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Breaking the ice: Meet Insgeek/Guolian Broker, China

The UNIBA Partners’ network is constantly evolving; new Partners join, IDMs and Senior Contacts change. Although we have the chance to see each other face-to-face, most of the time we are meeting behind our laptops. And in this online environment you might have missed a new Partner joining or a contact changing, right?  Through this article-series we will make sure that that doesn’t happen anymore! In ‘Breaking the ice’ we will introduce new Partners, their specialisations, and, perhaps even more importantly, the people behind it.

In this month’s edition, we’re introducing our new Partner in China, Insgeek/Guolian Broker, an EB tech platform and broker, through Daniel Ren, Insgeek’s CEO and founder.

For those who haven’t had the chance to meet you yet, can you please introduce yourselves and your company?

I’m Daniel Ren, CEO of Insgeek. I studied at University of Waterloo in Canada, and after graduating, returned to China in 2006. I spent over 10 years working as an actuary in the local insurance market before founding Insgeek.

Insgeek is a technology-driven insurance group. We operate under our own broker license —Guolian Insurance Broker — and offer end-to-end digital solutions for employee benefits (EB) programmes. Our platform allows HR departments to manage plans, upload name lists, and access claims services. We also support insurers with underwriting and risk management.

What makes us unique in China is that we’re the only company offering a full end-to-end EB solution, including SaaS, brokerage, claims, and tech infrastructure. We currently operate 20 branches across China, and we recently established a Singapore office with a local license to further support clients across Southeast Asia.

Thanks to long-standing relationships with Chinese insurers built over the past decade, we’re well-positioned to support any UNIBA Partner looking to do business in China or navigate the local insurance market.

 

What motivated you to join UNIBA Partners, and what do you think you can offer to the network?

There are three main reasons we joined UNIBA. First, our clients in China are increasingly expanding internationally, setting up factories or branches in Southeast Asia and Latin America. To support them globally, we needed an international partner network. UNIBA provides that reach and expertise.

Second, we’re strong on the ground in China. If any UNIBA Partner has clients entering the Chinese market or looking for employee benefits or other risk solutions locally, we can offer tailored support with both local brokerage and our technology platforms.

Third, our end-to-end EB platform has been developed and refined over the last 5–6 years, serving tens of thousands of corporate users. We believe this technical capability — combined with our client insight — can benefit other Partners who are active in EB and are looking for smarter, tech-enabled delivery.

Is there any book that has inspired you, professionally or personally?

Yes — I’ve recently been reading an old Chinese philosophy book 《The Philosophy of Zhuangzi》, that draws on Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian thinking. It’s full of short stories and life lessons, many of which offer perspective during difficult times.

One story in particular stuck with me: a person with a severe illness who couldn’t move or eat, but still found joy in watching the sky, listening to music, and appreciating the moment. As an entrepreneur navigating China’s fast-paced, highly competitive market, I’ve found this kind of philosophy really grounding. It helps bring inner peace and clarity during stressful times and tough decision-making moments.

And on a lighter note — if you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

That would be Elon Musk. I find him endlessly fascinating — he’s a true innovator. From electric vehicles to rockets, and even how he restructured Twitter (now X), he constantly challenges the status quo. He makes bold, often controversial decisions, and yet many of them prove visionary over time.

I’d love to understand how his mind works, how he sees opportunities, and how he dares to break conventions. That kind of mindset is something we can all learn from.

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