Trevor Bull: Life in an emerging market

Trevor Bull, managing director, Tata AIG Life Insurance Company talks about the life insurance industry and his company's plans for the future to Raju Bist.

In his 28 years as a life insurance professional, Trevor Bull has often been called to pry open new markets. In February 2006, 47-year-old Bull was appointed as the managing director of Tata AIG Life Insurance Company, the joint venture between the Tata Group and AIG.

This is after holding senior positions in the UK, Japan and Korea. Bull was with Lutine Assurance Service Limited in the UK when he was hand-picked by American International Group, Inc. (AIG). The international insurance and financial services organisation, with operations in more than 130 countries, assigned to him their flagship Japan operations.

Bull, who is equally comfortable in conventional life insurance products as well as unit-linked ones (which invest in the stock markets), worked in Japan for six years at American Life Insurance Company. The next four were spent at another AIG affiliate, American International Assurance Korea.

He couldn't have entered the Indian market at a more opportune time.

Tata AIG Life has been on a winning streak. Over the last year, total premium has grown cent per cent. The company has over 35,000 agents as well as numerous other partners and distribution arrangements to handle its policies and this figure is expected to grow by 42 per cent this year. Bull, fond of flower and vegetable gardening as a hobby, is confident of nurturing Tata AIG Life on a new growth path during his tenure.