Amine Hajji on shaping his journey

I began my career in strategy consulting for financial services companies, affording me the chance to travel across Europe – and even Mauritius! This exposed me to a diverse range of insurance and banking lines, spanning health & protection, life, commercial lines, and more exotic lines such as pet insurance!

This enabled me to really build knowledge around the wider insurance and financial services sector. I was able to become familiar with many different areas, from financial modelling and account management to strategy definition and on-the-ground operational execution.

I then got the opportunity to join Allianz Trade as Head of Office to the Group board member overseeing commercial activities. Transitioning both from another industry and from outside the company presented quite the challenge. But it was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made so far in my career.

My role as Head of Office was enriching, and every day was different. It included anything from commercial budget definition & steering and board meeting preparations to spearheading large projects across regions, contributing to internal event organization and meeting external stakeholders, incl. global brokers or clients.

I also witnessed significant organizational changes during my tenure and had the chance to participate in strategic projects like the 2025 strategic plan (Go2025) and the launch of our e-commerce business line. Then, after almost three years, I felt the time had come to go into the field and put this into practice.

I am now the Regional Head of Distribution for Asia Pacific at Allianz Trade. In this capacity, I work with our brokers, fronters and local teams to execute sales & renewal strategies, expand our reach and ensure the best service to our clients across more than 15 countries in the Region.

The learning curve is steep – but immensely rewarding. Every day brings new challenges, such as working with diverse, multicultural teams, acting as a “bridge” with Group, negotiating with external parties across the region and supporting market expansion.

Relocating abroad is never without challenges. While Allianz Trade’s values are consistent across the globe, ultimately a company is the sum of its individuals, and it’s essential to understand the local culture, ways of working and doing business. It’s a professional and, more importantly, a personal journey. And ultimately the experience makes you not only a better leader but a better person.

It’s been 9 months, but it already feels like a couple of years! The Asia Pacific region is so fast-paced, and growth opportunities are tremendous. Mobility is often said to accelerate your career, but I really think it also accelerates your learning process.

It’s quite paradoxical as I’ve always tried to plan every step of my career, but the best things that happened to me were not really planned. It’s about defining a trajectory and leaving room to learn and discover. The end goal is key, for sure, but I believe the journey is equally as important.

Just take the leap and make the best of the opportunity. I am sure you’ll thank yourself later.