13/06/2026
From a Hospital Ward to the Boardroom
I spent 28 years in the banking industry.
Until the end of 2020, I believed my career path was largely defined. Then my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and I made the decision to leave my banking career to accompany her through treatment.
Like many families, we believed we had planned responsibly for the future. We held a high-end medical insurance policy and assumed that, should serious illness strike, financial concerns would not become part of the battle.
Unfortunately, reality proved otherwise.
During my wife’s illness, we experienced prolonged claim disputes, delays and uncertainty. What should have been a source of protection became an additional challenge during one of the most difficult periods of our lives.
That experience changed the way I think about institutions, accountability and trust.
After my wife’s passing, I chose not to let the experience end there.
I pursued a Master of Laws (LLM), focusing my dissertation on insurance claims disputes and policyholder protection. What began as a deeply personal experience gradually led me to become more involved in insurance, governance and public affairs.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as President of the China Insurance Association (Hong Kong), while also serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director of several Hong Kong listed companies.
Looking back, I sometimes find it remarkable that a journey which began in a hospital ward eventually led me to both the boardroom and the insurance industry itself.
The most important lesson I learned was not about insurance.
It was about governance.
Good governance is often associated with compliance, regulations and reporting requirements. Yet its true test comes when organisations face difficult decisions, when stakeholders are vulnerable, and when doing the right thing may not be the easiest option.
Today, when I sit in a boardroom, participate in governance discussions or chair a shareholders’ meeting, I bring not only my banking and legal training, but also the perspective of someone who has experienced how corporate decisions can directly affect people’s lives.
Governance is not merely about compliance.
It is about responsibility.
It is about trust.
And ultimately, it is about people.
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