Vice President, Distribution Strategist - Agency

About FWD Group FWD Group (<1828.HK>) is a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 40 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828. For more information, please visit PURPOSE The Distribution Strategist - Agency is the most senior strategist role within the Distribution Strategy Office, responsible for defining and driving the Group-wide agency channel strategy across all FWD markets. Beyond owning the agency growth agenda, this role carries a cross-channel strategic coordination mandate, acting as the senior point of reference within the strategist team to ensure coherence and alignment across agency, partnership, and digital solutions strategies. The role holder sets the strategic direction for agency fundamentals, quality frameworks, recruitment and retention models, and advisor development, while also leading the strategic input into Business Plan reviews, strategic STI target-setting, and the Group distribution narrative for ExCo, Board, and Investor Relations on behalf of the Group Chief Distribution Strategy Officer. This role requires the ability to operate with significant autonomy, provide independent strategic challenge to BU Chief Agency Officers and senior distribution leaders, and deputise for the Group Chief Distribution Strategy Officer in senior cross-functional forums when required. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Define and own the Group-wide agency channel strategy, including the strategic direction for agency fundamentals, quality management, Professionalism, Advisor development, and MDRT across all FWD markets. Act as the senior strategist within the Distribution Strategy Office, providing cross-channel strategic coordination to ensure coherence between agency, partnership/IFA, and digital solutions strategies and avoiding duplication or misalignment of priorities. Lead the strategic input into annual Business Plan (BP) reviews for agency distribution, assessing BU submissions for strategic alignment with Group priorities and providing formal recommendations to the Group Chief Distribution Strategy Officer. Drive the setting of strategic STI targets for agency distribution, ensuring alignment with Group strategic outcomes. Own the agency component of the Group distribution narrative for senior stakeholders, including direct preparation of ExCo papers, Board updates, and Investor Relations commentaryon agency strategy. Set the strategic priorities for agency recruitment, retention, activation, and productivity enhancement, identifying structural growth opportunities and emerging risks across markets. Develop and maintain standardised agency playbooks to enable scalable cross-market execution, and set the standard for playbook quality and rigour across the broader strategist team. Review and align local market agency strategies with Group priorities; provide independent strategic challenge to BU Chief Agency Officers and BU CEOs on agency-related matters, including formal strategic guidance during quarterly business reviews. Generate market insights, competitive intelligence, and strategic analytics specific to the agency channel, and synthesise cross-channel insights to inform Group-level strategic decision-making. Define the agency-related KPI framework and performance standards, including ownership of agency metrics within D360 dashboards, and provide input into the cross-channel KPI architecture. Partner with the Distribution Transformation Office to translate agency strategy into execution-ready roadmaps, commissioning and Sponsoring SWAT team deployments for agency strategic initiatives . Lead the formulation and delivery of the Voice of Distribution (VOD) agenda as it relates to the agency channel, interpreting frontline insights to refine Group strategy and presenting findings to senior leadership. Collaborate with the Capability and Development Manager to shape agency-specific Events, Programmes and training and development frameworks, Deputise for the Group Chief Distribution Strategy Officer in selected senior forums, cross-functional working groups, and stakeholder engagements when required. QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline; MBA or advanced degree preferred Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in life insurance distribution, with a substantial track record in agency channel strategy, agency management, or distribution transformation across multiple markets in Asia Proven experience in a Group or Regional office role with multi-market strategic oversight responsibilities and direct engagement with C-suite stakeholders Demonstrated experience in leading Business Plan reviews, setting strategic KPIs, and producing senior management outputs (ExCo, Board, Investor Relations) for distribution Track record of developing and implementing agency growth strategies at scale, with measurable impact on recruitment, productivity, and quality outcomes KNOWLEDGE & TECHNICAL SKILLS Deep expertise in agency distribution models, including tied agency, multi-tier agency structures, recruitment economics, agent lifecycle management, and agency force quality frameworks Strong understanding of agency performance metrics and management systems, including activity management, persistency, case size, MDRT qualification, and quality scorecards Strong Knowledge of agency technology enablement (e.g. advisor engagement tools, CRM systems, digital sales platforms) and how technology intersects with agency productivity and behaviour change Comprehensive understanding of Business Plan review processes, strategic STI design, and Investor Relations data requirements for distribution Familiarity with regional life insurance markets across Asia, with practical understanding of market-specific agency dynamics, regulatory environments, and competitive landscapes Proficiency in strategic analytics, KPI framework design, cross-channel performance benchmarking, and senior management reporting Understanding of regulatory and compliance considerations relevant to agency distribution across multiple jurisdictions, including conduct risk and licensing frameworks