19th Asia Insurance CFO Summit 2026

John Spence

Managing Director, Asian Capital Advisors Limited

Mr. Spence is the Managing Director of Asian Capital Advisors, specializing in the Asian insurance market. His role involves providing strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and insurance innovation.

Mr. Spence has been based in Hong Kong since 2000, where he has held a number of senior leadership roles across the financial sector. From 2015 to 2023, he served as the Regional Head of M&A and Strategy for Generali Asia. Prior to this, John held leadership roles at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW), Macquarie Funds Group, and Manulife Financial. Prior to moving to Hong Kong, John held various roles with Manulife Financial in Canada and in Australia he worked with National Australia Bank, Colonial Mutual, AMP Society, and KPMG.

Mr. Spence holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School, Bachelor of Economics (BEc) from Sydney University, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant Australia and New Zealand (FCA ANZ), Fellow Australian Institute of Banking and Finance (FFin), Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA FCIS); Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and the Hong Kong Institute of Directors (FHKIoD).

Mr. Spence is the Managing Director of Asian Capital Advisors, specializing in the Asian insurance market. His role involves providing strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and insurance innovation.

Mr. Spence has been based in Hong Kong since 2000, where he has held a number of senior leadership roles across the financial sector. From 2015 to 2023, he served as the Regional Head of M&A and Strategy for Generali Asia. Prior to this, John held leadership roles at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW), Macquarie Funds Group, and Manulife Financial. Prior to moving to Hong Kong, John held various roles with Manulife Financial in Canada and in Australia he worked with National Australia Bank, Colonial Mutual, AMP Society, and KPMG.

Mr. Spence holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School, Bachelor of Economics (BEc) from Sydney University, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant Australia and New Zealand (FCA ANZ), Fellow Australian Institute of Banking and Finance (FFin), Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA FCIS); Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and the Hong Kong Institute of Directors (FHKIoD).

Vojtěch Pivný

Regional Chief Financial Officer, Allianz Asia Pacific

Mr Vojtěch Pivný is the Regional Chief Financial Officer for Allianz Asia Pacific, where he provides strategic financial leadership to support Allianz's ambitious growth plans in the region. His role is pivotal in driving long-term performance and value creation, overseeing all aspects of the finance division, including business reporting, actuarial services, finance, risk management, and tax. Mr Vojtěch also spearheads the organization's Corporate Development agenda for Asia Pacific.
 
Mr Vojtěch joined Allianz in 2009 and boasts over 10 years of experience in risk, including a stint as the Regional Chief Risk Officer and Head of Asset-Liability Management at Allianz Benelux SA. 
Mr Vojtěch's career has seen him in multiple Management and Supervisory Board roles, and he held key roles across finance, capital management, and risk.
 
Mr Vojtěch also oversaw asset management, pension fund business, and financial advisory/broker business, gaining a profound understanding of the core financial aspects of the Allianz business model. 
Mr Vojtěch most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of Allianz Poland, where he played a crucial role in leading one of the most significant integrations in the market.
 
As regional CFO, Mr Vojtěch leverages his extensive global experience in finance transformation to lead Allianz Asia Pacific’s financial strategy and operations, contributing to the region’s continued growth and success.

Dustin Ball

Managing Director – Asia Financial Services, Alvarez & Marsal

Mr Dustin Ball is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Financial Services Industry Group in Asia. He brings over 30 years of leadership experience in financial services, with deep expertise in insurance, M&A, and strategy execution across Asia. He has led numerous complex transactions spanning target selection, due diligence, deal strategy, and post-merger integration, with particular strength in structuring and managing joint ventures and partnerships. 

Before joining A&M, Mr Dustin was a Lead Partner for Asia Pacific Financial Services practice at EY-Parthenon, where he built and led the firm’s financial services practice across Greater China and the wider region. Earlier in his career, Mr Dustin spent six years with MetLife, where he served as CEO and General Director of BIDV MetLife in Vietnam, establishing and growing the joint venture into a successful and sustainable business.

 He also held regional leadership roles in strategy and M&A for MetLife Asia. His experience across markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam gives him a deep understanding of the region’s financial systems, regulatory environments, and growth opportunities. 

•    Extensive experience in all aspects of M&A in financial services including target selection, due diligence, deal strategy and post-merger integration; particularly experienced in joint ventures and partnerships 
•    Advised MNC financial services clients on developing GTM strategies, new market entry, strategic change programs and transformation, with a focus on insurance distribution and transformation strategies
•    Experience working at the intersection of tech and insurance through engagements in new digital insurance businesses, ecosystem partnerships and strategic investments in new technologies 
•    Strong proponent of using data analytics to drive strategy, including use of advanced modeling techniques to improve distribution effectiveness and customer experience 

Prior to consulting, spent 15+ years in industry and held regional APAC roles as well as in-country assignments in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam; former CEO of an insurance company in Vietnam.
 

Darren Ma

Chief Actuary - APAC, W. R. Berkley Corporation

Mr Darren Ma has garnered a broad range of experience across insurance, reinsurance, operations, actuarial, risk, and capital. He currently addresses financial risk in both the Insurance and Reinsurance segments for Berkley in the Asia Pacific region.

He started his training with PwC in Sydney 20 years ago before having the opportunity to explore internationally. Whilst based in Bermuda, he gained valuable exposure to a range of international markets including US, London markets and MENA before returning to focus on the Asia Pacific based in Singapore. 

He volunteers regularly, serving as Chair of the General Insurance Committee for the Singapore Actuarial Society for the last 5 years. He also participates regularly in triathlons with an emphasis on the try part.

Mr Darren Ma, is uniquely positioned to coach and mentor actuaries looking to develop broad actuarial skills and business acumen across multiple business units and regions. 
 

Manish Gurbuxani

Regional Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Daiichi Life Asia Pacific

Mr. Manish Gurbuxani is Chief Strategy & Growth Officer of Daiichi Life Asia Pacific Ptd. He has diverse leadership experience in Life Insurance Industry covering general management, strategy, and business development roles spanning both mature and emerging markets. He is passionate about driving growth, building new ventures, and delivering transformation mandates. In his current role in Daiichi Life Asia Pacific, he leads strategy and planning, sales and distribution and digital and business transformation covering it's operating businesses in Australia, New Zealand, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. He also oversees corporate development including new market entry and mergers and acquisitions.  

Stephen Geisler

CEO - South Asia, QBE Insurance

Mr Stephen Geisler was appointed Chief Executive Officer for South Asia, QBE Asia on 23 September 2025. 

Based in Singapore, Mr Stephen leads QBE’s operations in Singapore and provides strategic oversight for QBE Malaysia. 

He brings more than 37 years of experience with QBE across multiple functions, having most recently relocated from the Group’s headquarters in Australia. 

Stephen began his career with QBE in 1988 and has built over three decades of expertise in underwriting. Throughout his tenure, he has held a variety of senior underwriting roles, advancing to his position as Director of Underwriting for QBE Australia before assuming his current role. 

His extensive experience enables him to drive sustainable growth, strengthen regional partnerships, and lead QBE’s transformation agenda in South Asia. 

As CEO for South Asia, Mr Stephen is committed to delivering innovative insurance solutions, fostering resilience for businesses, and guiding QBE’s commitment to long-term value creation across diverse markets. 
 

Ury Gan

Chief Financial Officer, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore

Mr Gan is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Prudential Assurance Company Singapore.

He is an experienced senior finance leader having held both local and regional roles leading teams for a variety of multinational and local insurers in the UK, Hong Kong and now Singapore. He has extensive experience building and developing multi-disciplined finance teams, both in country and offshore, across a range of cultural and operating environments.
 

Vinaya Sharma

Actuary & Managing Director, Quantitative Risk Management

Mr Sharma is an Actuary and Managing Director at QRM. He has been involved in a variety of roles including asset and liability modeling, capital management, forecasting, stress testing, and portfolio optimization. Prior to joining QRM, he helped lead his employer’s Enterprise Risk Management initiative. He is a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries.

Benjamin Yeo

Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, DBS Bank

Mr Yeo is the Global Head of Insurance coverage for DBS Bank.

Passionate about valuable role insurance play in our society, Mr Yeo works closely with leading insurers on their treasury management, digitalisation journey, investment strategy, and capital optimization.

Clients range the spectrum from life, general, specialty, reinsurance, intermediary to insurtech.
   
A first-class honours graduate in accountancy, Mr Yeo joined DBS Bank in 1997.

He has taken on different assignments including General Manager of DBS Bank, Suzhou Branch, China and is a fluent Chinese speaker.

Mr Benjamin Yeo has led the Insurance coverage team since 2012.
 

Akash Gupta

Managing Director and Head of Life and Health, Southeast Asia, Munich Re

Mr Akash Gupta brings over 20 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry to the forefront of health insurance solutions. Currently, Mr Gupta is the Managing Director for Munich Re's Life and Health business for Southeast Asia. 

Previously, he served as the head of actuarial valuation for Munich Re across Asia, providing him with a deep understanding of the insurance landscape across Asia. Mr Gupta  is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy and business statistics, and a certificate in professional programming. 

His passion for healthcare is evident in his dedication to fostering collaboration between insurers, healthcare providers, and policymakers to develop sustainable and accessible healthcare solutions. 

Hannelli J. Oasan

Chief Financial Officer, KRM Reinsurance Brokers Phils., Inc.

Ms Hannelli J. Oasan, CPA is a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industry. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of KRM Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Philippines, where she leads financial strategy, governance, and business performance initiatives.
 
She previously held CFO and senior finance leadership roles at Pacific Cross Insurance, Inc. & Pacific Cross Healthcare, Inc. and Chubb Philippines, where she played a key role in driving profitability, strengthening financial controls, and supporting sustainable growth. Earlier in her career, she built a strong foundation in audit, finance, and operations across various organizations.
 
A Certified Public Accountant and cum laude graduate in Accounting, Ms Hannelli is known for her strategic insight, integrity, and commitment to excellence in financial leadership.

Andrew McGrath

Chief Financial Officer, Singapore, QBE Asia

Mr Andrew McGrath is Chief Financial Officer at QBE Insurance in Singapore, where he heads the finance and planning functions for a leading general insurer in one of Asia's most dynamic markets. His career in the general insurance industry spans nearly two decades across Australia and Asia, including senior leadership positions. Andrew advocates for the value of actuarial skillsets in non-traditional roles, and his own breadth of interests and experience provide a distinctive vantage point on strategic issues facing the industry and its role in society.

Richard Da Silva

Regional CFO, MSIG Asia

Mr Richard Da Silva is Regional Chief Financial Officer at MSIG Asia, where he leads the regional Finance function and is responsible for the company’s financials and investment strategy, governance and performance management. In this role, he oversees finance operations and investments across the region, supporting sustainable growth, capital efficiency and disciplined financial stewardship in line with the Group’s strategic priorities.
 
Mr Richard brings over many years of experience in the insurance industry, with a strong background spanning local and regional finance, investments and risk management. He has held senior management roles with leading insurance organisations, where he played a key role in strengthening financial controls, project management, implementing reporting standards and new systems with enhancements and supporting business decision-making across diverse markets.
 
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a Chartered Accountant of Singapore, Mr Richard combines deep technical expertise with extensive industry experience to guide MSIG Asia’s financial strategy and ensure robust governance across the region.

Mark Hart

Chief Actuary and Head of Finance Transformation, APAC, Zurich Insurance

Mr Mark Hart is an experienced actuary and finance leader with a robust background in the insurance industry and military service. Currently serving as the APAC Chief Actuary and Head of Finance Transformation, Mr Hart has spent the last 20 years with Zurich in various roles including the Chief Actuary of the UK and the Zurich Legacy Solutions unit, and has had some oversight of FP&A, Expense management and Finance Transformation since moving to APAC.  

Additionally, Mr Mark Hart contributed as a Non-Executive Director at the Motor Insurers' Bureau from February 2020 to October 2021, and held positions in the British Army including as a Company Commander and Training Officer within the Officer Training Corps.  Mr Hart holds a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of East Anglia, is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and has a keen interest in data and processes, completing the IFoAs Data Science certification in 2022.

Olga Petrenko

Regional CRO, Allianz Asia Pacific

In September 2025, Ms Olga Petrenko has been appointed as a Regional Chief Risk Officer for the Asia Pacific (AZAP). Before joining AZAP, has been leading the Finance team at Allianz SE Reinsurance Branch Asia Pacific (Allianz Re) as the Regional Chief Finance Officer for almost 5 Years, overseeing all financial, risk & compliance matters. In her current role, she is responsible for capital and enterprise risk management across the region, supporting resilient growth and strong risk governance.

With over 20 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry, Ms Olga has held several key positions in various organizations. After completing her Master's degree in Economics and Management Science, she began her professional career at Gerling Group in Cologne. She then transitioned into consultancy, where she spent almost 10 years supporting banks and insurance companies in strategic projects and implementing regulatory requirements such as Solvency II.

Prior to her role at Allianz Re, Ms Olga Petrenko spent six years at the headquarters of Allianz SE in Group Risk, where she was responsible for the implementation and operation of the Allianz Group Internal Model, as well as revamping the Allianz Group Risk Architecture.

Ms Olga Petrenko has held the title of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) since 2008.
 

Mayuri Singhal

Head of Finance, Asia, AXA XL

With over 15 years of experience in financial planning & analysis, business partnering, financial accounting, cost controlling, corporate finance, and financial consulting, Ms Singhal has established herself as a versatile professional in the finance domain. She has led numerous M&A driven due diligence processes, financial projection modeling exercises, completion accounting, and financial integration initiatives. 

Ms Singhal is proficient in financial modeling, revenue forecasting, cash flow forecasting, and P&L budgeting, delivering scenario-based financials for both annual and periodical business planning exercises. Her expertise extends to supporting business stakeholders in strategic decision-making processes and providing insights for strategic initiatives. 

With extensive experience in reinsurance-specific accounting, retro process management, statement of accounts preparation, and management reporting, Ms Singhal brings a wealth of knowledge to her roles. Known for her energy, quick learning ability, independence, and excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, she is also adept at project management and utilizing SAP finance (FICO, FSRI), BW/BO reporting, and advanced Excel skills to drive efficiency and effectiveness in financial operations.

Kate Porter

Head of Solutioning, Treasury & Risk, APAC, FIS Global

Ms Kate Porter is APAC Group Manager, Presales at FIS, helping insurers, banks and corporates modernise treasury, payments and liquidity capabilities. With 35+ years across treasury, risk, payments and finance, including 25+ years at FIS, she partners with CFOs and finance teams to shape strategy, define target architecture and deliver measurable outcomes. Focusing on Treasury transformation; Cash & liquidity visibility; Payment’s modernisation & messaging; Risk controls; Operating model & process design; Data & integration strategy; Executive workshops & stakeholder alignment. Based in New Zealand, she has held leadership roles across APAC, Middle East and Europe.

Dr Vincent Lim

Chief Financial Officer, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Dr Vincent Lim is an advocate for finance transformation, sustainability and critical thinking. 

Currently CFO in A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), handling finance matters for whole organisation. 

He was the managing director in Eco Sustainability Group, Apac CFO in Datalogic S.p.A. (Borsa Italiana: DAL.MI), Deputy Group CFO in Hi-P International Limited (erstwhile SGX: H17), and Director of Finance for Asia in Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI).

Dr Vincent is on the ACRA Professional Education Council and ISCA CFO Committee, was ISCA Exco, Treasurer & Council member, ACCA SME Transformation Committee Chairman & Singapore Network Panel member. 

Holds a PhD (General Management) from SMU, an FCCA, FCA Singapore, ACA, GHG Lead Verifier (ISO14064), ISCA Sustainability Professional Certification and Carbon Neutrality (ISO14068), author of book From Ledger to Leader- Critical Thinking stories for finance leaders.

Dr Ashish Chandra

Partner & Global Head of AI, KPMG

Dr. Ashish Chandra is a Partner and Global AI Leader at KPMG, driving enterprise-scale AI transformation across regulated industries including banking, insurance, tax, audit, and advisory. With over two decades of experience spanning AI, digital transformation, and enterprise modernization, he specializes in translating advanced AI capabilities particularly Generative AI and Agentic AI into measurable business outcomes.

He leads global initiatives focused on building AI-native enterprises, including the design of Agentic AI platforms, decision intelligence architectures, and enterprise AI operating models. His work emphasizes moving organizations beyond experimentation into production-grade AI systems that are scalable, governed, and economically viable.

Dr. Chandra has advised CXOs and boards on AI strategy, execution frameworks, and governance-first architectures, helping enterprises avoid “AI theater” and instead deliver tangible value through AI-led transformation. His recent focus includes multi-agent systems, AI orchestration layers, and the concept where intelligent systems augment and transform decision-making at scale.

Prior to KPMG, he spent over a decade at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, leading global technology innovation across AI, digital banking, and emerging technologies.

A recognized thought leader and speaker, Dr. Chandra regularly contributes to global AI forums and publishes insights on enterprise AI execution, agentic systems, and the future of intelligent organizations.

Christopher Albrecht

Chief Executive Officer, Sun Life Singapore

Mr Christopher Albrecht is the Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Singapore.  He is responsible for leading the strategic and operational aspects of the Sun Life Singapore business.

Mr Albrecht has over 25 years of experience, having held senior roles across various global organisations in the region, including HSBC Insurance (Singapore), Old Mutual International, Swiss Life and 1291 Group (Hong Kong). 

Having worked in the High Net Worth banking, insurance and brokerage sectors, Mr Albrecht is able to offer unique perspectives from each of these areas. 

Originally from the United Kingdom, Mr Albrecht moved to Singapore in 2005. He later relocated to Hong Kong in 2017, further expanding his understanding of the Asian insurance landscape.

Harpreet Bindra

Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Life Singapore

Mr Harpreet Bindra is the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Life Singapore. He is a global insurance and financial services leader with over 20 years of experience across Asia and Europe. Proven track record in business transformations; organisational culture change; post-merger integration; acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships; digital innovation; and new market entries. Passionate about customer-centric approach of doing business and leads by building and empowering high-calibre, cross-functional and diverse teams.

Prior to his current role, Mr Bindra served as Managing Director and Global Head of Strategy, HSBC Life and Insurance Partnerships, overseeing strategic growth across HSBC’s insurance businesses and partnerships in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Before joining HSBC, he held senior leadership positions at Prudential Financial, Daiwa Securities Capital Markets, and ING, specialising in strategy, business development, M&A, and financial institutions advisory across the Asia-Pacific region.

Sourabh Chitrachar

Chief Technology Officer, MS First Capital Insurance

Mr Sourabh Chitrachar is Chief Technology Officer at MS First Capital Insurance, Singapore’s Tier 1 P&C B2B reinsurer and insurer with over S$1B in GWP and a part of the Global Top Tier MS &AD (Mitsui Sumitomo & Aioi Nissay Dowa) Group headquartered in Japan. He leads Technology function covering Application, Infrastructure, Security, Data and Digital playing a key role in MSFC’s business transformation vision.

Prior to joining MSFC, Mr Sourabh Chitrachar has over two decades of experience with 18+ years in Insurance industry with global carriers like Allianz and Liberty Mutual having lived across India, UK, Germany and Singapore in several local, regional and global leadership roles managing various facets of technology and insurance operations. Mr Chitrachar is known for aligning technology strategy with business strategy—building agile operating models, simplifying legacy landscapes and turning innovation into measurable business value.

He holds an Executive MBA from Singapore Management University, an Engineering degree in India and executive certifications from Cornell University, Mc Comb School of Business at University of Texas at Austin & INSEAD along with technical certifications from AWS and ITIL v3 Expert from TUV SUD.
 

Anto Lawrence

Chief Product Officer, Chocolate Finance

Mr Anto Lawrence is the Chief Product Officer of Chocolate Finance, where he leads Product across Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Japan. He brings over 15 years of product management experience launching and scaling digital financial products across markets to build customer-centric solutions. A seasoned product leader with deep start-up and transformation experience, Mr Anto has led digital and organisational transformation initiatives across global organisations, balancing the demands of rapid product iteration with the discipline required to scale responsibly in regulated markets.  Mr Anto Lawrence is currently focusing on building an agentic future at Chocolate Finance.