Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by Pru Life UK and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece.
September 16, 1996. There isn’t a single lull in Cecille Marano’s train of thought when remembering her first day at Pru Life UK.
“Pru Life UK was a new industry player back then,” she recalled their old office in Makati where office chairs and tables filled every available space as employees and agents alike were crammed together in a single floor. They had to make do with an open setup type of office until things could be sorted out in a more orderly fashion.
“Zero to One” is how Marano would describe the company’s evolution story. She said that Pru Life UK started from scratch. It did not acquire nor sought partnerships with local insurance companies and relied solely on organic growth.
“5 in 5” was the slogan of the strategic campaign to leapfrog Pru Life UK among the top 5 insurance companies in terms of new business within its first 5 years of operations. Remarkably, it successfully breached into the top 5 group on the 4th year.
Competition continues to be tough in an industry long dominated by traditional players. Still, through persistence and unrelenting effort, Pru Life UK ultimately garnered the coveted Top 1 position in 2020 and retained market leadership as of 2025.
Over the last 30 years, Cecille witnessed how the company’s transformed from a budding new player to an industry leader. She also recalls how the company deftly navigated the Asian financial crises in 1997, the 2008 global financial meltdown, and the global recession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite these headwinds, the company rapidly expanded market share just as the agency force grew by leaps and bounds. Today, Pru Life UK boasts of the largest sales force with more than 33,000 agents.
Her first day at Pru Life UK soon turned into 30 years – which is also celebrating its 30th year of business operations in the Philippines this 2026.
A persisting commitment
Marano, who currently serves as Pru Life UK’s vice president for corporate performance management, spends most of her week reviewing and analyzing vital financial data. She regularly coordinates with business owners for performance updates on key initiatives along with finalizing reports.
Wednesdays are often reserved for her team’s weekly engagement: discussing status and progress of deliverables, addressing new issues, time-sensitive work requirements considered as top priority, and projects for endorsement to the chief strategy officer, among others.
She attributes her long tenure with the company to the shared sense of purpose, passion, conviction and collective commitment of all employees in achieving the company’s goals and vision along with adherence to its core values.
An active and intentional service
If summed up to three words, Marano describes Pru Life UK’s employee culture with verbs, not adjectives: “listening, understanding, and delivering.”
Interestingly, these words also align with the company’s core values, showing how Marano has their vision and mission down pat. It also helps that she personally carries values that don’t stray away from what the company stands for.
“Integrity, trustworthiness, and empathy are the key principles that I embrace. I do believe in being truthful and transparent in dealing with everybody. It allows me to build a genuine and solid relationship with my colleagues,” she said, adding that these traits also help her to listen to people’s concerns effectively, which enables her to provide proper inputs to help them make sound decisions.
Empowering customers
After all, it’s always been about enabling Filipinos to think and act to achieve lifetime financial security.
But while there is a growing awareness and even desire among Filipinos to learn more about insurance, it can’t be denied that many still view it as an afterthought expense rather than a necessity. For Marano, Pru Life UK has actively worked on this by fostering financial literacy among ordinary Filipinos.
“Pru Life UK was the first to introduce the Variable Unit-Linked in the Philippines. It offered added flexibility for clients to buy insurance products with an investment element,” she explains.
Their financial literacy efforts also involve education at the grassroots level, engaging with government agencies and educators, and teaching school children the basic concepts of money and finance.
A two- (or even three-) way street
Now that Marano has served her 30th year with Pru Life UK, what does she wish for the company for its next 30 years?
“I wish to see the company continue to provide accessible and relevant insurance products to Filipino families and further intensify financial literacy efforts at the grassroots level.” She adds, “I also wish that Pru Life UK would continue to earn the trust of Filipino families and help them ultimately achieve financial freedom and the peace of mind that comes along with it.
As a matter of fact, she considers “peace of mind” as closely associated with “protection” – the core of what Pru Life UK’s services are about, from health and critical illness coverage to investment-linked protection plans.
“For me, protection engenders peace of mind,” she says. “Filipino families have peace of mind knowing that they are financially prepared for uncertainties; agents have peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment in helping Filipino families secure their future; and employees have peace of mind and a sense of satisfaction safeguarding the future of Filipino families.”
And there’s no better testament to this than Marano’s story – which has always been filled with full-circle moments.
Cecille Marano caps off the interview by saying, “It is a great honor and privilege to serve and be part of Pru Life UK’s stellar journey over the last three decades and counting. I am truly blessed and grateful to Pru Life UK that helps me protect and provide for my family.” – Rappler.com