Manulife keen to provide value so advisers need to raise bar

Manulife International has emerged as the clear industry sector winner of the prize for Hong Kong's Best Company for Financial Planning Excellence in the insurance sector of the SCMP/IFPHK Financial Planner Awards 2008.

The prize, which was introduced to the Financial Planner Awards last year, recognises a company in each industry sector which takes the most awards in the competition. Manulife turned in a particularly strong performance fielding 14 out of the 38 second round winners, who received a certificate and trophy, and the winner of the insurance sector award.

The competition, which is open to practising financial planners from the three different investment planning sectors, recognises performance excellence in banking, insurance and independent financial advisory, with a winner in each sector going through to the final round to compete for the title of Hong Kong's Best Financial Planner of the Year 2008. This year, four industry winners went through to the final round, including Manulife's senior financial adviser for the insurance industry Cathy Wong Siu-fong who won the insurance sector award.

Michael Chan, Manulife's vice-president for distribution in Hong Kong, said the company encouraged employees to participate in the competition.

'Financial planning has always been an important focus for Manulife. We are keen to provide real value and professional service to our clients, and financial planning is an important element to do so.'

He said the Financial Planner Awards were highly regarded across the insurance, independent financial advisory and banking industries.

'Encouraging our advisers to participate in the competition is an invaluable experience. It enhances their financial planning knowledge and enables them to benchmark it against the best practices in the market.'