Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
I started my career in an insurance company in 1992 whereby I was responsible for marketing the life insurance products.
Over the past six years, I have gained experience developing Takaful business in several multinational companies. I am an active member of the Shariah Association of Indonesia and Islamic Center Forum of Indonesia.
What does your role involve?
Implementing business strategies for the Takaful business through the agency distribution channel; building the Takaful brand for Sun Life; ensuring that the products, operations and financial reporting comply with Shariah principles; acquiring new business partners; and building and maintaining a good relationship with the ministry of finance, Shariah National Board and Shariah Supervisory Board.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
My greatest achievement is receiving the ‘CEO’s Award of Excellence’ for building the Takaful business in Indonesia in 2010.
Which of your products/services deliver the best results?
Our regular unit-linked product with riders has contributed to 95% of the total Takaful business.
What are the strengths of your business?
At present we are still using the agency force as a channel to sell our Takaful products.
In 2012, we are planning to sell our products through telemarketing since the infrastructure is already in place.
What are the factors contributing to the success of your company?
Our sales team has a good knowledge of Takaful and they are experienced in selling Takaful products and marketing our company brand.
What are the obstacles faced in running your business today?
The Takaful and the conventional business unit use the same agency force to market both the products.
Hence we need to have a strategic plan to sell our Takaful products efficiently, as most of the agency forces are not very experienced in selling Takaful products.
We are currently building a Takaful bancassurance sales academy to ensure that we have good quality trainers with which to build the sales team.
Where do you see the Islamic finance industry in the next five years?
The Islamic finance industry will be able to significantly contribute to the banking system compared with its conventional counterpart over the next five years.
The industry has a bright future ahead with a growing recognition globally.
Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance.
It is important for Islamic banking to be part of the global banking system and banks should use Islamic finance as a model in their efforts to increase consumer confidence and build a better future.