Board of APFinSA (2025/2027)
The Board of APFinSA is elected by the Council of nine member countries for a two-year term. The Board consists of nine voting members. The APFinSA Board’s role is to set the strategic direction for APFinSA, to nurture and promote the role of the financial advisor profession in improving the financial well-being of consumers, and to enhance the reputation of Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioners in the Asia Pacific region.
Chairman
Mr. Henry Cheng
Hong Kong
Mr Henry Cheng
Mr Henry Cheng has been serving the insurance industry for the past 35 years and a veteran in the field of insurance and finance. Mr. Henry Cheng always has a firm and unshaken belief that insurance can bless more people. He took the plunge and quitted his previous role as a social worker to embark on a prolific career as a financial consultant. With goodwill and a caring heart, combined with integrity and humility, Mr. Cheng tailor-made professional and reliable financial consultation plans for every single client. For over 35 years, Mr. Cheng has won over countless number of clients.
In order to build a solid team, Mr. Henry Cheng often ‘walk the extra mile’ to support colleagues and with a well-equipped and structured management system, his robust team grows tremendously over the years. Mr. Henry Cheng now leads a professional team of over 700 colleagues, he has gained the reputation of ‘gold medal manager’ in Prudential Hong Kong.
Mr. Henry Cheng has contributed much of his time to serve The Life Underwriters Association of Hong Kong (LUAHK). He was President of LUAHK in 2020.
Mr Henry Cheng also served as the Chairman of Organizing Committee of 2019 Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress in Hong Kong in 2017, which witnessed a hugely successful and record breaking turnout of 10,000 delegates to the Congress. He was also the President of The General Agents and Managers Association of Hong Kong in 1998. It is undeniable that Mr. Cheng held successful and remarkable events in Hong Kong as well as in the Southeast Asia region. He was nominated by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to serve as the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador in 2019.
Mr Henry Cheng has served as the Honorary Treasurer of Asia Pacific Financial Services Association for the term 2023/2025 as well as term 2021-2023. Currently he has been nominated and serving as Chairman of APFinSA for term 2025/2027.
Vice Chairman
Mr. James Liu
Taiwan
Mr James Liu
Mr James Liu graduated from Fu-Jen Catholic University in Taipei with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and subsequently M.A in Statistics from University of Michigan and M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh. He specialised in FinTech and Artificial Intelligence from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
It is a special record in the insurance industry when Mr James Liu obtained the qualification of the U.S. Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) in only five years. As the 35-year-old CEO of TransGlobe Life Insurance Inc., he successfully led the company and staff to set up new milestones during the period 1998 to 2001, by merging the business of AFLAC, Transamerica and AXA and took over all their inforce policies and operations in Taiwan. In 2013, TransGlobe Life Insurance Inc. acquired all in-force business of Kuo Hua Life, demonstrating a high level of commitment to life insurance. In 2015, as Taiwan’s top seven life insurance company, its total number of customers were more than three million, agents/employees were up to 4,500 people, and the total assets were more than 800 billion Taiwan dollars.
James Liu is currently Founder of I-Insurance Inc., PHEW Inc. and PruWell Investment Limited. He is the Honorary Immediate Past President of Insurance and Financial Practitioners Association of Taiwan (IFPA), which is member association of APFinSA. He is also serving the below appointments:
Honorary Treasurer
Mr. Stanley Tse
Hong Kong
Mr Stanley Tse
With over 30 years of experience, Stanley is devoted to the insurance and financial planning industry. Besides serving thousands of families’ insurance & financial needs, he is also an expert in employee benefit and corporate pension management. He is currently an agency leader at AIA International Ltd.
Stanley is a 27 years MDRT Quarter Century member with 4 COT qualifications. He actively serves MDRT for PGA, PDC, MCC, and many other task forces. He holds RFP (Registered Financial Planner) and CFC (Certified Financial Consultant) designations.
In 2021, Stanley was appointed President of LUAHK (which is a member association of APFinSA), serving the insurance industry affairs & helping to promote agents’ professional image in Hong Kong. He is also a popular speaker at many public conventions and seminars, such as the MDRT Experience in Bangkok 2012, and MDRT Annual Meeting in Philadelphia 2013.
Stanley Tse served as Honorary Secretary of APFinSA for the term 2023-2025. He has been nominated and currently is serving as Honorary Treasurer for the term 2025/2027.
Honorary Secretary
Mr. Emmanuel Paras
Philippines
Mr Emmanuel Paras
Emmanuel Paras’ mission in life is to help people and organizations become better. He graduated from Ateneo De Manila University with a Bachelor of Science in Management. He spent his first 12 years in AIA Philippines as a sales employee, eventually becoming one of the youngest executives of the company during his time. He then moved into agency management in the same company, and quickly rose to becoming an agency manager in a year’s time, becoming the fastest ever to reach this level.
Emmanuel became the President of the Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines in 2016, the organization of financial planners in the country, and created initiatives to have the most number of members during his term at more than 5,000 members. Emman is a 7-time Million Dollar Round Table Member, consistent awardee in the General Agency Managers Association, and 2-time Manila Agency Manager of the Year in AIA Philippines. He is also a Registered Financial Planner, Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner, Certified Investment Solicitor and Associate Wealth Planner.
Emmanuel has also ventured into nonlife insurance and HMO businesses under Pacific Cross, Maxicare and Prudential Guarantee to provide a more comprehensive service to his clients. He has also co-founded multiple tech startups, including Move Up Philippines and WellNest. Emmanuel has spoken in various companies and schools, including Unilab and Dunkin Donuts. Emman represented the Philippines as the lone Filipino speaker in the 2019 Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress. He continues to find ways to add value to people in anything he does.
Emmanuel Paras has been elected as the Honorary Secretary of APFinSA, serving the term 2025-2027. Previously he has served as Assistant Honorary Secretary for term 2023-2025.
Board Member
Mr. A.M. Naidu
Malaysia
Mr AM Naidu
Mr AM Naidu is a Senior Group Sales Manager in Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Berhad. He has been in this insurance business for more than 40 years. He was promoted as Group Sales Manager in Great Eastern in the year of 1986 and subsequently promoted to Senior Group Sales Manager in 1996. He was President of Group Sales Managers Association of Great Eastern from 2005 and 2008 and was serving as President of GELFAAM (Great Eastern Life Field Force and Agents) since 2014 until 2020.
He served as President of NAMLIFA (National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Family Takaful Advisors) from 2020-2022.
Mr AM Naidu has been elected as Board Member of APFinSA for the term 2025-2027. He previously serves as Board Member for term 2023-2025
ICSB Chairman
Mr. Banyong Witayaweerasak
Thailand
Mr Banyong Witayaweerasak
Mr Banyong Witayaweerasak has a wealth of experience in the financial industry and has worked in the insurance field for 35 years. He is actively involved in many social activities and projects serving the community in Thailand. After graduating from the faculty of Pharmacy, Mr. Banyong Witayaweerasak worked as a volunteer in public health for a year before joining AIA in 1985.
Mr Banyong was in the Committee of a public company, Community Pharmacy Public Company Limited, for more than 10 years. He has been invited to serve in Education working groups from both the office of Insurance Commission and Thai Life Assurance Association. Mr Banyong is a business columnist for a leading business newspaper in Thailand. He has written many articles about financial and business issues for more than 20 years and he is the author of a pocket book named “Financial Fraud”.
He was the President of Thai Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (THAIFA) from 2009 to 2011. During his term, he revitalized the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP) course which is now very popular among Thai insurance agents. Currently, Mr Banyong is the Advisor to THAIFA Board. He also serves as the Advisor of the International Certification and Standard Board (also referred to as the ICSB) which is a key standing committee of APFinSA, governing the FChFP curriculum.
Mr Banyong holds 3 designations, FChFP ChLP and RFC. He was the founder of “ThaiFinancialAdvisor.com” which is the very first financial planning web site in Thailand. He has worked in Insurance field for more than 34 years. At present, Mr Banyong is a Senior District Manager in AIA (Thailand).
Mr Banyong Witayaweerasak has served in the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (APFinSA) during the following terms:
- Honorary Treasurer for term 2015-2019
- Chairman for term 2019-2021
- Immediate Past Chairman 2021-2025
- Advisor to ICSB Board 2023/2025
Currently he has been nominated as the ICSB Chairman for the term 2025/2027.
Immediate Past Chairman
Mr. Matthew Kang
Singapore
Mr. Matthew Kang
Mr Matthew Kang is a Senior Vice-President of Financial Services at Manulife Advisory Group (MAG), leading an agency of highly productive Financial Planners, Managers and Senior Managers. He has been with Manulife for more than three decades.
Mr Matthew Kang served as the National President of the Insurance & Financial Practitioners Association of Singapore (IFPAS) for two terms from 1999 to 2001.
Apart from the financial services industry, Mr Matthew Kang is also very active in the community in Singapore. He is a Senior Grassroots Leader and serves as the Chairman of Ci Yuan CCMC (Community Club Management Committee) in Ang Mo Kio Group Representative Constituency, a member of Ang Mo Kio – Hougang CCC (Citizen Consultative Committee), a Town Councillor at Ang Mo Kio Town and sits in its Audit & Risk Management Committee. Mr Kang was once the Chairman of one of Singapore’s most successful professional football club. Until several years ago, Mr Matthew Kang was Chairman of the more than 30,000-strong congregation of the New Creation Church, the largest church in Singapore and now continue to serve as a member of the Church Board. Mr. Kang holds a MBA in Strategic Wealth Management, the Chartered Wealth Management from AAFM, USA and the Certificate in Law (Estate Planning).
His involvement with APFinSA started from day one of the birth of the association in 1991 and the followings are the records of his involvement:
- Member of Task Force at the 1st APLIC Congress, 1991
- Hon. Secretary of APFinSA (2001-2003)
- Chairman, CEO Panel at 11th APLIC Congress in Macau
- Chairman, APFinSA Board of Inquiry (BOI) – 2011-2013
- Honorary Secretary of APFinSA (2013-2017)
- Vice Chairman of APFinSA (2017-2019)
- Honorary Secretary of APFinSA ( 2019-2021 )
- Chairman of APFinSA (2021-2025)
Mr. Matthew Kang is currently serving as Immediate Past Chairman for the term 2025/2027.