John Spence is Managing Director of Asian Capital Advisors, a strategic advisory firm specialising on the Asian insurance market.

John brings extensive expertise in facilitating M&A transactions, fashioning innovative customer offers, forging distribution partnerships, and fuelling the growth of digital initiatives and insurtech business models. With his commitment to deliver results, John is available to be engaged as consultant, board advisor, or non-executive director.

Based in Hong Kong since 2000, John’s Asian experience comprises of senior business leadership and corporate governance roles at Generali Asia, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW), Macquarie Funds Group and Manulife Financial. Prior to moving to Hong Kong John held roles in with Manulife Financial based in Canada and in Australia with National Australia Bank, Colonial Mutual, AMP Society and KPMG.

John is a regular contributor to industry conferences participating in panels and delivering presentations on ESG, the impact of digital technologies on insurance practices and trends in merger and acquisitions.  John is a mentor for the RGA Leaders of Tomorrow Program and is member of several industry and professional associations advisory committees including Chair, Pacific Insurance Conference 2022 Advisory Committee and Chair, 2023 Global Insurance Forum Advisory Board. John’s contribution to the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand was recognized in 2022 with his advancement to Fellow.

John holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School, Bachelor of Economics (BEc) from Sydney University, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant Australia and New Zealand (FCA ANZ), Fellow Australian Institute of Banking and Finance (FFin), Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA FCIS); Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and the Hong Kong Institute of Directors (FHKIoD). He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) of the Financial Advice Association of Australia, a Senior Associate of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF (Snr Assoc) CIP) and a Chartered Tax Advisor of the Tax Institute (CTA). He is also a Member of the MBA Australasia (mMBAus).