International insurer and reinsurer QBE has appointed Patrick Karlowski as Asia Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective June 29, 2026.
Meanwhile, Florence Chan has been appointed Head of Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Asia, effective July 13, 2026. Both appointments were made in Hong Kong.
Karlowski takes on the new role from Klaas Dijkstra, who becomes international chief information officer. Karlowski will report dually to International COO Nathan Fuller and QBE Asia CEO Rob Kosova.
He will lead QBE Asia’s strategic, operational and business transformation agenda with a focus on driving growth, customer value and operational excellence. Karofsky will also oversee cross-department coordination and drive collaboration and innovation to identify new service opportunities.
Karlowski has more than two decades of experience in the insurance, financial services and telecommunications sectors. He also has deep expertise in strategy, digital innovation and operational excellence across multiple international markets.
In the past, Karofsky has led large operations in Asia and Europe; and deployed digital insurance distribution and service platforms globally.
In her new role, Florence Chan will also report dually to Shrenik Dagli and Karlowski, heads of data, analytics and artificial intelligence. She will lead QBE Asia’s data and analytics team and work closely with colleagues to define and deliver the organization’s data and AI roadmap in the region.
Additionally, Chen will drive responsible AI adoption and create measurable business value through insightful decision-making.
She also has over two decades of experience in data, analytics, transformation, financial services and technology, with expertise in regulatory reporting, governance frameworks and artificial intelligence adoption.
Commenting on the appointments, Kosova said: “I am delighted to welcome Patrick and Florence to QBE Asia, this strategic appointment will further advance our long-term business focus and strengthen our competitive position in Asia.
“Their respective expertise – Patrick’s focus on driving digital, automated and intelligent operational excellence; Florence’s focus on building a strong data foundation that unlocks deep risk insights that ultimately benefit our partners and clients – will help us become the most consistent and innovative risk partner in the region, with an even greater focus on driving sustainable growth.”
