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Let’s Start a Conversation

with an AmCham Leader

Have you ever thought of sitting in a
harbor-view conference room, and having
a talk with a member of the social elite?
On the Extended Learning Day, 8 Form 5
students had a precious chance to meet Mr.
Owen Belman, the CEO of Aon Risk Solutions
(Aon Asia), and a member of the Board of
the American Chamber of Commerce in HK.
Aon Risk Solutions was founded in 1982,
and has been ranked as the largest insurance broking and risk management consultancy in the
world. Over 35 years, Aon has provided a diverse range of services such as risk management, insurance and reinsurance
brokerage, human resources solutions and outsourcing to customers in over 120 countries.
Mr. Belman began our meeting by talking passionately about the vision and mission of AON Risk Solutions – to
be universally recognized as the premier global risk and human capital management advisory firm through offering
dedicated support to effectively manage their customers’ business risks so as to help them operate and expand with
integrity, commitment and innovation which are also Aon’s values. He also proudly disclosed some of his loyal clients
from industries such as Automotive and Aviation, Construction, Financial Services as well as Food & Beverage.
Then, Mr. Belman explained the operation of Aon Risk Solutions. He expounded on the principle of risk management
and insurance. The principle of insurance is to hedge against the risk of financial losses that may result from damage
to the insured or her property. His topics included addressing uncertainties, taking human factors into account and
tracking early signs of a risk translating into a problem. Apart from this, he also talked about obstacles the insurance
industry is facing, ongoing changes in technology, demography, and consumer needs and expectations. Insurance
customers nowadays do not want to buy insurance the way the insurance companies want to sell it to them. Combined
with recent regulatory and financial reporting developments, these changes are putting severe strain on traditional
business models. Through his educational talk, we gained a lot of knowledge about the insurance industry.
On a more personal note, Mr. Belman shared his life experience. He talked about his previous jobs as a Head of
Standard Chartered Bank and a senior manager in Marakon Associates, which is a premier strategy consulting firm. He
has a family of four, including two sons, teenagers like us. Apart from that, he shared his interests in Ironman triathlons.
The Ironman Triathlon consists of a 3.9-kilometer swim, a 180-kilometer bike ride and a 42.1-kilometer run. It's been
said that just finishing is a victory! It helped him train up his mind and body for the challenges he faced at his work.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Belman reminded us that persistence is the key to success, and to never ever give
up. He also advised us to maintain a balance between income and expenditure, and not to “max out” or reach the limit
of our credit cards. It was an invaluable experience for us because we broadened our horizons and learnt many things
from Mr. Belman, such as the operation of the insurance industry and his tips for success.