INDONESIA - TAKAFUL - Malaysian Islamic Insurers Eyeing Indonesian Market

www.thejakartaglobe.com - Malaysia’s biggest Islamic insurers plan to expand in Indonesia, taking advantage of industry growth that is almost three times the pace of their home market and increasing wealth in the world’s most populous Muslim country.

Mayban Ageas, the nation’s largest insurer, is considering an acquisition in Indonesia, chief executive Hans De Cuyper said in a March 6 interview. Syarikat Takaful Malaysia, the second-biggest, estimates its Indonesian unit will generate 50 percent of its profits, from less than 10 percent now, managing director Hassan Kamil told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on March 7, without giving a timeframe. (source)

INDONESIA - TAKAFUL - Up close and personal with Hans De Cuyper

www.thestar.com.my - FOR someone who had never aspired to work in insurance, Hans De Cuyper has come a long way.

The 42-year-old CEO of Etiqa Insurance and Takaful - Malayan Banking Bhd's (Maybank) insurance arm - grew up in Belgium where he read mathematics and actuarial science in university.

“If you come out as a mathematician, the world is not very exciting,” he tells StarBizWeek in an interview. “And once you do actuarial science, you have more or less chosen your profession because 90% of actuarists go into insurance.”  (source)