Our people

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 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 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. ​​ 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.

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 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 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 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.