Cathay Financial Group adopts a people-first strategy
After more than two decades of presence in Vietnam, Cathay Financial Group is entering a new phase, not only expanding its scale, but proactively sharing its operating philosophy: putting people at the center, from its workforce to customers and corporate partners. Behind every strategy and every decision are human stories that have shaped who Cathay Financial Group is today.
Going slowly to truly understand people
Cathay Financial Group has been present in Vietnam from an early stage through three subsidiaries: Cathay Life Vietnam (life insurance), Cathay United Bank - Ho Chi Minh City Branch, and Cathay Insurance Vietnam (non-life insurance).
Rather than expanding rapidly, the group has chosen to invest deeply in its technology infrastructure, in the right partner networks, and most importantly, in a team that genuinely understands the local market. All of this stems from a consistent philosophy: putting people at the center of talent development, product design, and service quality.
A philosophy built from human stories
This philosophy begins with the most fundamental elements of Cathay's Human Rights Policy [1].
The company builds a work environment where every employee regardless of gender, age, background, or circumstance is treated fairly, heard, and able to work safely.
That commitment extends to customers, who entrust Cathay with their assets, health, and future. That trust is reciprocated through the principles of transparency, fairness, and the highest standards of privacy protection.
And more broadly, Cathay recognizes that a financial institution has influence over its entire supply chain - its partners, and the communities it serves. That is why Cathay not only holds itself to international human rights standards, but also expects the same from those who work alongside it.
The human stories behind Cathay Financial Group are perhaps most visible in how the company approaches technology, not to diminish the role of people, but to expand their capabilities.
The company is taking a structured approach to AI adoption, not chasing technology trends with a particular focus on augmenting human capability [2].
Cathay Life Vietnam: An insurance philosophy centered on people
Cathay Life Vietnam remains firmly committed to a people-centered direction, treating service quality and human values as the core foundation of its sustainable development strategy in the Vietnamese market.
The difference starts with its team of advisors. Rather than chasing volume, Cathay Life invests in rigorous training and standardization so that each advisor not only understands the products, but genuinely accompanies customers through the important stages of their lives.
Notably, many customers who have directly experienced and come to appreciate the value of insurance have chosen to become advisors themselves - contributing to spreading awareness and a healthy understanding of insurance within the community.
Looking ahead, Cathay Life Vietnam continues to pursue its mission of raising public awareness about the role and value of insurance, while spreading a spirit of humanity through community and charitable activities across the country. With the ethos of "Using life to influence life," the company is committed to connecting with society, contributing to communities, and accompanying Vietnam's sustainable development.
Cathay Insurance Vietnam: Technology in service of people
In the non-life insurance sector, Cathay Insurance is shifting its advisory model toward risk prevention rather than simply handling incidents after they occur [3].
Especially in auto insurance, “AI analyzes driving behavior to assess risks more accurately and recommend suitable loss prevention solutions. In claims management, AI is used to quantify risks, review documents and detect potential fraud, helping ensure fair, accurate and fast claim resolution [4]. Capitalizing on this trend, Cathay Insurance is actively leveraging insights from its parent company to explore and gradually deploy these advanced tech solutions in the near future.”
But what Cathay Insurance values equally is the people behind that technology. Alongside AI deployment, Cathay invests in training and capability building for its workforce, so employees can command new technology rather than be overwhelmed by it. Cloud infrastructure is being modernized and data analytics capabilities are being upgraded, but the final decision always rests with people [4].
Conclusion
Over more than two decades of presence in Vietnam, Cathay Financial Group has never changed its starting point: every decision whether about technology, products, or operations begins with the question: "Does this genuinely make things better for people?"
As technology continues to penetrate every corner of the financial industry, Cathay's people-centered philosophy has not become outdated. If anything, it has become more necessary than ever.
References
[1] Cathay Financial Holdings Human Rights Policy. (n.d.). https://www.cathayholdings.com/holdings/-/media/543ecf69891848f6b3fa50748b0f4ef9.pdf?sc_lang=zh-tw
[2] Do Nguyen. (2026). Cathay Financial Holdings: Tu du lieu den tri tue nhan tao AI, hanh trinh tai dinh nghia ngan hang hien dai. TechTimes Vietnam. https://www.techtimes.vn/cathay-financial-holdings-tu-du-lieu-den-tri-tue-nhan-tao-ai-hanh-trinh-tai-dinh-nghia-ngan-hang-hien-dai/
[3] Chu tich Cathay Financial Holdings: Da den luc Tap doan mo rong dau tu tai Viet Nam. (2026). Baodautu. https://baodautu.vn/chu-tich-cathay-finacial-holdings-da-den-luc-tap-doan-mo-rong-dau-tu-tai-viet-nam-d492881.html
[4] Nguyen Thi. (2026). Tan dung Big Data va AI dang tro thanh nen tang cot loi cua doanh nghiep. Diendandoanhnghiep.Vn. https://diendandoanhnghiep.vn/tan-dung-big-data-va-ai-dang-tro-thanh-nen-tang-cot-loi-cua-doanh-nghiep-10170774.html