FWD Singapore and Ascend Asia sign long-term strategic partnership to strengthen financial advisory distribution in Singapore

SINGAPORE, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FWD Singapore Pte. Ltd. ("FWD") and Ascend Asia Financial Services Group ("Ascend Asia") have signed a long-term strategic partnership to strengthen financial advisory distribution and broaden access to quality financial advice in Singapore. The partnership will provide customers with enhanced financial advice and broader access to insurance and investment solutions through Ascend Asia's open architecture financial advisory platform.

This partnership brings together FWD's customer-led product capabilities and digital servicing strengths with Ascend Asia's governance framework, adviser network and technology-enabled platform. It aims to support the continued evolution of Singapore's advisory landscape and deliver greater value to customers over the long-term.

Ascend Asia's customers across the retail, mass affluent and high-net-worth ("HNW") segments have access to FWD's full suite of solutions available to financial advisory firms, including life insurance, investment-linked products and HNW offerings. Customers will also benefit from a wider selection of investment options, with Ascend Asia Asset Management funds now included as sub-funds on FWD's investment-linked product portfolio. Both organisations will also collaborate on selected analytics and technology initiatives to generate deeper insights into customer needs, facilitate product innovation and enhance advisory tools.

Operating fully within the open architecture financial advisory ecosystem, FWD aims to support the industry's shift towards greater transparency, disciplined governance and technology-enabled advisory processes.

Adrian Vincent, Chief Executive Officer of FWD Singapore, said, "As the open architecture financial advisory model gains momentum in Singapore, our partnership with Ascend Asia, alongside our longstanding collaboration with IPP Financial Advisers, reflects FWD's commitment to raising the standard of financial planning. With consumers becoming increasingly discerning about how they access financial advice and ongoing support, we are confident in the future of the open architecture model and congratulate Ascend Asia on its investment in strengthening the independent financial advisory ecosystem.

With Singapore becoming a super-aged society, facing a significant critical illness protection gap and strengthening its position as a global wealth hub, these partnerships will further enable us to meet evolving customer needs at scale."

Tomas Urbanec, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend Asia, said, "Our mission is to empower our member firms with the strategic investment, structure and tools they need to thrive and support their clients along their wealth journeys. Close collaboration with our partners in areas like product and customer proposition development extends choice for customers and amplifies the impact of our open architecture model. This partnership with FWD broadens access to a strong range of customer-focused solutions and technology-enabled experiences for advisers on the Ascend Asia platform, and we look forward to unlocking superior outcomes for our member firms' advisers and clients."

The partnership was formally commemorated with a celebratory event held at the newly launched Ascend Asia Wealth Centre. The event brought together senior leaders from FWD Singapore, FWD Group, Ascend Asia and representatives from Ascend Asia's member firms. Attendees included Mr Adrian Vincent, CEO of FWD Singapore; Mr Tomas Urbanec, CEO of Ascend Asia; Mr Binayak Dutta, Senior MD, SouthEast Asia, FWD Group; together with management team of FWD Singapore and Ascend Asia member firms.

This event marked the start of the long-term strategic partnership and reaffirming the shared commitment of all parties to strengthening Singapore's open architecture financial advisory ecosystem through closer collaboration, innovation and customer-centric advice.

About FWD Singapore

FWD Singapore is part of FWD Group, a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 40 million customers across 10 markets and is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828. In Singapore, FWD started operations in 2016, becoming one of the first insurers to offer a direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform for purchasing preferred life and general insurance products online. Further expanding its omnichannel presence, FWD partners with a network of preferred Financial Advisory (FA) firms, international brokers, and banks to widen customer reach. In 2024, FWD set up its second insurance license in Singapore under the FWD Private brand for a dedicated high-net-worth (HNW) insurance offering.

For more information, please visit www.fwd.com.sg.

About Ascend Asia Financial Services Group

Launched in 2025, Ascend Asia Financial Services Group ("Ascend Asia") is committed to elevating the quality of financial advisory services in Singapore and beyond. Today, Ascend Asia comprises a network of financial advisory member firms and a dedicated asset management firm. Ascend Asia supports its member firms in scaling sustainably through strategic investment, industry expertise, and technology. Through an open-architecture platform, member firms and their financial consultants are empowered with a comprehensive range of solutions and tools to deliver personalised financial advice – enabling clients to make informed decisions that best meet their needs.

Issued on behalf of FWD Insurance Singapore by Redhill Communications.

SOURCE FWD Singapore