The 39-year-old actuarial graduate used to dream of becoming a footballer.

But realising he wasn't good enough, he chose to do what he was capable of doing best rather than what he loved the most.

However, his life has never been separated from football. The Newcastle United supporter started his career in reputable financial groups in the United Kingdom, including the Liverpool Victoria Group, Medical Sickness Group and Abbey Life Assurance.

In football, scoring chances are often set up via a series of crosses from the right wing.

Likewise, Blackburn, who played right wing when he was young, put in an outstanding performance in creating opportunities for the company he worked for and in 2000 was appointed to the post of regional manager at Allianz's regional head office in Singapore. He then was transferred to the Philippines from 2001 to 2003, to take over as president and chief executive officer of Pioneer Allianz Life Assurance Corp.

Experience comes with age. As a right winger might move to centre half and then eventually into managing the team, Blackburn was appointed president of AACP at a troubled time for the company.

The insurer hit the headlines following a shake-up in its internal management.

As being a footballer was his greatest desire when he was young, Blackburn has always closely followed the English game. When asked which Premier League team he thought could best represent AACP performance, he replied, "It's probably Arsenal and Chelsea mixed together."

"Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger doesn't spend much, but he's got a quality team," he said. "They also play as a team. We are also like Chelsea in the fact that we have achieved success quickly."

Blackburn's own performance certainly matches his view of Chelsea's quick successes. In less than two years under his management, AACP has managed to wipe out almost 100 per cent of the company's accumulated losses and has become the country's third-largest life insurer.

Its accumulated loss of Bt1.587 billion in 2004 dropped dramatically to Bt11 million at the end of the first quarter of this year. Its recovered from a post-tax loss of Bt528 million in 2004 to a Bt900-million profit last year. The company last year also enjoyed the sector's second-largest percentage growth in terms of first-year premiums.

AACP now holds third place in the industry in terms of market share.

With a heavy workload, his family and Thai lessons keeping him busy, Blackburn has found that on average he only has one hour a day for himself.

The health-conscious Brit spends an hour on the treadmill five times a week, clocking up 15 kilometres each time.

With his family's future in mind, Blackburn has put most of his savings into insurance.

He believes pure insurance is actually the best for life protection. He has bought many policies, both in Thailand and the UK.

Unlike many Westerners, he and his wife have a large family - three girls and two boys. The oldest is 12 years old. Asked if he would continue to have kids to make a full football team, he simply grinned.

Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon

The Nation