Shenglin Xian Honored as No. 1 Performer At London Life’s Barcelona Elite Conference 2013
Publish Date: 
Fri, 2013-04-19 18:52

Shenglin Xian Honored as No. 1 Performer

At London Life’s Barcelona Elite Conference 2013

By Chen Lidan, staff reporter

London Life, one of the oldest and most trusted names in life insurance in Canada, held its biennial Elite Conference 2013 in the picturesque Barcelona by the Mediterranean Sea. The summit, which began April 12 at the glitzy Hotel Arts, saw an attendance of more than 500, including 245 of London Life’s Elite producers and their spouses, plus top executives of London Life’s head office. Mr. Shenglin Xian, founder and CEO of Shenglin Financial, was No. 1 of the five honorees recognized at a ceremony for their sales achievements in 2011 and 2012.  Mr. Xian was the only one to deliver an acceptance speech—expressing his deep gratitude to all those who have helped him achieve what he is today: London Life, his clients, his family, and himself for insistence and perseverance.

“No pain, no gain”

July 22, 1991 was a red-letter day for Mr. Xian—the day he joined London Life and began his long march in the insurance trade. At first, he concentrated on Westerners as his major clients, because they knew what life insurance was about and they regarded insurance as an indispensable part of their personal finances. Moreover, Mr. Xian wanted to know the rules of the game and he believed the best way to learn those rules was to learn from the people who wrote them. Thus, sought and found the key to success.

London Life, an insurance company with a history nearly as old as Canada herself, has designed a tiered system of services to meet the needs of different categories of clients. For example, DSD is the starting level, analogous to an elementary school that allows insurance brokers to operate in an assigned area. This mode of insurance operation has been incorporated in the University of Toronto’s MBA program.  Mr. Xian, in his initial years as a rookie, was assigned to work at the DSD, District Sales division, with a turf in Chinatown. In no time, he succeeded in becoming the top performer. The next tier is the GDS, General Sales Division similar in a sense to secondary education without assigned turfs. The tertiary level, similar to college degree,  is the EPD, Estate Planning Division.  In 1994, the apprentice  had become a journeyman—Mr. Xian won the No. 1 Top Producer  in the DSD nationwide. This was no fluke or by chance. He had kept the lead until 1999, the year when London Life established the Wealth & Estate Planning Group (WEPG) as an arm to serve affluent clients.

The inception of WEPG was a milestone for London Life as well as for Mr. Xian himself. The division picked crème de la crème from the DSD, GSD and EPD to form an elite team, where Mr. Xian was the only one in the DSD department qualified for the new team. When the WEPG inaugural celebration took place at a posh London hotel, Mr. Xian remarked to his wife with a wisp of melancholy: “We are the only couple with a different skin colour.” This sort of scarcity also reminded Mr. Xian of an value-added responsibility—bringing the mainstream financial management ideals to the ethnic Chinese insurance community. He sensed at that time that although he was No 1 nationwide in DSD’s operation, he was only a junior leaguer among the titans in the WEPG. Since then, he has redoubled his efforts, and his best performance was No. 6 nationwide. He felt the mounting pressure and an exceptional tall order to fulfill.

In 1999, riding on the crest of a new wave of surging Chinese immigrants following the signing of a Canada-China immigration agreement, Mr. Xian founded Shenglin Financial Inc., the company bearing his name. He felt that he needed a team of his own to carve out a territory from an expanding market.

“The meaning of life: Make other’s life better

Mr. Shenglin Xian has two dreams. One is to train and cultivate more people to disseminate mainstream ideals and values to Chinese households, enabling them to merge into the mainstream society. This dream has become true.

The second dream is to help skilled immigrants redefine the value of their lives and the goal of their pursuits. This dream is borne out of the suicide tragedies of highly-educated Chinese immigrants who struggled and failed to adjust themselves in the adopted land.  It was so sad and heart-wrenching! Mr. Xian wishes to let his “big model” of success serve as “small models” for those to create a new life for themselves, and to realize their Canadian dream  if they can redefine the value of their lives and persist.

Mr. Xian mused philosophically that the boundary between success and failure is but a hair, much like that of a sacrifice fly and a homerun in baseball. Those who are successful are often reluctant to admit and confront defeat head-on, so much so that they are unable to seize an opportunity to rise up again because of dithering and indecision. Mr. Xian hopes that he can help embattled Chinese entrepreneurs make the right decision.

With an aura of Wealth Coach, Mr. Xian has coached a bunch of outstanding financial security advisers. One member of his team, Mr. Xian revealed, pockets an income greater than those of high-ranking executives and engineers of large enterprises. Besides, Shenglin Financial has been regarded as a “cradle of MDRTs”—million-dollar-round-table that is the insurance businesses coveted hallmark of excellence. Over the years, his company has been prolific in producing MDRT-class financial experts, thanks to Mr. Xian’s coaching.

“Do as the winners do”

When Mr. Xian received a “Super Ball” gold ring from London Life as a prize for his achievements several years ago, he said jokingly it was an engagement ring locking his fate to London Life. It’s no joke at all, as it turned out. He has dedicated his life to Canada’s most-trusted and time-honored insurance company which is a household name in Canada’s family financial management and life insurance. Mr. Xian is happy to cast his lot with London Life which not only has winning products but also a unique, compassionate corporate culture that has earned the love and loyalty of all those working for it.

Now, on the cusp of his 22nd anniversary joining London Life, Mr. Xian has finally emerged No. 1 at London Life’s 2013 convocation in Barcelona honoring the firm’s top producers. Though Mr. Xian’s valedictorian was brief and concise, the applause lasted longer than his pithy and moving remarks of acceptance and gratitude. In insurance industry, figures speak and money talks. It’s the cold numbers that have made Mr. Xian the indisputable champion.

He stood tall among the five honorees at the podium. The color of his skin also set him apart and proud as well. His 22-year quest for excellence and his Canadian dream is an epic of a valiant struggle and arduous Odyssey that has landed him on the summit at London Life’s Elite Conference in idyllic Barcelona.