The CEO Magazine Asia — January 2018

theceomagazine.com | 31

INSURANCE

with

integrity

Aon Philippines is setting the standard as

an insurance broker that puts its colleagues,

clients and the community first.

WORDS HOLLY JOHNSON • IMAGES JASPER SALCEDA

O

ne of the archipelago’s largest broking houses, Aon Insurance &

Reinsurance Brokers Philippines Inc., is a subsidiary of Aon plc and

is a leader in providing peace of mind to all its clients in terms of

risk, retirement and health solutions. Established in 1995, it has more

than 200 qualified professionals based in Manila, Cebu and Davao

City, with a portfolio covering local and international companies,

regulatory bodies, professional associations, and small and medium enterprises. With almost

30 years of experience in the insurance business, Andrew Minnitt was well equipped to

take over the role of CEO in 2014.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been labelled a troubleshooter. I like to find challenges,

take them apart, and put them back together,” he says. “I came to Aon when it had

strong forward momentum. So my role was to ensure that the team was all aligned

with the same vision so that we could unlock our full potential.”

Having already spent two years at Aon in South Africa early in his career, Andrew

used his knowledge of the company and his wide-ranging experience in the industry

to forge a path. Working in Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the Philippines with

major players including AIG, Zurich, Glenrand MIB, Lockton Companies, and Jardine

Lloyd Thompson (JLT), Andrew quickly worked his way up to senior leadership

positions – all without a university degree. “I used to regret not earning a degree

because it meant I had to work that much harder to keep up and get ahead,” he

comments. “But all the experience I have gained from the workforce has given

me drive to get to where I want to be in my professional life.”

It was during his time as CEO of JLT in Thailand that Andrew recognised the need

to pay greater attention to the wealth of opportunities in the health, life and benefits

business. “Being in Asia – a part of the world with a huge population density – led me

to this realisation,” he says. And as soon as Andrew refocused on these areas,

JLT  Thailand experienced a massive turnaround. “When I came to Aon, its health and

benefits business was already well positioned, with strong support from the region. »

Interview | INSPIRE