Sun Life Philippines CEO and country head Benedict Sison has been named the new president of the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA).

Sison succeeds Troo president and CEO Hanz Loozekoot, who will be taking on a regional position as Ageas’ Chief Business Development Officer in Asia.

Sison has been with Sun Life since 2010, handling the overall financial leadership initially for its Philippine businesses, then later for Sun Life Asia and its subsidiaries in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and India. After a three-year stint in Hong Kong, Sison returned to Sun Life’s Philippine office in 2015, this time expanding in scope to include strategy, actuarial and digital transformation.

PLIA general manager George Mina expressed confidence that Sison will help steer the life insurance industry toward greater sustainability and development. “With his excellent track record and passion for the industry’s mission, Benedict will surely be an asset to our organization,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sison thanked PLIA for the opportunity to contribute to the industry. “It’s an exciting time to be in the insurance business. With the increasing financial literacy of Filipinos and with digitalization paving the way for more opportunities, there are many exciting possibilities we can pursue,” he said. “I look forward to working hand in hand with PLIA member companies and other stakeholders to reinforce our industry’s purpose.”

PLIA is the association of life insurance companies in the Philippines. Currently with 30 member-companies, it aims to promote the growth of the life insurance industry in the Philippines so it may contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country.

AXA, AIM forge alliance for open innovation program

AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurers, has forged an agreement with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) to jointly hold the Innovation Fellowship Program, a groundbreaking platform enabling companies, entrepreneurs, business-minded individuals, and innovative students to inspire and develop solutions to real-world problems.

The Innovation Fellowship Program is a business course designed to pave the way for the development of innovative tools and expertise that will help customers, not only of AXA but of the insurance industry in general, achieve their financial and life goals.

The goal is to synergize the knowledge and expertise of “aspiring game changers” to develop solutions to real-world problems facing the insurance industry, as well as promote health, wellness, protection and financial literacy in the Philippines.

“The biggest significance for us is to encourage and develop innovation from outside AXA,” said AXA Philippines president Rahul Hora. “Sometimes innovative and out-of-the-box ideas come from people who are not associated with insurance. This is why we are very excited to put this batch of people from AXA and from the outside world together, to help us come up with the best creative solutions for the business problems that we are facing.”

The groundbreaking program is part of AXA Philippines’ thrust to empower customers to live better lives through financial literacy so that they will be armed with the necessary knowledge for achieving their financial goals in life.

AXA Philippines chief transformation and technology officer Jay Sabido adds: “Innovation can come from anyone. This is what open innovation is really all about: partnership that will bring about better products and channels for the benefit of Filipino consumers.”

The course is currently open for enrollment and classes are set to run from 16 October to 18 November.

“Hello, Love, Goodbye,” the romantic drama movie that holds the record of being the highest-grossing Filipino film, is heading to Cannes, France for the 2019 MIPCOM, as ABS-CBN aims to showcase the movie among producers and film industry practitioners all over the world.

The Filipino blockbuster, which earned a worldwide gross of P880.60 million, follows the story of two young overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong who find comfort in each other, while trying to hurdle personal challenges in the bustling metropolitan.

Critics have lauded the movie for being relatable and for putting the spotlight on the plight of OFW. The performances of the film’s cast, particularly its main stars, Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, also garnered glowing reviews.

Also in ABS-CBN’s showcase lineup are three of the network’s most watched TV series. These include “The Killer Bride,” which is a revenge-drama that deals with themes of love and justice; “Mea Culpa,” a mystery-drama about six friends involved in a tragic crime; and “Kadenang Ginto,” the TV series that spawned a thousand memes on social media that follows two powerful women and their children who fight to become the rightful heir to the throne of a business empire.

MIPCOM is an annual trade event in France, where content producers, buyers, financiers, and distributors in the fields of entertainment and advertising, from all over the world, can connect, make deals and learn future trends in the industry.

ABS-CBN’s content, popular for their heartfelt Filipino stories, are available across other territories through ABS-CBN International Distribution, recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider. It has been a premier source of high-quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 50,000 hours of content worldwide.