FWD

Head, Investment

Malaysia - KL Eco City Full time

About FWD Group

FWD Group (1828.HK) is a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 34 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828.

For more information, please visit www.fwd.com

FWD Technology and Innovation Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., known as FWD TIM, was established in late 2019. Strategically located in Kuala Lumpur, FWD TIM serves as a pivotal shared service location within FWD Group, providing services to multiple markets across the Group. FWD TIM houses a diverse and talented workforce focused on essential business and technology services such as information security, cloud operations, IT solutions delivery, digital and data, actuarial, finance, investments, and customer service, among many others. FWD TIM is dedicated to drive and deliver operational excellence and efficiency, foster innovation and ensure regulatory compliance across all business functions as well as maintain a competitive edge in the market.

PURPOSE

The Head of Investment is responsible for developing and executing the investment strategy for the Company, ensuring alignment with the company’s long-term financial objectives, risk appetite, and regulatory framework.

 

This role oversees the investment portfolios, manages external fund managers, ensures robust asset-liability management, and contributes to overall business growth through strategic capital deployment.

 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Investment Performance & Strategy

Capital Utilization Effectiveness

  • Maximize risk-adjusted return through dynamic tactical asset allocation while ensuring compliance.

  • Evaluate portfolio returns relative to risk and regulatory capital charges.

  • Optimize asset allocation to enhance capital efficiency and meet liability-driven objectives.

  • Ensure liquidity sufficiency while pursuing yield enhancement.

  • Monitor and adjust exposures based on market conditions, macroeconomic signals, and valuation.

Strategic Investment Execution

  • Implement initiatives for diversification, income enhancement and risk management.

  • Execute strategic investment plans in alignment with long-term portfolio goals.

  • Identify and act on opportunities to broaden the investable asset universe through market research and innovation.

  • Ensure timely implementation of approved investment initiatives with clear accountability.

  • Track progress and effectiveness of diversification and income-generating strategies.

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Governance & risk management

Develop and Implement Investment Monitoring & Risk Alerting Framework

  • Streamline monitoring process and establish clear communication channels for risk.

  • Design and maintain dashboards and tools for real-time investment monitoring.

  • Establish thresholds and triggers for risk alerts across asset classes and portfolios.

  • Facilitate timely escalation and resolution of investment-related risks.

  • Collaborate with risk and actuarial teams to align monitoring with enterprise risk appetite.

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Regulatory & Governance Oversight

  • Maintain compliance with financial regulations and internal governance policies.

  • Ensure investment activities comply with regulatory frameworks.

  • Maintain documentation and audit trails for governance and reporting purposes.

  • Support internal and external audits with timely and accurate investment data.

People & Knowledge Development

Team Development & Leadership

  • Build team capabilities, accountability, and leadership pipeline.

  • Mentor and coach team members to enhance technical and strategic competencies.

  • Promote a culture of ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement.

  • Identify and develop future leaders through structured development plans.

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Investment Education

  • Strengthen education and communication to share market insights.

  • Conduct regular knowledge-sharing sessions on market trends and investment themes.

  • Develop internal publications or briefings to disseminate insights across departments.

  • Encourage continuous learning through training, certifications, and external engagement.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

  • Investment performance & strategy (50%)

  • Governance & risk management (25%)

  • People & Knowledge Development (25%)

INTERNAL / EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

 

  • Finance (Internal)

  • Actuarial (Internal)

  • Product (Internal)

  • Distribution (Internal)

  • Risk & Compliance (Internal)

  • Board of Directors (Internal)

  • Group Counterpart (Internal)

  • External Fund Managers (External)

  • Regulators (External)

 

DECISION MAKING

 

Head of Investment is expected to have significant input to the Company’s overall investment decisions including setting of SAA/TAA for all investment portfolios, ALM and risk mitigation, appointment of external managers and onboarding of investment linked funds, regulatory and governance (i.e. classifying of financial assets according to accounting principles) as well as business strategy and capital allocation.   

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

  • Degree in Finance/Economics/Investment related fields

  • Minimum 10 years working experience in investment management related fields

 

KNOWLEDGE & TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Core Investment Knowledge in Asset Classes such as fixed income, equities and alternatives. Have solid understanding in portfolio theory, macroeconomic analysis as well as valuation techniques

  • Insurance & ALM knowledge including all necessary regulatory frameworks.

  • Regulatory & Risk Management Skills

  • Leadership and Strategic Skills such as stakeholder engagement, cross function collaboration and strategic thinking.

COMPETENCIES

  • Strong stakeholder management

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

  • Attention to detail.