Director, China Strategic Management

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Role Overview

The Director, China Strategic Management is responsible for shaping, articulating, and overseeing Prudential’s overall China business strategy, grounded in a deep understanding of China’s insurance industry, macro‑economic environment, and regulatory landscape.

Operating at Group and Board level, the role provides strategic leadership across industry analysis, business and portfolio strategy, performance oversight, and strategic initiatives, and shareholder‑related matters. The role requires strong judgement, executive‑level communication skills, and the ability to influence outcomes in a highly regulated and evolving environment.

Purpose and Impact

The role is pivotal to shaping Prudential’s long‑term position in China. By driving strategic clarity, enterprise alignment, and disciplined execution, the Senior Director materially influences the Group’s China growth trajectory and contributes to Group‑wide value creation.

Report to the Chief Officer, China Business Strategy & Management, the role plays a critical part in setting direction, shaping decisions, and enabling robust, sustainable performance at scale.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership (China)

• Lead the development and refinement of Prudential’s overall China business strategy, aligned with Group priorities and long‑term value creation.
• Provide senior‑level thought leadership on China insurance industry trends, including life, health, pension, wealth and distribution dynamics.
• Translate China macro‑economic, demographic, regulatory and geopolitical developments into clear strategic implications for the Group.
• Lead structured, hypothesis‑driven strategic analysis to support major management and Board decisions.

2. Execution Oversight

• Oversee execution of major strategic initiatives related to China, with accountability for impact tracking and delivery discipline.
• Review progress, identify execution risks and bottlenecks, and drive mitigation actions across functions and markets.
• Act as a key escalation point to resolve cross‑functional or cross‑stakeholder issues.

3. Performance Management

• Lead the design and delivery of holistic China business performance reviews, ensuring alignment with Group expectations.
• Identify key value drivers and shape strategic and performance interventions across the China portfolio.
• Provide senior‑level insight on performance headwinds, emerging risks, and commercial opportunities.
• Champion data‑driven decision‑making and performance discipline across China‑related initiatives.

4. China Industry Landscape & Regulatory Engagement

• Maintain a deep, forward‑looking understanding of China’s insurance regulatory environment and broader financial services policy direction.
• Assess implications of regulatory changes on ownership structures, capital, products, distribution and growth options.
• Support senior‑level engagement with regulators, shareholders, and strategic partners by providing clear strategic framing and analysis.

5. Strategic Options Assessment

• Support evaluation of strategic options for China, such as partnerships and adjacent business opportunities.
• Assess strategic rationale, risks, synergies, and execution feasibility of potential opportunities.

6. Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a senior coordination bridge between Group leadership and China business team.
• Lead the development of high‑quality executive and Board‑level materials, including strategy papers and presentations.
• Build strong partnerships with Group stakeholders across Finance, Risk, Legal, Agency, Health, and Asset Management.
• Support senior executive and Board engagements related to China, including major forums and Board visits.

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic Thinking: Shapes multi‑year strategic direction, anticipates inflection points, and sets enterprise‑level priorities.
• Commercial Acumen: Applies strong financial, operational, and market insight to drive high‑impact decisions.
• Influence & Partnership: Operates confidently at senior executive and Board level; builds alignment across complex stakeholder groups.
• Execution Discipline: Drives disciplined execution through clear governance, accountability, and cross‑functional leadership.
• Judgement & Integrity: Demonstrates sound judgement in sensitive, ambiguous, and high‑stakes situations.
• Communication: Crafts compelling narratives for executive and Board audiences; influences outcomes through clarity and persuasion.

Experience & Qualifications

Experience

• 10+ years of professional experience, ideally within financial services or insurance industry.
• Prior experience in insurance strategy, investment banking, management consulting, or corporate development preferred.
• Proven track record of supporting senior executives and Boards on complex strategic and investment decisions.
• Mandarin speaking capability required, with strong understanding of local market dynamics and regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives in multi‑stakeholder environments.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree and above required.

Skills

• Exceptional analytical, problem‑solving, and strategic structuring skills.
• Advanced executive communication and presentation capabilities.
• Ability to operate effectively under ambiguity and deliver results under tight timelines.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior levels.

Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equality of opportunity of benefits for all who apply and who perform work for our organisation irrespective of sex, race, age, ethnic origin, educational, social and cultural background, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, disability or part-time / fixed-term work, or any other status protected by applicable law. We encourage the same standards from our recruitment and third-party suppliers taking into account the context of grade, job and location. We also allow for reasonable adjustments to support people with individual physical or mental health requirements.