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Fortune
Fortune
Eleanor Pringle

In his 20s, the boss of this $22 billion Fortune 500 company tried to turn down a promotion to CEO—his main advice to new grads is to stay 'humble'

RGA's CEO, Tony Cheng, sat down with Fortune for an exclusive interview (Credit: RGA)
  • EXCLUSIVE: Tony Cheng rose up the corporate ladder at Reinsurance Group of America by embracing challenging roles early and credits his steady, decades-long career growth to continual learning, humility, and a willingness to take on responsibility. His leadership helped expand RGA’s presence in Asia and beyond, encouraging individuals looking to lead companies to always be open to continued growth.

It’s rare to be offered a big promotion and turn it down, but it’s even rarer to warn superiors you don’t feel prepared for the role and be appointed anyway.

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