Equity in career advancement cannot rely on good intentions alone; it must be embedded in formal systems.
Leah Ng, Chief Bancassurance Officer at Manulife (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., has urged the insurance industry to establish structured promotion pathways, highlighting the persistent structural barriers that prevent women from reaching senior leadership roles.
Ng told Insurance Asia that while organisations often express commitment to diversity, they frequently rely on informal mentorship or goodwill rather than measurable governance. “Equity cannot solely rely on good intentions; it must be built into governance,” she explained. “The challenge is not a lack of commitment but the absence of systems that make fairness in promotions transparent and measurable.”
With over twenty years in life insurance and financial services, Ng emphasises that embedding leadership diversity into organisational operations improves performance and strengthens talent pipelines.
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Key Career Lessons
Ng reflected on pivotal moments that shaped her career. Early in her 20s, she was encouraged by a female manager to contribute more actively during discussions, a step that transformed her approach to leadership. Later, she faced career decisions where high-profile, well-remunerated roles conflicted with her long-term goals. “Choosing to decline those opportunities was difficult,” she noted. “These strategic ‘no’s’ helped me focus on intentional growth rather than rapid advancement.”
Diversity as a Business Advantage
Ng believes diverse leadership teams influence both decision-making and organisational standards. She advocates evaluating contributions by outcomes rather than visibility and institutionalising structured sponsorship to support high-potential talent. This approach deepens succession pipelines, reduces attrition, and ensures organisational resilience, turning diversity into a measurable performance advantage.
Manulife’s Leadership Equity Initiatives
Manulife treats equitable progression as a structural discipline, embedding inclusion objectives into performance metrics and maintaining quarterly leader dashboards. High-potential women are given structured leadership development opportunities and stretch assignments, ensuring promotions are data-driven rather than anecdotal.
| Initiative | Approach | Frequency/Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusion Goals | Leaders assessed on team inclusivity and performance | Reviewed quarterly |
| Promotion Dashboards | Track pipelines and representation metrics | Quarterly |
| Structured Sponsorship | Identify and develop high-potential women | Continuous |
| Merit-Based Evaluation | Document achievements for fair assessment | Ongoing |
| Flexible Work Arrangements | Hybrid model with clear accountability | Annual engagement survey, top-quartile Gallup benchmark 2025 |
Flexibility and Employee Support
Ng underlines that flexible work at Manulife is intentional and accountable. Using surveys and engagement feedback, the company adjusts hybrid policies to support employees’ personal and professional commitments. She cites instances where extended sabbaticals were approved to retain high-performing employees, demonstrating the impact of structured flexibility on retention and productivity.
Driving Industry Change
Ng advocates for industry-wide standardisation of promotion and succession criteria. “Ambiguity is where bias thrives,” she said. “Clear and consistently applied criteria strengthen trust, reinforce meritocracy, and empower women to pursue long-term career pathways.”
She concludes with a message for women in the workforce: “Stay curious, build skills, and step forward with confidence. Opportunity favours the prepared. When it arrives, say yes.”