QBE names Patrick Karlowski & Florence Chan in Asia

QBE has appointed Patrick Karlowski as Chief Operating Officer, Asia, and Florence Chan as Head of Data, Analytics and AI, Asia. Both roles are based in Hong Kong.

Karlowski succeeds Klaas Dijkstra, who has moved to Chief Information Officer, International. He will report to Nathan Fuller, Chief Operations Officer, International, with a dotted line to Rob Kosova, Chief Executive Officer, QBE Asia.

Chan will join QBE's Asia business in a newly elevated data and AI leadership role. She will report to Shrenik Dagli, Group Head of Data, Analytics and AI, with a dotted line to Karlowski.

The appointments give QBE two senior executives in Asia covering operations, business transformation, data and artificial intelligence. Karlowski will lead strategy, operations and transformation across the regional business, while Chan will lead the data and analytics team in Asia.

Karlowski brings more than 20 years of experience across insurance, financial services and telecommunications. His background includes strategy, digital transformation and operational management in international markets across Asia and Europe, as well as the global rollout of insurance distribution and servicing platforms.

Chan also has more than 20 years of experience spanning data, analytics, transformation, financial services and technology. Her background includes regulatory reporting, governance frameworks and AI adoption.

Regional roles

In Asia, Karlowski will oversee cross-divisional alignment and collaboration. Chan will work with colleagues across the business to define and deliver the regional data and AI roadmap.

The hires come as insurers across Asia increase spending on data management, automation and artificial intelligence to improve underwriting, customer service and regulatory reporting. Across the sector, firms have been adding senior executives with experience in digital operations and governance to meet those demands.

For QBE, the reshuffle also ties the Asia operation more closely to the group's international management structure. Karlowski's reporting line sits within the international operations function, while Chan's role links the region to the group-wide data and AI leadership team.

Hong Kong remains a key base for regional insurance management, with many international groups using the city as a centre for underwriting, operations and support functions across Asian markets. By locating both appointments there, QBE is concentrating operational and data leadership in one place for its Asia business.

Kosova said in a company statement: "I'm delighted to welcome Patrick and Florence to QBE Asia - strategic appointments that will further advance our long-term business priorities and strengthen our competitive position in Asia. Their respective expertise - Patrick in driving operational excellence that embraces digitalisation, automation and intelligence; and Florence in building strong data foundations that unlock deep risk insights, which ultimately benefit our partners and customers - will help sharpen our focus on driving sustainable growth by being the most consistent and innovative risk partner in the region."

QBE Asia is part of the insurer's International Division. The wider group is headquartered in Sydney and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Chan's remit includes leading the adoption of responsible AI in the region. Her role also includes using data and analytics to support decision-making across the business.

Karlowski's brief covers business transformation as well as day-to-day operations, giving him a central role in how the insurer organises its Asia business. His arrival follows Dijkstra's move to an international technology leadership post, marking a broader management shift spanning regional operations and group-level information systems.

Together, the two executives will oversee operational execution and data policy at a time when insurers are under pressure to modernise internal processes without losing sight of risk and governance.