Manulife launches AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore

Source: Manulife. From left: Shingo Sakata, AI Commercialization, Manulife Asia; Mark Czajkowski, Asia Chief AI Officer, Manulife Asia; Jodie Wallis, Global Chief AI Officer, Manulife Global; Hanyan Goh, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore; Benoit Meslet, President & CEO, Manulife Singapore; Wee Kim Tan, Assistant VP of Digital Industry Singapore, Economic Development Board; Kah Siang Khoo, CEO of Emerging Markets, Manulife Asia; and Michelle Fang, VP, Chief Experience Officer, Manulife Asia, at the official launch of the Manulife AI CoE.

Manulife Singapore has set up an AI Centre of Excellence (CoE), strengthening its position as a digital-first, AI-powered insurer and deepening its commitment to Singapore’s innovation ecosystem. According to Manulife, Singapore provides a strong environment for experimentation and collaboration, supported by its innovation ecosystem, digital infrastructure, and commitment to thoughtful and well-governed AI development.

The AI CoE will focus on developing and scaling AI solutions that make insurance simpler, faster, and more intuitive for customers – ranging from enhancing customer experience, personalising advice and recommendations, and equipping employees and advisors with tools that enrich the human experience.

“AI gives us the opportunity to deliver better, faster, and more personalised service to customers,” said Benoit Meslet, CEO, Manulife Singapore.

“When our teams are supported by the right tools, they can spend more time on the moments that truly matter – listening, advising, and building trust. This CoE strengthens our ability to combine the efficiencies of technology with the human touch that defines exceptional experiences.”

The CoE will develop use cases across underwriting, operations, customer engagement, and distribution, ensuring AI-driven improvements remain transparent, secure, and guided by human insight.

The CoE will also tap into Singapore’s research institutions and industry associations to grow AI talent and uplift the broader financial services sector. At the same time, Manulife aims to grow its AI talent base over the next three years, hiring across areas such as data science, AI governance and AI engineering to deepen its capabilities in model development, oversight, and deployment.

“We are excited about Manulife’s decision to establish an AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore. By developing AI solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive operational efficiencies, this CoE will showcase the applications and benefits of AI within the insurance sector. It also creates opportunities for Singapore’s talent, including through collaboration opportunities with our local academic institutions and research institutes.

"We look forward to more companies from the finance sector undertaking business transformation and AI innovation efforts from Singapore," said Philbert Gomez, Senior VP, Executive Director & Head, Digital Industry Singapore, the joint office of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA).

The Singapore CoE will partner with the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF), local universities and training bodies to build practical skills in AI governance, model oversight, and development of responsible AI capabilities. This includes:

• Internships and mentorships with Singapore’s institutes of higher learning to expose students to real-world AI application in financial services.

• AI training programmes recognised and supported by the IBF to strengthen AI literacy for Manulife employees.

• Working with IBF as one of the 11 pilot financial institutions on workforce development for generative AI adoption, which includes upskilling and reskilling of employees into new or enhanced roles across advisory, underwriting, risk, operations, and technology functions.

• Contributing best practices and insights to advance AI adoption in the industry as part of Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Pathfinder Programme (MAS PathFin.ai).

• Collaboration with the Asian Institute of Digital Finance at the National University of Singapore on research and knowledge exchange.

“AI is reshaping how organisations solve problems and create value,” said Mark Czajkowski, Chief AI Officer, Manulife Asia.

“Our enterprise AI strategy centres on responsible innovation, governance, and impact. The Singapore CoE enhances our ability to test, refine, and scale solutions that help our teams serve customers better.”

The establishment of the CoE reflects Manulife’s long-term commitment to harnessing technology in ways that enhance customer experience and create meaningful value. The commitment has been recognised independently - Evident ranked Manulife the No. 1 life insurer in its inaugural Evident AI Index for Insurance for the company’s leadership in AI adoption and governance. Today, more than 75% of Manulife’s global workforce uses generative AI tools, including its proprietary ChatMFC platform. The Singapore CoE will further advance these efforts by accelerating development and deployment of next-generation AI tools, enabling teams across markets to work more efficiently and deliver higher-quality service.