Kathmandu. Every person has different dreams to achieve success in life. They are moving forward by making plans to realize those dreams. Where does everything come true as people think? Due to various turns, events and various situations that come in life, some people’s dreams are shattered, while some others succeed. In life, some people dream of becoming an artist, while others dream of becoming a doctor or engineer and a sportsperson. Some people succeed by turning their dreams into nightmares, while some fail. On the contrary, some have achieved success by adopting a profession they did not think of. Similarly, Akash Pandey is a person who has achieved success by adopting a profession they did not think of.
Currently, Akash is the Regional Manager of Citizen Life’s Janakpur region. Currently, there are 6 branch offices of Citizen Life in his area. He monitors and supervises the 6 branch offices in his area. Akash has been implementing the insurance policy and legal provisions in the branches under his jurisdiction by following them, implementing them with employees, agents and his team, following and getting the instructions of the regulatory bodies implemented, conducting training in various branches of his jurisdiction from time to time to develop the capacity of employees, striving to fulfill the company’s business objectives, making work plans, etc. Not only this, Akash also goes to various places in his jurisdiction to expand everyone’s access to insurance and conducts campaigns to increase insurance education and awareness.
Akash was born in Janakpur Sub-metropolitan City-9. His childhood was normal. Akash says that his parents fulfilled every need during his childhood. He did not have to suffer any hardship during his childhood. He has completed his studies up to graduation. Akash studied up to SLC from his birthplace. After that, he did his Inter from Kathmandu and completed his Bachelor’s from India.
Aakash, who was passionate about sports since childhood, had gone to India for Plus Two and Seeker for sports-related training. During the same period, Aakash joined his Bachelor’s in India. After that, he lived there. After completing his graduation studies and returning to Nepal, Aakash started a chemical supply business. Aakash, who always focused only on sports, had his family think that he should have done something other than sports. At the same time, Aakash started his own business. Aakash did that business for only 2 years.
Aakash is still active in sports. He is currently the Vice President of Janakpur District Cricket Association and a member of Madhesh Province Cricket Development Committee.
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## ##This is how he started his insurance journey
## Aakash, who was wandering in a world far beyond his goal, decided to leave his chemical business. His parents also kept telling him to get a good job as an athlete. ‘There is a deadline and discipline in a job. Do that kind of job,’ they kept telling Aakash from home. ‘My father used to say that his son would do a job that was different from the one I was doing,’ Aakash said, ‘Every father and mother likes to see their children do well, yes, my parents also wanted to see them do well. But, I was always busy with sports.’
At the same time, a village brother worked for an NGO and Akash also called that brother to talk about his job. However, the call did not go to the village brother who knew the INGO, but to a former Surya Life man with the same name. And Akash met the brother who had called the wrong number for a job. However, that brother talked about insurance. And Akash thought to himself, ‘Oh, this man is from insurance, right?’ He sat there listening to the brother from that insurance company. ‘While listening to the story, I also felt good. And that insurance man also said that the insurance sector is good. After he said he could work, I secured a job at Sabik Surya Life and returned.’
After that, Akash started working as a Business Development Coordinator at Sabik Surya Life from 2069. He performed well in that company too. Hard work and dedication to work soon brought him success. He was given a permanent appointment within 6 months of joining Sabik Surya Life and was promoted within 1 year.
Akash says that everyone in the insurance sector trusts him even because he is a sportsperson. He added, ‘The insurance market is a market of trust. The insurance market is good only when a company can sell trust to customers by bringing good services and facilities and good policies. Yes, because I was a sportsman, I believed that it would do me good, so it was easy for me to stay in the insurance sector and move forward.
‘In my time, financials were not good in the sports sector. ‘After coming to the insurance sector, I felt that I had done well by playing sports because I feel that everyone believed in the insurance sector because of sports. Sports helped me a lot in the insurance sector. Sports teach me many things, including time, boundaries, etiquette, hospitality, discipline. That helped me a lot in the insurance sector,’ he said, ‘I had learned from sports that I had to meet targets. The same was true in insurance. I had learned that I had to set goals. The same applied to insurance too. Many things like that helped me. I am very happy with this.’
After a journey of more than 2 and a half years at the previous Surya Life, Akash chose Citizen Life. Akash joined the company from the very beginning of its establishment. He is one of the old employees of the company. Akash, who initially joined Citizen Life as the Branch Manager of Citizen Life’s Janakpur branch, has overcome many challenges, obstacles and hurdles and is now fulfilling the responsibility of Regional Manager.
Akash, after working from the beginning, wanted to do work that would yield results, have value and meaning. He found that in the insurance sector. ‘Working in an insurance company means joining a social profession. This also means serving the society. We are working to protect someone’s life,’ says Akash, ‘This is a social spirit. This has also motivated me in this profession.’
Akash likes to enjoy his work. He said, ‘If we do whatever we do happily and enjoy it, we will get results. If work is done under pressure, neither the results will be good nor will the person doing the work be happy. Therefore, I like this field because the work of an insurance company is fun, moving around, and exchanging ideas and feelings with people. I am very satisfied. I never thought that I would be so successful in a career outside my dream field.’
Akash says that people’s understanding of insurance has become wider than before. ‘The Insurance Authority is conducting an insurance literacy campaign through its provincial offices. Insurance companies have also gone to different places and conducted insurance literacy campaigns. In this regard, people’s understanding of insurance has also developed much better than before,’ Akash said, ‘In terms of economy, insurance has some impact, but public awareness is equally important in it. Because even with public awareness, no one has the money to buy insurance. However, some people do not have public awareness but have a lot of money. Yes, to do insurance, you need both money and public awareness.’
Akash says that it is a challenge for everyone to fulfill their responsibilities. He said, ‘If you face every challenge and move forward, everyone will achieve success. There is competition in the current insurance market. However, you have to sell good products through healthy competition and sell trust. I am always committed to fulfilling my duty and responsibility.’
In Akash’s opinion, the fact that the Authority is now conducting an online examination for insurance agents is also a very good thing for the insurance sector. ‘Because when agents come to an insurance company through the examination, professional agents would come. The profession has become dignified due to the directive of the Insurance Authority that they can work in only one company,’ he said, ‘Professional agents have developed. This is a very good thing.’
Aakash suggests that agents should go to the market strong and competent. He emphasizes that the company should make agents competent by providing them with capacity-building training from time to time. ‘There should be agents in the insurance market who can accept challenges. If there are such agents, the insurance market will benefit,’ he said, ‘Citizen Life prioritizes many agents. Since agents are the representatives of the company, we emphasize on how to make agents competent.’
Due to the problems seen in the cooperative sector recently, some people say that insurance companies, like cooperatives, will run away with money, says Aakash. ‘Some people try to link insurance companies with cooperatives, but if you tell them the difference between insurance and cooperatives, some people understand insurance,’ he says, ‘that is why we should still emphasize on insurance literacy.’
‘Life insurance is also the basis of every person’s savings,’ said Akash, ‘Insurance guarantees savings. Insurance is both savings and investment. Insurance is indispensable for everyone as it provides security not only for today but also for tomorrow.’ He suggests that everyone should understand and explain when taking out insurance.
Akash says that since Citizen Life is the first company in the insurance sector to adopt a digital concept, it is easy to get and do insurance. He says that the system at Citizen Life is good. ‘There is no need to say whether the insured’s money is taken or the agent is cheating. Because Citizen Life keeps a daily call report. We don’t just stop there when an agent provides insurance, we also inquire about it,’ he said, ‘Citizen Life emphasizes online transactions, so a systematic system has been created.’
‘People’s trust has increased after going digital,’ Akash said, ‘Most of the transactions in Citizen Life are done digitally. This makes it easier for the customer and the insurance company.’
Akash says that he has received various awards even after joining Citizen Life. He said that he was honored by being in the top branch and was honored by being in the top branch for doing digital transactions.
Akash said that he has no words to say about Citizen Life. ‘The company is very good. Our customers have trusted us more than I can say. This company has made a distinct mark in the insurance market. It has become a trusted company,’ he said, expressing high respect for the work done by the company to enhance employee capacity, ‘The company has trained and empowered every employee of the company, starting from agents. We will not let the investment and trust the company has placed in us go to waste.’
Thanking the top management team for their encouragement and inspiration, Akash expressed his commitment to make the company better by working customer-oriented in the coming days.
