Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Broker’s Jean Henri Lhuillier: The Man Whose Mission is Financial Inclusion

The successful growth of Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers (CLIB) from a longtime microinsurance agent into an insurance brokerage signaled a wave of positive change in the Philippines' insurance industry.

No longer an insurance agent but a future-ready insurance broker, CLIB is offering Filipinos better access to a wider assortment of insurance products by partnering with an extensive selection of insurance providers across the country. Using both traditional and digital marketing platforms, CLIB actively promotes and provides not only Cebuana Lhuillier's proprietary portfolio of longstanding and latest personal, health, property, group, loan, business, and liability insurance creations, but practically every insurance product available in the market.

CLIB: Making Insurance Affordable and Accessible

To date, CLIB has insured more than 8 million Filipinos and has made its insurance products accessible through more than 3,000 Cebuana Lhuillier branches, over 6,500 domestic partner outlets, and Cebuana Lhuillier's mall-based insurance offices; Cebuana Lhuillier Financial. To ease the process of procuring insurance, CLIB also has ProtectNow, an online insurance marketplace where one can browse and choose the insurance they want or need.

The man ultimately responsible for the creation of CLIB and anything and everything that CLIB has produced and done is none other than Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier. He reveals that he established CLIB based on the mission of Cebuana Lhuillier to ensure financial inclusion for every Filipino, regardless of their occupation or financial status. In targeting the C and D markets, he explains: "We believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to improve their way of life, and that includes having access to comprehensive insurance coverage."

CLIB's Cutting-Edge Insurance Products

To ensure the success of CLIB, Jean Henri Lhuillier introduced trailblazing initiatives for the uninsured and underinsured. First is HealthMax, a product underwritten by Pacific Cross Philippines, which was recently recognized by the Insurance Asia Awards. This new product is open to Filipinos between 15 and 65 years old and is very affordable at only PHP3,000 annually (as low as PHP8 per day). Here, beneficiaries can receive an annual maximum benefit of PHP 150,000 for emergency care and hospitalization for inpatients and outpatients at over 282 accredited hospitals nationwide.

There is also ProtectMax, CLIB's flagship insurance product underwritten by Pioneer Insurance and Surety Corporation, designed for individuals aged 7 to 70 years old. It provides Death Benefits, Accident or Sickness Emergency Cash Assistance, Accidental Dismemberment and/or Disablement Benefit, Murder and Unprovoked Assault Benefit, and Residential Fire/Lightning Reconstruction Cash Assistance to beneficiaries for as little as PHP 50.

Another innovative product that CLIB launched is CL Perform, a product package integrating HR tech company Entomo's digital platform with select insurance and microloans packages from CLIB. CL Perform is a game-changing product bundle that helps improve the overall well-being of the employees for the benefit of the companies they work for.

CLIB also tore down barriers when it began offering insurance to two sectors once considered uninsurable: mining and pets. Recognizing the unique challenges within these domains, CLIB specializes in insurance policies, addressing specific risks prevalent in mining operations and venturing into the pet insurance market, covering dog-related liabilities.

The work done by Jean Henri Lhuillier for CLIB is so massive in scale and impact that he was bestowed with the Gold Award for CEO of the Year in Accounting, Banking, Financial, and Insurance at the 2019 CEO World Awards. From 2017 to 2018, he also held the chairmanship of the Mutual Exchange Forum on Inclusive Insurance, Inc., a collegial body of insurance policymakers and regulators in Asia. His programs also made a mark in the lives of the Filipino people, like National Protektado Day, where free insurance was given to Filipinos, and Rapido, where claims of fire victims were processed with a strong sense of urgency.

A More Financially Inclusive Philippines

But while CLIB has covered so much ground, Jean Henri Lhuillier says they still have a long way to go since insurance penetration in the Philippines remains low. Asked about his methods to change the mindset and behavior of so many Filipinos when it comes to insurance, he says, "At CLIB, we don't just provide insurance products; we also make sure the products are affordable and relevant to our market."

To reach more markets, plans are already afoot to launch other insurance products that cover real estate and families. Also in the works is an app specifically made for its referrers. Continuous growth is also a given, as they seek to put up more branches and forge more partnerships with companies that share their goal of financial empowerment.

With Jean Henri Lhuillier as CLIB's premier moving force, Filipinos can expect CLIB to create a greater impact in the local insurance industry. He says, "Our advocacy is rooted in reaching everyone, without any exceptions or exclusivity. Our resolve is firm and clear: we are committed to empowering and protecting the entire Filipino community, one person at a time."