EXECUTIVE PROFILES
WOMEN IN REINSURANCE
MEET OUR PEERS SERIES
As we slowly adapt to living in this new normal, WiRE aims to help you connect with your peers in the industry as you get to learn about their life and experiences and foster new friendships along the way.
FEBRUARY 2022
HOLLY THOMAS
Vice President,
Guy Carpenter
What do you like to do during your free time?
Trying out new restaurants, hosting lots of dinner parties and being active - I love the long walks Singapore has to offer
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What are you most afraid of?
Snakes - I have to check under the bed every night before I go to sleep
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Favourite artist/band/song that you can listen on repeat
Fleetwood Mac is my all-time fav, I could listen all day and it would be a dream to see them live
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What would you be if you were not working in this industry?
If I wasn't working in Reinsurance I would love to have been a chef and write my own cookbook)
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Favourite artist/band/song that you can listen on repeat
Anything by Coldplay! … though I’m not a fan of their latest work. I’m still waiting for them to return to Singapore for a tour here having missed out on the last tour back in 2017. I was utterly devastated.
What's your pet peeve?
Having to repeat myself again and again! Seriously what are your ears for??!!
Any special skills/hobbies
I can hold my breath and swim the length of an Olympic sized pool, or at least I could do that in the past. I’m pretty sure I lost the ability to do that now but I’m still entitled to bragging rights of my past glory right?
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Best vacation you ever took and why?
I love traveling. Who doesn’t especially at the present moment being stuck on a tiny island country with no end in sight to the pandemic. Honestly speaking, every trip I ever took was the best trip ever as every trip is unique and special. I loved my time in Laos for its warm hospitality and beautiful souls. I enjoyed traipsing around the national parks and safaris in South Africa and reconnecting with nature. And I mostly certainly had a blast taking a road trip around Iceland to explore the ethereal beauty of the Icelandic landscape.
JESSIE KUAH
Underwriter,
Axis Re
JERRYCA TEO
Client Manager L&H
South East Asia,
Swiss Re
What do you like to do during your free time?
I play squash, badminton and am a regular gym goer. I also like to experiment with new recipes and catch up on TV dramas over the weekend.
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Three things you can't live without
(A lot of) Sleep, water & exercise! Sounds very basic yes but they are key to my mental health.
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What career advice would you give to your younger self?
Meet more people, talk to more people. Learn to empathize, learn to communicate well, & enjoy the marathon.
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What's your pet peeve?
Tardiness. Being on time and being present are important principles to me as a form of respect for my family, friends and colleagues.
What do you like to do during your free time?
Besides my regular hobbies, I love to trek/hike and find cheap and good food. On the weekends, I would easily clock up to 40km of distance within the day, meanwhile finding cheap and good eats from the east to west, north to south and reviewing them on my IG @thecheapskatecritic!
Any special skills/hobbies
A special (while uncommon and useless) skill I have is the ability to move my ears. Somehow or rather I managed to find the muscle that controls the back of my skull, allowing me to move it, albeit slightly. Besides finding weird muscles, my other regular hobbies include playing musical instruments! I can play both the cello and violin.
If you had to choose a different career, what would it be?
I would join the public sector because I find the public initiatives meaningful and my work can directly impact the lives of people.
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What's your pet peeve?
One of my pet peeves is being late. I truly believe that everyone’s time is precious and if someone has set the time aside, we should respect that.
