Kaye Yap, Branch Manager of Blue Pearl 2, transformed her career from banking to become a passionate advocate for life insurance and financial preparedness.
Like many others, former bank manager Kaye Yap once questioned the value of insurance. Years later, with deeper knowledge and experience in the industry, her hesitations faded and her perspective shifted. Today, she is a staunch advocate of protection and financial preparedness.
After spending 16 years building a career in banking, Yap never imagined she would one day enter the insurance business. But when a trusted mentor encouraged her to take a leap into the industry, she found herself at a crossroads.
Walking away from the stability of an established banking career was not easy, especially as she carried her own doubts and reservations about insurance at the time.
Though uncertain at first, Yap eventually embraced this unfamiliar field — a major pivot that changed her life.
Fast-forward to today, the once-skeptical bank manager now serves as the branch manager of Blue Pearl 2 in Cebu and is approaching her 29th year with Pru Life UK.
Yap’s journey over the past 29 years was far from straightforward. It was an uphill climb filled with second thoughts, difficult decisions and challenges as she built a new career from the ground up.
Coming from a banking background, she described the shift as a “humbling experience,” going from being approached by clients to being the one reaching out, setting appointments and adjusting to clients’ schedules.
“In the bank, I’m the one rejecting clients. But in the insurance business, sometimes I get rejected,” she admitted.
The experience taught her an important lesson.
“Do not take rejection personally,” she said.
“Oftentimes, it’s not me they’re rejecting; it’s the protection of their loved ones.”
Determined to thrive in the insurance business as she did in banking, Yap faced the roadblocks head-on.
“At first, I cried every time I got rejected because I was not used to it. In the bank, I had a driver and a secretary. When I transferred to Pru Life UK, I had to do everything on my own — from drafting proposals to driving to prospects’ homes.”
Yap vividly recalled one particularly challenging day when she visited a potential client’s home during heavy rain only to be turned away. In moments like that, her mentor’s advice became her guiding light.
“I just had to be good at what I do, study what insurance is all about and become an expert. True enough, even now, I’m still an achiever, and I’m able to duplicate myself as I teach others how to succeed in this business too,” Yap said.
It was when she found her footing that she realized her true purpose: to protect lives and help others achieve success along the way.
Breast cancer survivor
Going through a battle with breast cancer convinced Yap that shifting from banking to insurance was the right decision.
Witnessing a friend face the “Big C” prompted Yap to prioritize health checks for herself and her team.
During that time, she discovered a small lump in her left breast, which doctors later confirmed was a cyst that required a mastectomy.
It was a difficult period, but Yap found comfort in knowing that her early financial planning meant she had one less thing to worry about.
In fact, the first claim she processed at Pru Life UK was her own.
“It took me only three days to get the claim proceeds because I had all the required documents, and I was promptly paid by Pru Life UK,” Yap recalled.
From being skeptical about insurance to experiencing its benefits firsthand, she realized how crucial it was. Had it not been for insurance, the experience would have been financially and physically overwhelming.
Reflecting on the life-changing chapter, Yap said: “Once you are diagnosed with a disease or illness, it can be very depressing, even more so if you are not financially prepared for the treatment. This is why it has become my mission to help people understand how to protect themselves against life’s uncertainties, including critical illnesses.”
“Through my story, I don’t have to sell. People are interested in what I do. They ask questions, and over time, many become my clients.”
She added: “If you have the resources, you can get the best medicine and treatment.”
Her clients witnessed how she endured the ordeal — proof, she said, of how protection worked in her life and how it can help others deal with uncertainties.
Inspiring, protecting, growing
One of Yap’s proudest achievements in her insurance career is having her daughter join her team. Her daughter is now one of the team managers.
As a leader, she reminds her team: “We are not selling; we simply share what we do and what life insurance can do for others. When clients become interested, that’s when business begins.”
She also advises agents that if prospects are not interested, they should not take it personally and instead move on to the next opportunity.
“If you do it right from the start, everything will fall into place,” she said.
Yap proudly shared that some of her agents have remained with her for 25 years — a reflection of the kind of partnership she has always championed.
“To my agents, I always emphasize: you have to be committed to serve, and you are here for the long haul. This is not transactional; this is relational,” she said.
At this point in her career, Yap’s goal is to cultivate more leaders and grow her team with quality professionals who can help people better understand the value of insurance.
For Yap, partnerships with clients are more than business arrangements; they are lifelong relationships anchored on a promise to deliver beyond the sale.
As Pru Life UK celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, Yap said she takes pride in being part of the company’s growth and in sharing its goal of protecting Filipino families for generations to come.
As published on The Manila Times.
