did you choose to work in this industry initially? Having come from a hard science background along with having a fascination for numbers, it seemed that underwriting was a perfect vocation to take up. Not only did I learn something new
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every day (and still do), the balance of logic and assumptions in assessing exposures continues to be interesting and rewarding.
What has been the highlight of your career so far? The ability to work with very smart individuals at Swiss Re and move to various job functions, as well as the ability to contribute directly to different strategic initiatives of the group.
What has been the biggest challenge? Observing the complexities in the aftermath of natural catastrophes, where we quantify economic and insured losses but also see the devastating effect on people’s lives and the impact of human lives lost. It continues to be very sobering.
If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? Academic research in cell and molecular biology.
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