BMS CEO’s key to success is communication

Asking for support shows self-awareness and commitment to growth.

Sandra Lee, Asia CEO at London-based insurer BMS Group Ltd., thinks there’s nothing wrong with women leaders asking for help.

“Effective communication is crucial not just in sharing successes and challenges, but also in being transparent about when you need help,” she told Insurance Asia.

Lee, appointed CEO in January 2021, has been building the company’s insurance-broking capabilities for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the region. Before this, she spent almost nine years as head of transaction liability insurance at Aon Plc.

“Asking for support is not a sign of weakness; it’s a strength that demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to growth,” she said in an emailed reply to questions.

Only a third of senior management roles in mid-market firms in the Asia-Pacific region are held by women, 1.1 percentage point lower than the global average, according to Grant Thornton’s Women in Business 2025 report.  

Lee, who has been in the insurance business for more than two decades, said building trust and credibility, especially during periods of economic instability, is a challenge for leaders regardless of gender.

Macroeconomic uncertainties would be the industry’s key challenge in the next two to three years, she pointed out.

“Additionally, the industry is undergoing a digital transformation, and we are still in the early stages of adopting insurtech,” she said.

“Technology will continue to reshape the sector like it is doing with all industries, and we can anticipate its long-term impact on business and operational sustainability.”

Climate change is also a threat, Lee said, with more frequent and stronger natural catastrophes demanding a proactive stance from insurers. 

In 2024 alone, the region’s economic loss from natural disasters hit $74b, and only 5.4% or $4b of this was insured, according to an Aon report in January.

To combat these risks, one of Lee’s strategies is centralising resources in the company’s dual headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“This approach allows us to pool our strengths, streamline operations, and ensure we are well-equipped to meet client needs efficiently in all of the markets in which we have representation, even in uncertain times,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Lee is optimistic that Asia’s rising middle class and young and more affluent population would drive the growth of its life and health insurance market.  “These segments are expected to continue expanding, offering substantial growth potential for the industry.”

“As economies mature, the strategic use of insurance as a risk mitigation tool will become more prevalent,” she added.