Insurance Asset Risk Asia 2024

Chair’s opening remarks

Vincent Huck, Editor, Insurance Asset Risk

Keynote fireside chat: Insurer's view on the economic climate in China and investment priorities going forward

Benjamin Deng, Group Chief Investment Officer, Ping An Group

Macro panel – how is the current global and regional macro-economic climate impacting APAC insurers?

• What is the future path of interest rates policy and implications for insurers' investments and businesses?
• Exploring how the restructuring of the global supply chain is impacting APAC insurers' investment strategies
• What are geo-political considerations that might impact financial markets for insurers?
• Forecasting future macro developments in the short, medium and long term which could impact investment decisions

Panellists:

Clarence Wong, Chief Economist, Peak Re
John Zhu, Chief Economist Asia, Swiss Re

CIO panel – navigating ongoing market volatility and uncertainty to find alpha

• Where are insurers finding alpha, whether through specific asset classes, or portfolio management strategies?
• Key considerations for building a successful asset allocation strategy for the GA in a high interest rate environment
• How has the high interest rate environment changed appetite for overseas investments compared to local investments?
• Exploring the trend of allocating to more alternatives, private markets and illiquid assets for portfolio diversification and risk management
• To what extent is it possible to build an "all-weather" investment portfolio, resilient to volatility yet adjustable for changing market conditions?
• How have CIOs and investment teams been working with ALM and risk management teams when it comes to the reshuffling of portfolios and building a liability-driven investment strategy to comply with RBC regimes?

Speakers:
Richard Chan, Chief Investment and ALM Officer, FTLife Insurance Company Limited
Sam Morgan, Chief Investment Officer, AIA Hong Kong

Regulatory panel – Discussing the impact of risk-based capital regimes on asset allocation and ALM

• Sharing experiences of how RBC is impacting insurers of different sizes across different markets within the APAC region
• How have insurers reallocated their assets to optimise their capital positions?
• How have these approaches shifted, given the shift from a low interest rate environment to a high interest rate environment?
• Given the need for liability-matching and the ringfencing of assets, how do conflicting priorities play out between investment strategies and ALM strategies? For example, what are the implications of greater allocation to fixed income from a risk-based capital perspective?
• Challenges faced by investment teams in the implementation of post-IFRS 17 asset strategies

Panellists:
Bong Choi, Life, Health and Financial Risk Director, AXA
Hamilton Yuen, Chief Actuary, Fubon Life
Timothy Yiu, Head of Investments, Manulife

Sustainability investment strategies for APAC insurers

• Sustainability considerations for Asian insurers' investment strategies:
• Net-zero
• Natural capital
• Engagement strategies
• Exploring the range of investable assets under sustainability investment strategies
• How can insurers help finance the transition to net-zero?
• How are higher interest rates and the need for capital efficiency impacting sustainablity investment strategies?
• How are sustainability disclosure regimes evolving in Asia to emulate the ISSB framework? How should asset owners be preparing?
• ESG data challenges: how to ensure data integrity, availability and consistency?

Panellists:
Elsa Atira, Responsible Investment, KWAP
Enci Wang, Senior Manager, Responsible Investment, Prudential
Maud Savary-Mornet, Senior Advisor, Asia, Global Impact Investing Network
Monica Bae, Director of Investor Practice, AIGCC (Asia Investor Group on Climate Change)