By MARK RAO

AIA Bhd has opened a new service centre in Penang to increase the company’s training and development capabilities in the northern region.

Wisma AIA Penang with 74,000 sq ft of office space will house over 1,100 insurance agents.

AIA CEO Anusha Thavarajah said the new facility is part of the company’s plans to establish its Penang-based insurance agents or life planners as a premier agency force.

“We will continue to pursue our vision of building a new generation of agency — one that is full-time, digitally enabled and connected, highly productive and advisory centric,” Anusha said in a statement last Friday.

“In line with that, we also want to ensure that we are able to be the best of the best in our purpose to protect more Malaysians and increase the insurance penetration gap within the country.”

The new centre is equipped with training rooms and collaborative spaces to facilitate the recruitment and subsequent training of AIA agents, and will also feature the company’s first Million Dollar Round Table Lounge And Premier Lounge for eligible agents.