Moving Up the Ladder of Success with Prudential’s Management Associate Programme.

“How can I drive changes and create an impact in my chosen industry?” These constant thoughts flooded the young ambitious mind of Mr Chan Yuee Sun, who eventually ventured professionally into the life insurance industry. “There has been many disruptions and opportunities within the life insurance industry, and I wanted to gain knowledge and experience to succeed in this industry”, he explained.

Currently the Senior Actuarial Professional with Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad (PAMB), Yuee Sun started out as a Management Associate under Prudential’s 18-month programme. Having been with Prudential for two and a half years, the 26-year-old Senior Actuarial Professional is responsible for life insurance product pricing for varied distribution channels, as well as supporting many of the company’s strategic and marketing initiatives.

Armed with a Bachelor Degree in Actuarial Science from London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Masters in Finance from Imperial College London, Yuee Sun wanted to diversify his experience as far as he could and Prudential’s Management Associate Programme was the perfect fit, offering just that. “I experienced Prudential’s dynamic culture and strong support system upon meeting the HR Talent team in London, and was inspired by them,” He expressed he wanted very much to learn and contribute to the company, and the programme’s emphasis on training and personal development complemented his eagerness.

Prudential’s 18-month Management Associate Programme is customized in providing maximum exposure through role specific job rotations and projects. Soft skills developments, interactions with management, team building with different functions, as well as community building are just some of the benefits of this programme. Apart from strong academic qualifications, some criteria for the Management Associate Programme include learning agility, effective communication skills and a keen enthusiasm and curiosity to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Prior to his promotion this year, Yuee Sun had the opportunity to gain beneficial work experience in Hong Kong for 4.5 months. “The experience granted me an oversight on the processes and regulations in relevant markets, and I am eager to apply my learnings from this international exposure at Prudential Malaysia”, said Yuee Sun. Apart from that, the work experience challenged him to tackle problems in various (and sometimes unfamiliar) ways, to learn to work effectively alongside people from culturally diverse backgrounds, to embrace constant change, and to be flexible.

Besides being fortunate to be part of a supportive team that is both caring and intellectually open-minded, walking this journey with Prudential has proven to be rewarding and satisfying for Yuee Sun. “With hard work and dedication, I feel that Prudential recognises talent, and rewards them accordingly,”

Moving forward, Yuee Sun aims to make an impact in the financial sector by adding value to traditional actuarial tasks, and to venture into more diverse roles. He advises potential young graduates to constantly be creative when adding value to any given situation. “One thing I do tell myself, is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he concludes. “And never be afraid to reach out to people in the industry if you want to enquire about future prospects and possibilities in stored for you!”