When I was a child, I never could have imagined working for an international company, seeing the world and speaking another language. I didn’t even know then that I’d become the first person in my family to attend university, where I studied finance and economics in Shanghai. I joined Allianz Trade straight after as an intern on the trade credit insurance (TCI) side. I worked my way up, which opened the door to a relocation to Group HQ in Paris.

I stayed there for seven years before returning to China last year to be close to my family. Now I’m Regional Surety Risk Director for APAC, which comes with its own set of challenges. I had experience in the credit insurance business, but Surety was less familiar to me. After 17 years at Allianz, though, it’s exciting to be doing something new!

One key difference between traditional TCI and Surety is the underwriting process, for example reporting tools, credit assessment templates and networks. The other is timeframes – Surety generally involves longer-term projects and larger credit amounts. While different to what I was used to, I now find working on long-term projects to be very fulfilling.

It’s in situations like these that I think we can learn from our children. I have young children who had begun school in France, so when we moved back to Shanghai they needed to quickly adjust to the Chinese education system and language. It was tough at first, but soon they were thriving – children are so adaptable! And I can’t wait to find out where their own futures will end up taking them.

When I arrived last year, my first task was to establish trust with all the local teams. I set out to become a person they could rely on for support. My next goal? Over the next 5-10 years, my aim is to expand the portfolio and team. There’s a lot of diversity within the APAC Surety portfolio – from construction projects to ship building, military supplies and railways. But the portfolio is still relatively small.

I want to build it up by enhancing my own knowledge of the commercial side. This happens by meeting with clients and brokers. Taking a holistic view will help me make better underwriting decisions to ensure Allianz stands out within the competitive APAC market.

The best part about my job is how international the role is, not only in terms of working daily with people from all over the world, but the geographical mobility available. It enables colleagues to relocate, develop their skills, and bring those skills back to their home regions to help grow the business there.

Taking on a new experience like this, while challenging, is hugely beneficial. In Surety, solving problems often requires you to think outside the box rather than choose the traditional route. Navigating another culture makes you more open-minded and improves interpersonal and critical thinking skills. These essential skills can help you readily tackle challenges to find a solution that works for everybody – clients, your team, and the company. If only my 10-year-old self could see me now!