With rapidly evolving consumer behaviours, regulatory landscapes, and digital innovations, insurance and financial services provider companies often struggle to build trust, maintain customer engagement, and simplify complex financial products. The Asia-Pacific market, known for its diversity, has posed a unique challenge for marketers and communicators, as effective engagement varies greatly from one country to another. Amidst this complexity, Sabrina Cheung, Chief Communications Officer at Manulife Asia, has been tasked with reshaping how the company interacts with millions of consumers across the region.
Sabrina’s approach to these challenges can be traced to her vast experience across industries and roles. Having worked in sectors ranging from insurance to consumer goods, her marketing and communications skills run deep. More importantly, her expertise in tackling some of the biggest hurdles in customer communications, both in terms of accessibility and credibility, has placed her at the forefront of strategic transformations in the companies she has served.
The Dawn of an Illustrative Career
Since her professional expedition began, Sabrina has been enthusiastic about marketing and communication. She quickly made a name for herself for her ability to handle high-stakes projects and deliver compelling, customer-centric narratives. Her first professional step came after graduating from university when she took on a marketing position at McCann WorldGroup, a renowned global marketing and advertising agency. Here, she cut her teeth on high-profile campaigns that required a deep understanding of consumer behaviour and messaging.
Her next major move was into the corporate world, joining Coca-Cola, where she took on a strategic marketing role. The company’s iconic global brand allowed Sabrina to sharpen her skills in managing large-scale communications initiatives, particularly in Asia-Pacific. During this time, Sabrina started to understand the power of storytelling in connecting brands to consumers on a deeper level—something she would carry forward into her future roles.
However, her tenure at Adidas Group marked a turning point in Sabrina’s career. As the company sought to bolster its image across Asia, Sabrina played a key role in shaping its brand narrative. The experience also gave her critical insight into the impact of digital transformation on communication strategies—an insight that would prove invaluable as she transitioned into the insurance sector years later.
Transition into the Insurance Industry
It wasn’t until she joined AXA in 2014 that Sabrina made her foray into the insurance industry. This move allowed her to navigate an entirely different set of communication challenges. The insurance industry, known for being complex and sometimes opaque, is difficult to communicate with. Simplifying insurance products and demystifying financial jargon for consumers became one of Sabrina’s main focuses. Moreover, she led communications in a highly regulated environment, where one wrong step could result in a compliance issue. In this role, she helped reposition AXA as a brand that valued transparency, empathy, and simplicity—key ingredients for winning customer trust in financial services.
From her work with AXA, Sabrina was soon recruited by Cigna, where she again faced the daunting task of reshaping communication strategies for a company working hard to expand its footprint in Asia. This was when digital transformation was at its peak, and consumers were becoming increasingly empowered by technology. The challenge was no longer just to communicate but to do so in a way that resonated with an audience more digitally savvy and demanding than ever before. Sabrina responded by spearheading innovative digital communication campaigns that offered consumers easy-to-digest information, personalised experiences, and a seamless transition from offline to online engagement.
Enhancing Manulife’s Brand Reputation
In her most recent role as Chief Communications Officer at Manulife Asia, Cheung’s mission is to continue enhancing the brand’s reputation and visibility while navigating the complex insurance landscape. Manulife, a company that operates in multiple Asian markets, relies heavily on effective communications to create brand consistency and build consumer trust. For Cheung, this has meant leading communications efforts that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, ensuring that Manulife’s key messages resonate across Asian audiences.
In addition to ensuring clear and consistent brand communication, Sabrina has had to challenge increasing consumer demand for personalised and transparent service. Insurance is no longer just about selling a product but about providing financial security and peace of mind. Through her leadership, Manulife has strengthened its communications efforts to focus on customer empowerment, transparency, and financial literacy—a critical focus in a region where many people are still coming to terms with the complexities of insurance.
From shaping global brands to demystifying financial services for Asian consumers, Sabrina continues to drive the conversation on how effective communication can build trust, enhance customer experiences, and ultimately lead to stronger, more connected brands in Asia.
