Mandy Kong Shuk-man, assistant business development manager, marketing services, at MSIG, has always been a keen learner. From being an exchange student at university, to working at the head office in Japan, she pitches the importance of continuous learning to succeed. She talks to Wong Yat-hei  

What’s your academic background?
I graduated with a bachelor of business administration degree in 2008 from Lingnan University, majoring in finance with a minor in risk and insurance. During my university studies, I participated in internship training in Shanghai and studied in the United States as an exchange student.

How do you start your day? 
Every day before I leave the office, I prepare a to-do list for the following day. This schedule helps me work more efficiently, as well as prioritise important tasks. I have no routine – responding to e-mails, replying to phone calls and attending meetings are basically what I do every day.

What does your job entail?
My work is to focus mainly on developing new business and maintaining existing business in order to ensure we achieve our targets. Every week, I visit our clients and business partners. Communicating clearly with them enables me to better understand their expectations, which in turn helps me to improve our service. I also handle client enquires and provide proactive general insurance proposals.

What are the major challenges you have encountered so far?
My major challenge is building the trust of clients. The main purpose of insurance is to compensate uncertain loss, which is intangible and hard to measure. Some clients may not know whether they are covered or not when a loss occurs. Therefore, we need to explain to them in simple terms some of the more complex theories of insurance to ensure they understand their cover correctly.
  
What are your plans?
I am now taking a postgraduate course in general insurance sponsored by the company. For my long-term professional plans, I will go to Japan to work at the head office for a year to learn more about company operations. In Japan, I will focus on global issues such as business plans for overseas operations, which can broaden my skills from normal general insurance knowledge to international agreement level.

Any advice for those who plan to enter your industry?
A passion for insurance is the most important factor. You need to learn continuously and pay attention to the news to develop in this career. Adopting and maintaining a positive and proactive mindset is also highly recommended.