In this exclusive interview with Nina Aguas, Executive Chairperson of InLife, The Business Manual traces her journey to the top of the corporate world.

Nina Aguas is a rarity in the business world: a woman at the top. As Executive Chairperson of Insular Life Assurance Company, the first and largest insurance company in the Philippines, she has reached the very pinnacle of corporate leadership. And yet, even her title–Chairperson versus the traditional Chairman–is fraught with gender issues. Aguas is the first Filipino woman to hold this position in the venerable financial institution that now goes by the youthful name of InLife. She has attained this hard-earned and well-deserved achievement through both grit and good fortune. And if she has her way, thanks to her efforts in women empowerment, she won’t be the last.

Under Aguas’ command, the 113-year-old company she leads has risen to new heights while undergoing significant changes. In 2019, Insular Life rebranded itself as InLife and emerged from the tumultuous pandemic years stronger than ever. For seven years in a row, from 2017 to 2023, the company was honored with the Domestic Life Insurer of the Year for the Philippines by the Insurance Asia Awards. It was also recognized by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) with the Four Golden Arrow Award for its corporate governance practices for six consecutive years.