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Bernhard Kotanko

Senior PartnerSingapore

Serves insurance and asset management companies in Asia–Pacific and globally on large-scale strategy and transformation programs

Bernhard leads our insurance work in Asia, serving financial services companies across Asia–Pacific, mainly in Greater China, Singapore, India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea.

With 20 years of experience across multiple functional areas, Bernhard has led many large-scale transformational programs and advised senior management teams on topics including operating models, digitizing distribution channels, redesigning customer engagement and experience models, and innovating value propositions.

Bernhard is often quoted in the media about pressing issues in the insurance industry. He also frequently authors papers on insurance topics and speaks at industry conferences.

Bernhard has studied at universities in Europe, Canada, and the United States and has worked in more than 30 countries before settled in Hong Kong, where he lives with his wife and their three daughters.

PUBLISHED WORK

Asia–Pacific’s family office boom: Opportunity knocks.,” McKinsey & Company, September 2024

AIA’s Lee Yuan Siong on building success for the long term,” McKinsey & Company, May 2024

The business of risk-taking: An interview with Jayne Plunkett,” McKinsey & Company, March 2024

Global Insurance Report 2023: Navigating Asia’s evolving market,” McKinsey & Company, November 2023

WealthTech in Asia–Pacific: The next frontier in financial innovation,” McKinsey & Company, October 2023

Why Asian insurers are ideally positioned for embedded market gains,” McKinsey & Company, July 2023

How the Asian insurance market is adapting to the future,” McKinsey & Company, February 2023

Reimagining the life insurance model in 2023,” McKinsey & Company, December 2022

Global Insurance Report 2023: Reimagining life insurance, McKinsey & Company, November 2022

How Asian insurers can use digital marketing to fuel growth,” McKinsey & Company, April 2022

Creating value, finding focus: Global Insurance Report 2022,” McKinsey & Company, February 2022

The future of insurance agent-customer interaction,” McKinsey & Company, December 2020

The future of life insurance: Reimagining the industry for the decade ahead,” McKinsey & Company, September 2020

How Asian insurers can build a digitally enabled hybrid distribution model,” McKinsey & Company, June 2020

China insurance: How insurers can improve customer experience where it matters,” December 2019

Capturing current and future value in Asia–Pacific insurance,” McKinsey & Company, September 2019

The productivity imperative in insurance,” McKinsey & Company, August 2019

Bancassurance: It’s time to go digital,” McKinsey & Company, March 2019

PAST EXPERIENCE

Oliver Wyman
Managing partner, Asia–Pacific

EDUCATION

Vienna University of Economics and Business
MA, international business and trade