Manulife has chosen Hong Kong as its base for artificial intelligence leadership roles in Asia, betting on the city’s strengths as an international financial center and regional innovation hub as it accelerates investment in AI across major business.
Mark Czajkowski, the Canadian insurer’s chief AI officer for Asia, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Daily, following the company’s latest announcement that he would be posted to Hong Kong, along with the appointment of a chief AI and data officer for Hong Kong and Macao.
The move comes three months after Manulife (International) Ltd completed its re-domiciliation from Bermuda to Hong Kong under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s company re-domiciliation regime in December, becoming the first to do so since the framework took effect in May.
Czajkowski said basing senior AI roles in Hong Kong reflects Manulife’s ambition to become an AI-powered organization and to consolidate its leadership in the field, with Hong Kong serving as a regional innovation hub.
“The combination of talent, connectivity and regulatory clarity (in Hong Kong) allows Manulife to responsibly accelerate AI adoption and deliver scalable innovation across Asia,” he said.
Hong Kong provides a deep pool of insurance and technology professionals, supported by world-class universities and a strong base of data and analytics expertise, he said.
“Its international connectivity and proximity to key Asian markets make it well suited for cross-market collaboration.”
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Czajkowski added that Hong Kong’s established regulatory environment — underpinned by strong governance and data protection frameworks — aligns closely with Manulife’s “Responsible AI” principles.
As part of the expansion, Manulife is continuing to build out its teams in Asia, with a focus on data science, machine learning engineering, and AI risk.
In his role, Czajkowski will guide the development and deployment of AI solutions, define high-impact use cases, and bring proven AI capabilities to the Asian markets.
AI has become a “core part” of Manulife’s enterprise strategy. The company is targeting more than CA$1 billion ($720 million) in enterprise value from AI initiatives by 2027, with returns expected to be driven by applications that improve customer experience, strengthen advisor support and boost productivity.
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The insurer’s expansion in Hong Kong coincides with the city’s renewed policy support for innovation. In its 2026-27 Budget released in late February, the SAR government outlined measures to promote AI adoption across various sectors. The Insurance Authority has also been making efforts to foster a vibrant AI ecosystem through robust regulation and the launch of its AI Cohort Programme last August.
At the national level, China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) reaffirmed support for developing the Hong Kong SAR into an international innovation and technology center, while also announcing the country’s ambition to advance the AI Plus Initiative across the board, including applying AI tools in industrial development.
Hong Kong’s insurance industry plays an instrumental role in making the city an internationally recognized financial center. Besides Manulife, AXA China Region Insurance Company in January completed its re-domiciliation from Bermuda to Hong Kong.
Earlier this month, the Insurance Authority granted authorization to a captive insurer set up by China National Nuclear Corp, bringing the total number of captive insurers in Hong Kong to seven.
Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com
