Latest news with #AIA
The Star
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Putrajaya mass running event charts 33,000 sign-ups
One of Malaysia's largest mass-participation running events will see 33,000 participants taking to the streets of Putrajaya on July 13. The race has drawn runners, aiming to cross the finish lines in the 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km courses, from more than 48 countries. 'Since our modest beginnings in 2014 with just 3,674 runners, Score Marathon has seen steady but exponential growth over the years,' said Score Sports Management chief executive officer Patricia Tan. 'Last year, over 24,253 runners participated and this year, registrations surged to 33,000, setting a new milestone,' Tan said. AIA Vitality, the health programme by AIA Malaysia, returns as presenting sponsor for the fourth straight year. 'At AIA, we are proud to support a movement that unites runners from all walks of life,' said AIA Malaysia chief marketing officer Chee Foong Wai. 'We're inspired by the spirit of this event and remain committed to supporting and championing initiatives that empower Malaysians to live healthier, longer, better lives,' Wai added. Last year, Score Marathon recycled 1,150kg of plastic, equivalent to 46,320 plastic bottles – setting a benchmark for environmentally responsible sporting events in the region. It also partnered with Pressio, a sportswear brand using bio-based yarns, as official apparel partner, while medals are crafted from recycled materials in collaboration with Natureloop. Score Marathon is supported by the Youth and Sports Ministry and certified a World Athletics Label Road Race. This recognises the full marathon as a qualifying race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors while making its affiliation with the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races official, inducting it into an elite group of globally recognised events.
South China Morning Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Retiring AIA chairman Edmund Tse reflects on 64 years with the Hong Kong-based insurer
AIA Group chairman Edmund Tse-wing achieved more for his company after retiring than many executives do in their whole careers. At 71, Tse was already past normal retirement age in 2009 when he retired for the first time, only to have the global financial crisis bring him back to the office from the tennis court – for another 14 years. Just a few months after returning, Tse led AIA through its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) . The HK$159.1 billion (US$20.4 billion) listing – still the city's record holder – provided cash that AIA's former US parent company, American International Group, needed to repay a government bailout. In October, Tse, now 87, will call it a day for a second time, retiring as non-executive chairman after 64 years with the largest listed pan-Asian life insurer. Retaining the title of chairman emeritus, he will pass the chairman baton to current HSBC chairman Mark Tucker . The change marks a return for Tucker, who was AIA's CEO between 2010 and 2017. 'I am sure Mark will do a better job than I,' Tse said on Wednesday. 'He has over 40 years of experience in the financial industry, including seven years at AIA. He can also work well with current AIA CEO Lee Yuan Siong, as they worked together previously at another insurance company.' Known as the godfather of the Hong Kong insurance industry, Tse joined AIA in 1961, a time when many people were reluctant to work in the industry or buy its products.
New Straits Times
13-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
First-time marathoner Sivaneshwaran stuns field in Putrajaya
KUALA LUMPUR: G. Sivaneshwaran made a dream debut in the SCORE Marathon on Sunday, storming to victory in the men's 42km race in Putrajaya. Running his first full marathon, he crossed the line in 2:48:08, well ahead of Lim Kok Leong (2:51:00) and Naqib Haikal Rahman (2:51:28), who finished second and third respectively. A national track and field athlete, Sivaneshwaran had previously won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2018 Asean University Games. "This is my first full marathon. I only signed up because my club said they'd sponsor me for a race in Vietnam this December if I did a sub-three-hour run," he said. "I didn't think I could even finish it. But to win, and in a good time, feels amazing. "I trained hard for this. I spent three to four months doing long runs, gym sessions, everything. The route was tough and hilly. If it had been flat, I think I could've done 2:30." In the women's category, local runner Lee Siok Chin dominated with a 3:17:17 finish, comfortably beating Vietnam's Vu Khanh Linh (3:21:54) and Diana Qistina Redza (3:35:53). Wan Izzul Syahrulyuzi Wan Rusley and Nur Amelia Musa topped the charts in the half-marathon category. Among the notable participants in the half-marathon was former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who completed the 21km race in 2:44:17. While not the result he had hoped for, Khairy, who has been actively involved in endurance sports of late, including duathlon events. admitted it was a tough day out. "A tough run. Although it's the Putrajaya route, it's fairly rolling with a lot of inclines, definitely a challenging route," he said. "Putrajaya is often thought of as flat, but it actually has a lot of hills." The AIA Vitality-backed event drew a record 33,000 runners from 48 countries, reaffirming its status as one of Southeast Asia's biggest and most inclusive races. In the run-up to the event, organisers held Running Clinic Tours around the Klang Valley, helping both novice and seasoned runners gear up mentally and physically for race day.
Fast Company
09-07-2025
- General
- Fast Company
The power of circular philanthropy
In 2018, Sharon Prince served on the jury of the American Institute of Architects' Honor Awards. Among the winning projects was the Gohar Khatoon Girls' School in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, which earned plaudits for its design aesthetic and social impact. During the selection process, Prince posed a simple yet provocative question: Were any of the building's bricks made by children? It was a question the jury members hadn't considered. In fact, it even took Prince by surprise. 'All of a sudden, the light bulb went on for me, too,' she says. 'I thought, Wait a minute, I don't know where all of my own building materials come from.' Prince is the CEO and founder of Grace Farms Foundation, a nonprofit that operates an 80-acre cultural and humanitarian center in New Canaan, Connecticut. The previous year, Grace Farms had won an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award for its striking River building, a winding, multipurpose structure that world-renowned architecture firm SANAA gently wove into the property's natural landscape. Prince's question to the AIA jury sparked more questions, this time for her partners on the River building, as well as the AIA's president and several other leaders in the building materials industry. None had ever questioned how the copper, concrete, lumber, and other products they used were made—or who was making them. These conversations were the genesis of Design for Freedom, an initiative launched by Grace Farms in 2020 that aims to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain. The movement engages industry stakeholders—from architects and engineers to manufacturers and contractors—to more closely scrutinize their supply chains. 'Until we can actually have transparency and know whether or not there is forced labor subsidizing our buildings, then there is a high risk that it is,' Prince says. BRINGING COMMUNITY TOGETHER At Grace Farms, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, thoughtful design and humanitarian work have always been at the center of its operating philosophy. The center in New Canaan gives the public opportunities to experience nature, admire the architecture of the River building, and enjoy the ever-changing public programs. They can visit the center to attend a workshop on starting a beehive, listen to a celebrated jazz musician, or simply join in a community gathering. Grace Farms' work doesn't stop at the borders of its 80-acre property. In 2021, the organization launched Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, a Certified B Corp that gives 100% of its profits to support the work of Design for Freedom. The company grew out of the tea and coffee that Grace Farms served to its visitors, which was all ethically sourced from sustainable growers around the world. Grace Farms started getting calls from out-of-towners who had visited and wanted to know where they could buy the beverages they'd tasted. Then, the pandemic hit, and Grace Farms saw an opportunity. 'When Grace Farms couldn't be open to the public, we were doing other humanitarian work in the community,' says Adam Thatcher, cofounder and CEO of Grace Farms Tea & Coffee. 'But a big part of [our mission] is bringing community together. So, we said, 'What if we bring this to the community?' ' The tea and coffee sourced by Grace Farms is certified organic. The company is the only U.S.-based tea company to partner with Fairtrade International, a nonprofit that aims to support farmers and growers worldwide through fair-trade practices. Meanwhile, Grace Farms' coffee comes from women-led growing co-ops based in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Indonesia. That was an important criterion for Prince and Thatcher, in large part because their research showed that women are disproportionately represented among ownership or management positions in the global coffee supply chain. 'One of our goals was to not only make a delicious product but also make a product that aligns with our values and can demonstrate ethical and sustainable supply chains,' Thatcher says. A CIRCLE FOR GOOD None of Grace Farms' initiatives exist in a vacuum. At the New Canaan property, visitors might sip a cup of tea while learning about fair-trade practices and directly supporting the work of Design for Freedom. 'This is an illustration of circular philanthropy,' Prince says. 'We are creating a link between a non-profit organization and a for-profit Certified B Corp that is an engine for good. This connection creates impacts on the entire supply chain—from the farmers to the manufacturers to the public—and supports the foundation's work to eliminate forced labor from the building materials supply chain.' Even thoughtful design plays a role in Grace Farms' approach to circular philanthropy. Whether it's the River building or the Design for Freedom pilot projects—which range from a public library in Montana to a monument to Harriet Tubman in Newark, New Jersey—good design draws more people to hear the movement's message. 'Beauty becomes an invitation for people,' Thatcher says. 'It's like a flower: Flowers are beautiful, but their real purpose is to attract bees and pollinators that then go out into the world and continue pollinating and making the world a more green, beautiful place.'
Zawya
09-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
AIA Hong Kong Achieves Four No. 1 Global Rankings in MDRT Once Again Leading Worldwide in MDRT and TOT Memberships
Female MDRT Continues to be Market No. 1 AIA Macau MDRT Market No. 1 for 7 Years HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 July 2025 - AIA Hong Kong & Macau have once again led the industry in the latest Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) membership rankings. AIA Hong Kong continues to lead globally, securing four No. 1 positions, including top rankings in both MDRT and Top of the Table (TOT) memberships. AIA Hong Kong MDRT Membership - No. 1 globally again, and No. 1 in Hong Kong for the 23rd year, with a total of 4,110 MDRT members TOT Membership (Top of the Table, representing production six times that of MDRT) – No. 1 both globally and in Hong Kong again Number of Qualifying and Life Members * - No. 1 globally Number of MDRT Members Retained - No. 1 globally Female MDRT Membership – No. 1 in Hong Kong again COT Membership (Court of the Table, representing production three times that of MDRT) –No. 1 in Hong Kong again AIA Macau MDRT membership - No. 1 for seven consecutive years since AIA Macau's independent reporting commenced in 2019, with a total of 523 MDRT members Percentage of Qualifying and Life Members * - No. 1 in Macau MDRT membership is recognised internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. In addition to the production requirement, MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. Mr Alger Fung, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, said, "AIA Hong Kong & Macau's consistent leadership in the prestigious MDRT rankings — including multiple occasions as the global No. 1 — stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our financial planners and their persistence in customer centricity. It also reflects the enduring trust and support we have earned from our customers over the years. We remain steadfast in advancing our Premier Agency strategy through continuous investment. By introducing innovative digital platforms that harness big data analytics and AI technology, we enable our financial planners to evolve into Premier Advisors—delivering personalised health protection and wealth planning solutions to our customers. Earlier this year, we further strengthened our training and recruitment capabilities with the opening of a new training centre for the AIA Premier Academy at AIRSIDE in Kai Tak. This initiative has attracted a growing number of high-calibre young professionals and reinforced the Academy's position as a cornerstone in shaping the future leaders of our industry." He added: "Looking ahead, we remain committed to nurturing industry elites and upholding customer centricity by delivering innovative products and personalised services that meet our customers' evolving needs at every stage of life, helping them live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives." At the Group level, AIA Group Limited has set a new record for being recognised as the number one MDRT multinational company globally for 11 consecutive years. Source: (as of 9 July 2025) *Qualifying & Life Member: An individual becomes a Qualifying & Life (QL) member when approved for the tenth year of membership. Qualifying & Life status is maintained in future years by submitting an application each year, including certifying letter(s) demonstrating qualifying production or by attesting to having met current minimum production levels, and by paying the required dues. Hashtag: #AIA #友邦 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About AIA Hong Kong & Macau AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau have over 18,000 financial planners 1, as well as an extensive network of independent financial advisors, brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3.6 million customers 2, offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, pension, personal lines insurance to investment-linked assurance schemes with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high-net-worth customers. 1 As at 31 March 2025 2 Including AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau's individual life, group insurance and pension customers (as at 31 March 2025) AIA Hong Kong
