With more than 43 years of work experience under his belt with AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd. (AIG Singapore), 67-year-old Richard Tan is no stranger to sweeping industrial changes in the insurance sector.
“When I started with the accounts department, everything was done manually. Technology has changed the way things get done, especially with computer systems, emails and programmes like Excel automating a lot of processes,” said the purchasing administrator, who has enjoyed stints in AIG Singapore’s different departments, such as finance, accounts and procurement over the course of his career.
Although he experienced many changes over the years, keeping pace with them hasn’t been easy.
“If you don’t keep abreast of new technology or knowledge, you never know what might happen to you when things change. Even when it was difficult, I had to press on, study and learn new things no matter how difficult it was to manage work, training and family life,” said the father of three.
A Burning Desire to Learn
Unlike many of his peers, retirement has never been an option for Richard.
“My company has been good to me, and the management has always treated me well… I also want to be independent as I am still financing my housing loan and have to support my elderly mother in a nursing home,” said the long-time Singapore Insurance Employees’ Union (SIEU) member who was once a branch chairman at AIG Singapore.
More importantly, Richard enjoys learning new things in the course of work and finds satisfaction in completing projects that support the company’s operations.
Over the years, Richard picked up professional knowledge and even insurance licenses to help him with his work, but maintaining relevance has not been without sacrifice. To keep up with new processes and job requirements then, he often practiced what his managers had taught him during his private time. Even today, Richard keeps up to date with the different types of computer software through practice and learning from more IT-savvy peers.
Old can be Gold
While Richard hopes to be able to keep on working for as long as he can, he is also aware of his strengths and weaknesses.
“I may not be able to compete in speed, but I am committed and responsible,” shared Richard, who has been on re-employment contracts with the company since he turned 62.
Understanding that being physically fit and healthy is an important factor to continue contributing to the company, Richard makes sure he leads an active lifestyle. As much as possible, he keeps to a regular routine of qigong on the weekdays and jogging on the weekends.
Richard also shared that AIG Singapore has been supportive of the re-employment initiative where the older employees are being valued for their contribution and experience. He is heartened that AIG Singapore provided re-employment contracts without any reduction in salary or benefits.
Luke Hee, General Secretary of SIEU said, “We recognise Richard’s dedication and contributions to both SIEU and AIG Singapore during his many years of service. The good working relationship between the union and AIG Singapore saw us work closely to ensure that Richard could transition smoothly into re-employment with the same salary and employment benefits.”
SIEU also supported Richard by sponsoring him for courses such as Work-Life Transition Workshop, offered by the Centre for Seniors, where the objective is to help mature workers navigate the different stages of their lives.
