Annual National Advisor Forum of Life Insurance Advisors Congress meets

Friday, 18 July 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The 5th annual congress of the National Advisor Forum of Life Insurance Advisors (NAFLIA) was held on 8 July at the Eagles’ Lakeside in Attidiya. NAFLIA is the marketing arm of Insurance Association of Sri Lanka. The objective of the NAFLIA Congress is to develop and recognise the professionalism of the life insurance advisors in the country. Accordingly, the theme of this year’s Congress was, ‘Insurance as a Professional Career’.

Marketing and Sales Forum Chairman Adel Hashim in his welcome address stressed that the Sri Lanka insurance industry today has grown into a giant in the financial sector with Rs. 109 billion claims, a 53,000-strong advisor force and almost a million life policies, accounting to one of the main financial stabilisers within the country The Chief Guest at the event was eminent insurer Prakash Schaffter, who is President of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL). In his address he pointed out that advisors are torch bearers and the key game changers in the future of the insurance industry in Sri Lanka. Further he stated that the insurance advisors should adapt to the changes of the industry and the consumer in the 21st century and stressed that Sri Lanka has an enormous underpenetrated market where life insurance is concerned. Ananda Silva – Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka/Director IBSL – was the Guest of Honor who shared knowledge on the growing economic trends in his keynote address. CEOs of the insurance companies that come under the umbrella of the IASL were present at the congress and a CEO panel discussion was held on the topic of the ‘Evolving Role of the Professional Insurance Adviser’. Deepal Sooriyarachchi, well-known management consultant, marketer and author, facilitated the panel discussion with Manjula De Silva (MD – HNB Assurance PLC), Fazal Ghafoor (CEO – Amana Takaful PLC), R. Renganathan (MD/CEO – Ceylinco Insurance PLC), Shah Rouf (CEO – AIA Insurance PLC), Chandra Schaffter (Deputy Chairman – Janashakthi Insurance PLC) and Dirk Pereira (Director/CEO – Union Assurance PLC).

The panel stressed that the key ingredients of a successful advisor are trust, continuity, knowledge, and a good understanding of the varying customer. A second panel discussion included the ‘Top Life Insurance Achievers’ that involved the top achievers of the industry to discuss and debate best practices and success stories. Several other eminent speakers were guests at the event, including Dr. Nalin Jayasooriya who spoke on the ‘Professional Way of Selling’; Dr. Ravi Liyanage, Chairman, Kingdom of Raigam, shared ‘An Entrepreneur’s Success Story’; Nayana Karunaratne conducted a session on ‘Professional Grooming’; and Priti Kucheria – MDRT Zone Chair/Top of the Table MDRT representative from Wealth Guardian Services, India, shared her experiences of the MDRT Success Path as an insurance advisor. The NAFLIA Congress involves all members of the insurance marketing fraternity, irrespective of the different organisations they are attached to. It is a forum in which stakeholders can come together to discuss success stories and best practices.