Kuala Lumpur, 4 February 2015 – AIA Bhd. has made two key appointments to its Executive Committee to further strengthen its Takaful business and Life Planner distribution channel. Elmie Aman Najas has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of AIA PUBLIC Takaful Bhd. (AIA PUBLIC) effective 15 January 2015, while Kelvin Ang has joined as AIA Bhd.’s National Chief Agency Officer, beginning 1 February 2015.
Elmie will play a key role in driving AIA PUBLIC’s product development strategy to ensure alignment with the company’s multi-channel distribution approach. AIA PUBLIC has the advantage of leveraging AIA and Public Bank’s leadership positions and established infrastructure in the insurance and banking industries. The company’s suite of Family Takaful solutions are distributed via AIA’s 17,000-strong Life Planner force and Public Bank’s network of 259 branches nationwide.
Kelvin will be responsible for driving AIA’s Premier Agency strategy in Malaysia with a clear focus on the recruitment of full-time Life Planners to drive AIA’s ambition of creating the largest and most productive Life Planner sales force in the country. AIA’s recruitment agenda over the past two years has centred on attracting young adults, including those from the Malay segment, to boost sales productivity and unlock the growth potential of family Takaful in Malaysia.
Commenting on the appointments, Bill Lisle, CEO of AIA Bhd. said, “We are delighted to have Elmie and Kelvin on board. Our vision is to become the best provider of insurance products and services so we address the protection needs of Malaysians at every stage in their lives. I am confident that Elmie and Kelvin’s extensive experience in the industry will help us achieve our vision and further accelerate our growth ambitions.
Elmie, who has close to 20 years of experience in insurance, was Chief Agency Officer of AIA Bhd.’s Central region. In that role, he amassed experience in distribution channel management and strategic planning as he helped to drive AIA’s business goals in the Takaful space through the company’s Life Planner force.
Elmie joined AIA in 2011 when he was made Head of Operations & Partnership for the former AIA-AFG Takaful Bhd (AATB). He was subsequently appointed Head of Channel Management of AIA PUBLIC, where he played a critical role in ensuring the successful integration of the two entities’ multi-channel distribution lines following the integration of AIA’s businesses in Malaysia in 2013.
Kelvin brings with him a wealth of experience which he gained during his 17-year tenure with the AIA Group. His most recent role was with AIA China where he served as the Chief Agency Officer since 2013.
He transformed the agency force by driving significant Value of New Business growth, a measure of future profitability, in the last two years. He has also served in various senior Agency management and Agency distribution roles in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and within China.
Prior to joining AIA, Kelvin acquired some 10 years’ of experience in sales management and marketing within the banking, telecommunication and automobile distribution industries.
