Our People

GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

YVES GUÉLAT

GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Yves Guélat is Group Chief Executive Officer of Charles Monat Associates.

Before taking the helm, Yves worked at Willis Towers Watson (ex-Willis) for over 11 years as CEO of the retail operations as well as the Global Wealth Solutions division in Switzerland. Before joining Willis Towers Watson, he was Managing Director at Aon, leading the Geneva branch office.

Yves has extensive experience in the insurance industry across all disciplines for clients in multiple jurisdictions. While the majority of his time has been in the insurance broking and advising on non-life insurance with specialties including Marine and Property, he has also been involved in the procurement of bespoke general insurance services for Ultra / High Net Worth individuals.

CHARLES S. MONAT

CHAIRMAN

Charles S. Monat is the Founder and Chairman of Charles Monat Associates. He has over 50 years experience in the life insurance industry working with bankers, wealth planners, lawyers and accountants customizing solutions for their high net worth clients’ long term needs. He remains active in the business and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and the Top of the Table.

Mr. Monat founded the Charles Monat Group in 1971, established Charles Monat Associates Limited and Charles Monat Agency Limited in Hong Kong in 1995 and opened offices is Singapore in 2004 and in the US in 2010.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, attended Erasmus Hall High School and graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 following which he worked as a social worker for the New York City Department of Welfare. After graduation from Officer Candidate School at Ft. Lee, Virginia in 1967 he served as a First Lieutenant in the US Army in Thailand.

KLAUS KIESSLING

GROUP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Klaus Kiessling is the Group Chief Financial Officer of Charles Monat Associates, based in Singapore and Zurich.

In his role, Klaus is responsible for the company’s global financial strategy and oversees coordination and functions of various local teams in our markets including Finance, Tax, Legal, Due Diligence and Human Resources.

Prior to that, Klaus was the Chief Financial Officer at Willis Towers Watson in Switzerland for 9 years. Before that time he was the Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operations Officer at AON Switzerland for 10 years and being responsible for several mergers and integrations of companies into the group.

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Klaus is an experienced financial services executive with over 30 years’ experience in Europe and Asia. He is graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy and Controlling from the University of Stuttgart, Germany.

TAN LI SAN

GROUP CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Li San Tan is the Group Chief Operations Officer of Charles Monat, based in Singapore.

In her role, Li San is responsible for optimizing operational processes globally and overseeing the company’s digital transformation across markets, including the enhancement of IT infrastructure, security, and cybersecurity, as well as implementing automation integration to streamline business processes.

Prior to joining Charles Monat, Li San has a wealth of experience overseeing operations teams in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and Switzerland, as Head of Operations for Private Client Services at Mercer Group. She also previously worked for Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pte Ltd, Zuellig Insurance Brokers Pte Ltd, HSBC Insurance Brokers Pte Ltd and Aon Risk Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd, in a career in insurance which spans 25 years.

Li San is qualified as a Chartered Life Underwriter and has also gained a Diploma in Life Insurance, a Diploma in Compliance and a Diploma in International Trust Management.

BERRY WONG

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ASIA PACIFIC

Berry Wong is the Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific of Charles Monat Associates, based in Hong Kong.

Berry is responsible for overseeing operations in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. With his extensive experience in wealth planning and liquidity planning, he will develop wealth strategies to expand the market presence in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Berry is a member of Charles Monat’s Operational Committee and oversees other management functions including Operations, Inforce Policy Servicing, Marketing, etc.

Berry initially joined Charles Monat Associates as the Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong. In his previous role, he is responsible for leading the Hong Kong team to develop independent life broker business in partnership with private banks.

Berry has over 22 years of experiences working in major financial institutions in Asia. Prior to returning to Hong Kong, Berry lived in Canada where he finished his first degree in University of Toronto.

NIKKI KOH

GROUP CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SINGAPORE

Nikki Koh is the Group Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Singapore of Charles Monat Associates, based in Singapore. He is also the Principal Officer of our Malaysia business.

Nikki is responsible for leading the group’s strategic revenue growth ambitions by creating new income streams through additional products / solutions and by developing new partnerships and platforms. He also oversees our Singapore and Malaysia businesses.

Nikki has over 25 years of insurance and banking experience acquired at Prudential Singapore, UOB and HSBC.

He has worked with the complete spectrum of segments including retail life insurance, consumer banking, business & commercial banking, priority banking and private banking. Starting out in sales and client advisory, Nikki has progressed into sales management, account management and general management.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, Nikki is also a member of the Financial Planning Association of Singapore and has spoken at several bank seminars for high net worth segments on the topic of legacy planning / business insurance in Singapore and overseas.

SIMON LO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL

Simon Lo is the Chief Executive Officer, International Business of Charles Monat Associates, based in Singapore

Simon began his career as an Assistant Attorney General with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. His duties include advising the State’s Department of Labor and Industries on regulatory matters and litigating civil cases in state court. Simon later entered private practice with an esteemed law firm where he excelled as a defense litigator. He has represented multinational corporations such as Walmart and ExxonMobil.

Simon later joined one of the oldest life insurance brokerage firms in the United States as Vice-President & General Counsel, Asia Pacific. Simon was responsible for building business operations in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent. He also advised high net worth individuals and corporate clients throughout Asia and Middle East on matters related to personal estate planning, business succession strategy, executive compensation, and life insurance solutions.

Simon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto, St. George. He went on to complete his Juris Doctorate degree from Michigan State University College of Law and served as a clerk to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Since 2014, Simon has partnered with the Wealth Management Institute of Singapore to train financial professionals and graduate students on the subjects of life insurance solution and estate planning. In 2018 he was invited to join the Nanyang Technological University (NTU-WMI) as an adjunct professor.

GROUP ADVISORY COUNCIL

Rahul Chopra

Head of Dubai

Rahul Chopra is the Head of the Dubai office and Managing Director for Charles Monat Associates, DIFC. He works closely with our partners to actively advise ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) on structuring their wealth, estate and legacy planning via life insurance solutions. He also leads and manages a team of Dubai-based sales consultants covering the region.

Rahul has over two decades of experience in the financial services industry. He worked in banking for more than 10 years with leading names including HSBC and Barclays. He then moved to the life insurance industry as head of products for a Dubai-headquartered company where he was instrumental in designing and developing both conventional life insurance and takaful products for the Middle East region. After that role he joined a leading international broking firm.​

Rahul has extensive experience and a well-entrenched understanding of the life insurance proposition. He has successfully brought into play his technical knowledge of the product, proposition, and its’ objectives to place large and complex insurance requirements of UHNWIs with offshore insurance providers.

Rahul is an alumni of INSEAD and a Certified Financial Planner.

Marco Emanuele Liardo

Head of Switzerland

Marco Liardo is the Head and Managing Director of Switzerland in Charles Monat Associates and based in Zurich. He is responsible for tailoring bespoke solutions to clients’ liquidity planning needs, developing, leading, and managing the sales consultants in Switzerland as well as managing all existing and potential referral partners.

Marco has over 20 years of experience in UHNWI/HNWI wealth advisory of international clients, having successfully developed and managed the Swiss hub for an international life insurance broker before joining Charles Monat Associates. As a Vice President, Private Banking Life Insurance for a global Swiss private bank, Marco managed the set-up and introduction of the ULI platform in Switzerland for the bank. Earlier, Marco served as Head Financial Analysis and Senior Merger & Acquisition Manager for a global insurance group.

Marco’s know-how and experience in both technical insurance as well as private banking, positions him best to provide outstanding advice to banking partners and clients on succession planning.

Marco has a Master’s degree in Finance and Capital Markets from the Universität of Basel, Switzerland.

STEPHANIE ADAMS

HEAD OF US DIVISION

Stephanie Adams heads the U.S. branch for Charles Monat Associates and is a global leader in life insurance solutions with expertise in the U.S., Asia and LATAM high net worth wealth transfer planning.

Stephanie is a seasoned insurance professional with over 20 years of management, insurance operations, sales and marketing experience. Having spent the last 15 years in the high net worth sector, she has worked with hundreds of clients from all over the world. Stephanie began her career in underwriting and is a leading expert in placing large syndicated cases across many insurance companies for maximum coverage options. Over the years, Stephanie has gained in-depth experience and working knowledge in the areas of wealth transfer and estate planning, liquidity planning, business insurance and business succession strategies.

She has an MBA from Anna Maria College and a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.