Manulife HK nabs McDonald's China VP of data as chief AI officer

Manulife has appointed Hongjuan Liu (pictured left) as chief AI and data officer for Hong Kong and Macau, supporting the establishment of Hong Kong as an AI centre of excellence. As AI and data continue to evolve rapidly, this strategic move builds on momentum following the successful re‑domiciliation of Manulife.

This expansion also includes the posting of Mark Czajkowski (pictured right), chief AI officer, Asia, to Hong Kong, underscoring the company’s continued commitment to strengthening its AI leadership and adoption across the region and reinforcing the city’s role as an international financial centre and a hub for AI development.

These decisions align with Manulife’s strategic priority to become an AI-powered organisation and build upon its AI leadership position, with Hong Kong anchored as a regional innovation hub.

Liu joins Manulife Hong Kong and Macau with more than 20 years of experience in AI, data strategy, analytics, and digital transformation across multiple industries and geographies.

In his new role, Liu will lead the cross‑functional AI and data team across Hong Kong and Macau, overseeing the development and execution of advanced analytics, AI deployment initiatives, and data platform strategies, while ensuring strong governance and operational excellence. He most recently served as vice president, data at McDonald’s China.

Reporting directly to the CEO of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, Liu will also have a functional reporting line to Czajkowski, who has relocated from Singapore to Hong Kong to further enhance Manulife’s AI regional leadership. Czajkowski brings more than 20 years of wide‑ranging experience spanning marketing, analytics, and AI‑centric strategy.

He plays a pivotal role in shaping Manulife Asia’s AI agenda, strengthening data‑driven decision‑making, and driving innovation to accelerate business growth across the region’s diverse markets. Prior to his current role, he served as chief analytics officer for Asia and chief marketing officer for Singapore.

Patrick Graham, CEO of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, said: “Our commitment to continuing to be an AI leader is bolstered by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s latest policy initiatives in the 2026–27 Budget to advance AI applications across sectors, as well as efforts made by the Insurance Authority (“IA”) to foster a vibrant AI ecosystem through robust regulation, the AI Cohort Programme and other future AI initiatives.”

Graham added: “Liu brings exceptional AI and data expertise to our organisation, and his leadership will be key to continuing to advance our AI strategy and delivering greater value for our customers and distribution partners. Czajkowski’s posting to Hong Kong further underscores our resolve to scale AI innovation and propels our ambition to establish the city as a regional hub. Together, these strategic moves and investments position us strongly for the next phase of growth and reflect our unwavering confidence in Hong Kong as an international financial centre.”

Clement Cheung, CEO of the IA, said: “The decision made by Manulife to deploy key AI personnel in Hong Kong forms part of a global strategy that leverages our vibrant market dynamics, versatile professional talents and unmatched cross-boundary connectivity to deliver better customer experiences, stronger staff support and higher operational efficiency."

"This also injects impetus into the re-domiciliation exercise by bringing tangible benefits to the community. We are pleased to know that the company will strive to nurture local capabilities, develop impactful use cases and uplift AI literacy, while the IA will partner with the industry to pursue economic diversification through innovation and technology as a new source of growth," he added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Manulife for more information.

Manulife has been doubling down on accelerating responsible AI adoption through sustained investment in innovation, capability building and talent development across its operations. This approach focuses on fostering local AI talent, scaling high-impact use cases and uplifting enterprise-wide AI literacy.

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