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‘A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work’ – Colin Powell.
My take-away from this quote is that the right dream actually takes sweat, determination, hard work and a strong moral compass to guide you on the right path. Without the latter, the first three are a disaster.
I moved to Asia in 2015, working as an underwriter, chasing adventure and experience outside of Australia. The same year I met Andrew Fluitsma - we sat next to each other on a flight on the way to a Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) Conference in Budapest. It was my first WBN conference and I didn’t know anyone else there, but the Honan team took me under their wing! Ever since then, I watched while the Honan business evolved and grew throughout the region and was finally asked to join the team in 2019…how could I say no!
Outside of work I’ve been completing an MBA part-time over the past 18 months, so my weekends and evenings have been focused on studying and learning with a great group of people here in Singapore.
My job is to ensure the team in Asia have the tools, support and guidance to do what they do best.
I want brokers to be able to focus on their clients and getting the best out of the market, rather than being distracted by systems that don’t work or endless internal meetings.
Andrew Fluitsma’s vision for Honan is to be a market disrupter that doesn’t conform to the traditional insurance model. It’s my job to make this happen in Asia by building a team of great people who care for and support one another, while constantly challenging the way we do things. Our strength is our size - we’re agile and nimble enough to adapt to change quickly. My job is to keep challenging the process, to keep asking 'why?' and to keep looking for smart solutions for the business.
Number 1 - I love meeting people. I love talking to our clients, hearing their stories both personally and from a business perspective, and helping to find solutions for them.
Number 2 – We have a tremendous team in Asia that’s constantly growing. I wake up in the morning with a spring in my step knowing that I get to work with great people. When people are happy, empowered and motivated in their roles, our clients feel the difference.
Number 3 – We are only limited by our own imaginations at Honan. We have the power to create our own destinies and that is something I will never take for granted.
Technology is (in my opinion) what will distinguish successful companies from the less successful in the next five years. Throughout COVID we’ve seen some companies embrace technology and thrive, while others are facing significant challenges with their systems, applicaions and processes. Customers today simply expect that you will have technology solutions in your business that run effectively. At Honan we have completely overhauled our broking, finance and banking systems, as well as rolled out a new Employee Benefits platform, all in the past 6 months. The efficiencies that we’ll realise because of these advances set us apart from others in the market and make our clients’ user experience best in class.
