LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aetna (NYSE: AET), a leading global diversified health care benefits company, announced today that Hocking Cheng and Derek Goldberg have been named to the new positions of managing director, Greater China and managing director, Southeast Asia, respectively. In these roles, Cheng and Goldberg will develop and execute growth strategies to further expand the company’s international business in the Asia Pacific region, which includes providing health management solutions and international health benefits under the Aetna Global Benefits (AGB) name. Both appointments are effective immediately.

“The Asia Pacific region is a strategically important market for Aetna’s current and future international expansion. By appointing a managing director to lead our overall efforts in each territory, we can better increase our commitment and presence in the region to exceed the needs of our valued customers and capitalise on existing growth opportunities,” said David Corkum, AGB group managing director.

These strategic development opportunities include a greater focus on Southeast Asia, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The organisation is also looking to strengthen its commitment in the Greater China region, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Cheng most recently served as the China lead for the development of Aetna’s international expansion strategy. This included the successful launch of several medical management pilots with multinational customers in China to proactively manage the total health of their employees and their dependents. He is also the chairman of Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna’s fully owned subsidiary in China that provides integrated health benefits and health management solutions in the country.

Goldberg most recently served as director of business operations for Aetna, based in Hong Kong. During his career with Aetna, he has led a number of key international development initiatives, including the acquisition of international licenses, implementation of various insurance partnerships, and management of Aetna’s Passport to Healthcare, a U.S. claims administration and cost-containment solution for international insurers.

About Aetna Global Benefits

Aetna Global Benefits, the international business segment of Aetna, is committed to helping create a stronger, healthier global community by delivering comprehensive health benefits and health management solutions worldwide. AGB's expatriate business is one of the industry's largest and most prominent U.S.-based international health benefits providers, supporting more than 400,000 members worldwide. Our expatriate offerings include medical, dental, vision, life, disability and emergency assistance. The organisation's health management business collaborates with health care systems, government entities and plan sponsors around the world to design and build locally-applied health management solutions to improve health, quality and cost outcomes. For more information, see www.aetnaglobalbenefits.com.

About Aetna

Aetna is a leading global diversified health care benefits company headquartered in the U.S., serving approximately 35.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioural health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labour groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.