The SEADRIF Insurance Company was incorporated in Singapore in April 2019 as a licensed insurance company under the Singapore Insurance Act. The Insurance Company is fully owned by SEADRIF member countries through Intertrust acting as Trustee of the SEADRIF Trust and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprising three professionals with decades of experience in the insurance industry.
As its first product, the Insurance Company launched a regional catastrophe risk insurance product – the first regional product in Asia – that provides cover against flood risks in Lao PDR. This can be expanded to additional countries in the future.
Learn more about SEADRIF and how it works in our FAQs
SEADRIF Insurance Company, in collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Finance, presents a case study video to explain how the insurance product works, covering aspects such as the policy structure, rapid payouts, and policy renewal.
Watch the Introduction Video in Lao
Watch the Introduction Video in English
Board of Directors
The SEADRIF Insurance Company is governed by a Board selected and appointed by members of the SEADRIF Sub-Trust A.
Dr. Yoshihiro Kawai
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board
Chair of the OECD Insurance and Private Pension Committee; Chair of the Global Asia Insurance Partnership (GAIP)
Dr. Kawai brings a wealth of both industry and policy experience to SEADRIF. After starting his career in the insurance industry and the government of Japan, he spent two decades leading high level international policy and spearheading insurance regulatory developments at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).
Dr. Kawai currently also serves as Chair of the OECD Insurance and Private Pension Committee; Chair of the Global Asia Insurance Partnership (GAIP); Advisor to the Commissioner, Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA); and Member of the International Advisory Council, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC). He is also Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University and Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Tokyo University.
Ms. Hien Anh Than
Executive Director and Board Director
Ms. Than brings a wealth of board governance and executive management experience in the financial and insurance sectors to the SEADRIF Insurance Company.
Hien Anh was on the Board of Directors at Baoviet Holdings (BVH), Vietnam's largest financial conglomerate, and Chair of the Board of Bao Viet Life. She was also the Vice Chairperson at the Insurance Association of Vietnam (IAV).
Over nearly 30 years, Hien Anh has built a prominent career in the Vietnamese financial services and insurance industry, including reinsurance, general insurance, life insurance, and asset management. She has held multiple senior positions, including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Baoviet Life, Chair of the Board of Tokio Marine Bao Viet Joint Venture, as well as Baoviet Holdings Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Chief Risk Officer (CRO).
Hien Anh is a Chevening Scholar with an MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK. She is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA).
Ms. Su Hoong Chang
Board Director
Ms. Su Hoong Chang brings a wealth of experience and insights from her work with regulatory bodies, international financial institutions, and national authorities.
Over 30 years, Ms. Chang has built a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors.
In her most recent appointment with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ms. Chang served as the Chief Representative of MAS in Beijing. She led the office in enhancing connectivity between the financial sectors of China and Singapore. Over her 15-year tenure with MAS, she held various leadership roles including Head of the Internal Audit Department, Director of the Securities Regulatory Development Division, Deputy Director of the Supervisory Policy Department, and Assistant Director of the Insurance Department.
As a Senior Financial Sector Expert with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., Ms. Chang contributed to the IMF’s global financial stability surveillance.
Her private sector experience included managing regulatory affairs/policy and conduct risk of a major bank, Principal/Director of a regulatory/compliance consultancy firm, Finance Manager with a reinsurer and tax consultancy with a public accounting firm.
Mr. Benedikt Signer
Executive Director and Board Director
Mr. Benedikt Signer has been a core part of the SEADRIF Insurance Company team since March 2023, acting as an Advisor to the Board in the areas of strategy, organizational and product development, partner and country engagement, public-private partnership and operational management.
Mr. Signer brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Disaster Risk Finance, combined with deep insights from his extensive experience working with governments and development partners in the region.
Over a decade at the World Bank, he supported more than 20 countries in actively managing potential losses from climate and disaster shocks across Southeast Asia and other regions. He was closely involved in the creation and implementation of multiple global initiatives, including co-leading the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) and supporting the design of the G7-V20 Global Shield against Climate Risks. He co-led the establishment of the World Bank’s Financial Protection Academy which has by now reached over 30,000 people in more than 100 countries.
Mr. Signer has advised the Asian Development Bank as a technical team leader and worked with select global universities and private sector organizations. He is involved in several non-profit technology organizations around climate and sustainability.
Company Management
The management of the Insurance Company and its functions are outsourced to competitively selected professional service providers in Singapore. Third party service providers include the insurance manager, asset manager, reinsurance broker, and calculation agent. The Insurance Company conducts its operations in line with its constitution and the SEADRIF Operations Manual adopted by member countries.
