The remarkable journey of Jessica Tan, recently featured on CNA, showcases an extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to becoming the president of Sun Life Canada. Her stellar career trajectory includes leading China’s largest insurance company Ping An Group, where she served as group co-CEO, growing their client base from 80 million to 230 million during her 11-year tenure. This outstanding leadership earned her recognition as one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2021.
Tan’s academic excellence shone through early, from her days at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School to achieving perfect grades at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned two Bachelor of Science degrees and a master’s in electrical engineering and computer science. Her professional journey began at McKinsey & Company in 2000. Her commitment to excellence led her to Ping An Group in 2013, where she transformed the company by integrating innovative eldercare services into their financial services.
At Ping An Group, Tan’s vision for eldercare services resulted in 200,000 families signing up within three years of launch, demonstrating her ability to create substantial social impact while driving business growth. Now at Sun Life Canada, which serves 12 million clients – more than a quarter of Canada’s population – she aims to help Canadians achieve financial security and healthier lives during their retirement years. This move marks what she calls “chapter three” of her professional and personal life, allowing her to explore the North American market.
The 48-year-old Singaporean’s success story is particularly noteworthy given the current corporate landscape, where women occupied only 8.2 percent of CEO positions in S&P 500 companies in 2023. Tan’s leadership philosophy emphasizes making a difference beyond profit margins, focusing on creating real impact for clients and communities. Her journey from a humble beginning to leading major financial institutions serves as an inspiring testament to the power of determination, and visionary leadership.
Read the original featured article on CNA here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/up-close/global-view-humble-roots-ping-4862376?cid=FBcna&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR35ziculrSPE8LKa7_sr2aB5fsKMyIzE7-SqEqCTI_LX3WfnNKIa2xNuw8_aem_G-8TR3cxIEdR1IRzVE_1uQ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-tan-077b84b/?originalSubdomain=sg
