Mid-to-Small Insurance Companies Frequently Launch "Talent Recruitment" Initiatives, Era of Professional Managers Accelerates Arrival

Why Are Small and Medium Insurance Companies Frequently Seeking External Leaders?

Recently, a public recruitment announcement brought the hiring needs for the General Manager and Deputy General Manager of Guolian Life into the spotlight. Candidates are expected to have over ten years of insurance experience, management background at the head office, and familiarity with the fundamental logic of the life insurance industry—these detailed requirements reflect the current small and medium insurance companies’ strong desire for “leaders.” This is not an isolated case; in recent months, several smaller insurers like Guoren Property & Casualty and Zhujiang Life have issued “talent recruitment” notices. A quiet talent war around core management positions is heating up.

Industry insiders believe that from internal promotions to market-based headhunting, from shareholder appointments to professional managers leading the company, these seemingly routine personnel changes hide deeper industry transformation logic. In the face of traditional growth models needing breakthroughs, introducing external expertise to break path dependence has become the top choice for small and medium insurers. Whether this personnel reform can truly solve governance issues may determine the future competitive landscape of the insurance industry.

Targeting Executives of Billion-Level Insurers

The general manager is responsible for daily business management, a core position traditionally filled through internal promotion. But now, this convention is being challenged.

Beijing Business Daily reports that Guolian Group recently issued a notable recruitment announcement, publicly seeking a General Manager and Deputy General Manager (Banking and Insurance Channel) for Guolian Life. The announcement clearly states that the market-oriented recruitment aims to further enhance the company’s vitality and competitiveness.

The job requirements outline the ideal profile for the “leader,” including: over ten years of insurance industry experience, more than five years in senior management at a life insurance head office, or at least eight years as a department head or provincial company leader in top life insurers, with a background in finance, economics, or actuarial science preferred. Candidates should be familiar with insurance company operations, have a deep understanding of the current state and future trends of the life insurance industry, and possess strong overall control, strategic vision, and execution capabilities.

Looking further back, another insurer’s talent selection also points to a market-based approach. According to Guoren Insurance, the current general manager is retiring, and they plan to publicly recruit a new one. The requirements specify that candidates should have at least five years of relevant experience, with exceptions for outstanding candidates—such as those who have served at least two years in senior roles at an insurance company with over 10 billion yuan in premium income, especially those with notable achievements. Notably, the announcement emphasizes familiarity with digital and intelligent trends, and experience in internet technology, artificial intelligence, and insurance tech platforms is preferred.

By the end of 2025, Zhujiang Life’s official website also posted a recruitment notice for five senior management positions, including General Manager, CFO, Secretary of the Board, Chief Investment Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer.

From Guolian Life to Guoren Insurance and Zhujiang Life, these small and medium insurers across different regions and scales are increasingly turning outward, seeking external “key figures” to lead them out of difficulties through market-based means.

Pangu Think Tank senior researcher Jiang Han states that introducing “professional managers” can inject new vitality into homogeneous competition. These managers typically have extensive industry experience and advanced management ideas, bringing fresh strategic insights and operational models, thereby enhancing market competitiveness. Given current trends, market-based recruitment is likely to become the “new normal” in the industry. As the insurance market develops, the demand for professional management talent grows more urgent. Public recruitment broadens talent sources, helps select executives better suited to company needs, and promotes overall management improvement.

The “Incremental Anxiety” Behind Open Recruitment

In fact, publicly recruiting senior executives is not new. However, the recent concentrated actions by several small and medium insurers suggest this phenomenon is becoming somewhat “normalized.”

Long Ge, co-founder and CEO of Zhongtuo Bang, says that bringing in “professional managers” can break internal rigidity, introduce new resources and ideas, and directly support strategic transformation and innovation. Facing homogeneous competition and digital challenges, market-based recruitment has become a key way for small and medium insurers to acquire practical, versatile talent. This approach is evolving from individual cases to industry “new normal.”

Behind this trend is an urgent industry need for “incremental talent.” Compared to internal promotions, market-based headhunting offers three advantages: expanding talent sources, increasing transparency, and breaking internal cliques. This practice has been encouraged by regulators. The “Guidelines for Corporate Governance of Banking and Insurance Institutions” explicitly promote market-based recruitment mechanisms, advocating open and transparent selection of senior management to continuously improve their professionalism and business skills.

Meanwhile, this “talent hunger” also reveals the pain points of industry transformation and governance challenges. On one hand, declining interest rates and stricter regulations push insurers to urgently seek versatile leaders with actuarial, financial, or asset-liability management expertise. On the other hand, some insurers face frequent senior management departures or long vacancies, forcing shareholders to seek “breakthrough figures” through market-based recruitment.

The increase in public recruitment of executives signals industry maturity, according to Long Ge. It reflects a move toward more open and professional governance and talent selection mechanisms. Behind this is a deep industry transformation requiring “incremental talent,” and the strategic “strengthening” measures taken by small and medium insurers to survive and grow amid fierce competition. It also aligns with regulatory encouragement to improve corporate governance.

Jiang Han also believes that the rise in public recruitment of general managers and other senior executives indicates further industry maturity. It shows that insurers are continuously improving governance structures, following market principles, and selecting talent through market-based methods. This also reflects intensified competition, requiring better managers to respond to challenges and increase market share and profitability. Additionally, a more complete regulatory environment provides external support for market-based recruitment, prompting companies to focus more on professional skills and comprehensive qualities.

Is It a “One-in-a-Million” Search?

From internal promotions to external headhunting, from shareholder appointments to professional managers leading the company, this personnel reform is quietly reshaping the industry’s talent landscape. But for small and medium insurers eager to find a “breakthrough figure,” issuing a recruitment notice is just the first step.

The real challenge lies in precisely identifying the “right person” amid fierce competition and ensuring a smooth cultural and strategic transition after recruitment—these are the keys to the success or failure of this talent battle. This may be the hurdle that the insurance industry must cross to mature.

Given this, if market-based recruitment is becoming an industry consensus, a practical question arises: how difficult is it to find the right person?

The answer may be that even offering high salaries, insurers often face the dilemma of “high price, no market.”

Jiang Han told Beijing Business Daily that the difficulty in finding target executives lies in the high demand for excellent professional managers, while candidates with rich insurance experience, outstanding management skills, and innovative thinking are relatively scarce. Moreover, insurers’ expectations for senior management are rising—they need not only business expertise but also familiarity with digital intelligence trends and emerging fields, increasing the difficulty of selection. Different insurers also have distinct corporate cultures and strategic directions, making it hard to find high-level executives who fit well.

Long Ge analyzes this supply-side difficulty, stating that top-tier versatile talent with excellent performance, professional ability, and tech background is scarce. Additionally, hiring external executives involves high costs of cultural integration and strategic continuity risks. Strict regulatory accountability further increases the risks of appointing senior managers, making top candidates more cautious about new opportunities.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Hu Yongxin