Gang Pei, Head of North Asia: portrait of a digital transformer

On 1st March 2023, ReMark participated in the ITC Asia Roadshow in Japan. Our Head of North Asia, Gang Pei, spoke about the emergence of new innovations in insurance and how ReMark is using these to meet the needs of today's policyholders. This article was written by Vivienne Khoo, Executive Producer, InsureTech Connect Asia. Originally published on 26th April 2023.

Revolutionising Insurance for a Better Customer Experience - a Look at ReMark's Digital Transformation Strategy

During our conversation with Gang Pei, the Head of North Asia at ReMark, he provided insights on his experience in digital transformation across various traditional and highly regulated industries. He discussed how ReMark is simplifying access to cover by matching protection amounts based on a policyholder’s lifestyle, in order to appeal to the younger generation in Japan. Furthermore, he delved deeper into how ReMark plans to stay ahead of the curve by utilising emerging technologies to enhance and deliver exceptional insurance experiences.

1. Could you tell us about your background and what influenced your career journey leading up to joining ReMark?

Despite working in several industries - telecommunications, healthcare and pharma - all my jobs had one thing in common: digital transformation (DX). The industries I worked also shared a commonality – chiefly, that they are traditional and highly regulated.

Systems and processes are not easy to transform. When seeking to make progress within them, you need to deeply understand your business and the value technology can bring. In this way, the insurance industry was no different from others I had worked in. And to complement this experience, I had actually majored in Economics at university, with a focus on Statistics and Actuarial Science. 

This unique background suited my current role well, and it is one of the reasons ReMark asked me to lead its North Asian activities, centred primarily around the Japanese market.

Drawing on prior experience, this was an exciting opportunity to transform ReMark’s business model in a way which enabled our clients to leverage digital transformation to deliver on their business objectives and maximise their value. 

2. You mentioned at our ITC Asia Japan roadshow that “Insurance is not attractive enough for the young generation (in Japan)”. Can you elaborate? What is ReMark doing to address this?

3. How has ReMark utilised emerging technologies in the past? And how can these improve the customer experience?

ReMark is a global insurance marketing & tech consultancy. Over 38 years, we have conducted more than 12,000 insurance marketing campaigns in all mediums, from mail to mobile. During this time, we have grown our knowledge, insights, and methodologies in line with tech advancements.

Examples of this include developing the policy management system RaPid, our health & wellness engagement app Good Life (powered by SCOR’s Biological Age Model BAM algorithm) and the AI disease prediction service Good Health. In fact, the Good Life app just won an iF Design Award for its UI/UX, and has just collected multiple Indigo Design Awards related to innovation.

All ReMark's solutions are designed and targeted to provide the best consumer experience. And we continue to work with the modern tech advancements to provide better lifestyle insurance in Japan.

4. Looking forward, how do you see the digital field evolving in the next 5-10 years? What are some imminent challenges and opportunities you foresee for the industry, and how will ReMark stay ahead of the curve?

Going digital should not be a goal or objective. It is only a tool or a way to make business more efficient, a way to make customer’s lives more convenient. Traditionally, insurance is a product highly reliant on face-to-face channels because it can at times be difficult and complex for consumers to understand. They struggle to select the right product, the right plan to fit their needs. However, this is where digitisation can be revolutionary.

I believed in a new type of insurance. Insurers need to provide products linked to people’s lifestyle. Like SNS or EC, insurance has the potential to be more present in people’s everyday lives. We should diversify distribution channels and meet people where they actually are, not where we assume they will be.

ReMark is always learning from the market through our Global Consumer Study as well as our various marketing campaigns. We continuously design digital solutions to provide the best insurance experience.