FWD Singapore reshapes leadership to drive next growth phase

FWD Singapore has overhauled its senior leadership structure as it prepares for its tenth year of operations in 2026 and targets a new phase of growth in the city-state.

The life and general insurer has reshaped reporting lines across finance, technology, operations, distribution and marketing. The changes aim at closer alignment between product, distribution and digital teams and faster execution of new initiatives.

The new structure takes effect from the start of 2026.

The company plans to focus on adviser and partner support across financial advisory, bancassurance and high-net-worth channels. It also plans to run more coordinated product launches and marketing campaigns underpinned by its digital systems.

Expanded CFO remit

Chief Financial Officer Candy Goh will take on a wider portfolio under the changes. Her existing responsibilities cover finance, actuarial and data analytics.

Goh will add oversight of the legal function. The company expects this change to tighten governance and alignment across core control and business functions.

Her role will span financial management, risk-related analytics and legal oversight. The structure will place several key decision-making levers under a single executive.

Technology and operations combined

Technology head Henry Chua will become Chief Technology & Operating Officer. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer.

Chua will retain his responsibility for FWD Singapore's digital ecosystem and technology infrastructure. He will also take charge of operational functions.

The insurer has invested in a modern technology stack in recent years. Its systems support digital distribution, policy administration and data-driven processes.

Chua has more than two decades of technology and operations experience in the insurance industry across Singapore and the region. He has held transformation and operations roles for multinational insurers. Before joining FWD, he led the IT function for an international insurance group and delivered its group-wide technology roadmap.

The move combines technology and operations oversight under one executive. The company expects this to improve execution and coordination across back-end processes.

Current Chief Operating Officer Emily Wong will shift from a COO role in Singapore and take on a new role as Deputy COO for FWD's business in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong market is one of the largest operations within FWD Group.

New distribution and marketing chief

FWD Singapore has appointed Alvin Soh as Chief Distribution & Marketing Officer. He will lead distribution and marketing across multiple channels and product lines.

Soh will oversee the Financial Advisory, Bancassurance and Digital Commerce channels. He will also take charge of product, brand and marketing functions.

This creates a single leadership point for sales channels and product strategy. It also places brand and marketing under the same leadership as distribution.

Soh is a qualified actuary with more than 15 years of experience in the insurance sector. His background covers distribution management, mergers and acquisitions, and financial oversight across Southeast Asia.

He has worked directly on agency and financial advisory development in Singapore. This experience gives him familiarity with the local intermediary landscape.

Before his new appointment, Soh worked at FWD Group Office on regional distribution expansion. He worked on distribution-led acquisitions around the region.

He also served as Interim Chief Financial Officer for FWD Singapore over the past six months. His new role shifts his focus from finance leadership to growth and channel strategy.

Focus on advisers

FWD Singapore entered the market in 2016 as part of FWD Group's regional expansion. It was one of the first insurers in Singapore to offer a direct-to-consumer digital platform for life and general insurance.

The company has since expanded into an omnichannel model. It now sells through preferred financial advisory firms, international brokers and banking partners.

In 2024 it added a second insurance licence in Singapore under the FWD Private brand. This licence supports a dedicated high-net-worth life insurance offering.

The insurer said it will use the new leadership structure to deepen support for advisers and partners. It plans more integrated product development and coordinated marketing campaigns across its channels.

Chief Executive Officer Adrian Vincent said the company sees 2025 as a turning point for its local business.

"2025 has been a defining year for FWD Singapore, and the progress we have made is a reflection of the trust and support of our partners and customers. With our refreshed leadership structure, we are unifying distribution, product and marketing to move with greater speed, alignment and clarity. This next phase will allow us to deliver more value to our advisers and customers, strengthen the quality of our growth, and continue building an organisation that is bold, innovative and relentlessly customer-focused," said Adrian Vincent, Chief Executive Officer, FWD Singapore.

The insurer expects the new structure to guide its growth and distribution plans as it heads toward its tenth anniversary in the Singapore market in 2026.