TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 May 2026 - Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today announced the appointment of Masahito (Max) Hirai as CEO of Japan, effective 30 June 2026.*
In this role, Hirai will lead Aon's business in Japan, with responsibility for setting and executing the firm's strategy, driving sustainable growth and ensuring excellence in client service delivery. He will report to Qin Lu, head of North Asia, and will join the North Asia leadership team.
"Max brings deep market insight, strong leadership capability and a clear focus on clients," said Lu. "His global business experience and collaborative leadership style position him well to build on our strong momentum in Japan and advance our Aon United strategy — helping clients and colleagues navigate an increasingly complex risk environment."
With more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Hirai brings extensive local and international leadership expertise. He has built his career at Tokio Marine, in Japan before serving in senior leadership roles across South America, North America and Asia. He currently serves as CEO, Asia Region for Tokio Marine, leading the firm's Life and Non‑Life businesses across Southeast Asia and India.
Hirai is a well‑respected senior leader, with a strong track record of leading large, multi‑market insurance operations through growth and transformation. He is known for building high‑performing, collaborative teams and for his disciplined approach to strategy, execution and financial performance. His deep understanding of the Japan market and client‑focused leadership style will support Aon's continued growth in Japan.
"I'm honoured to take on this role at an exciting time for the Japan market, where there is significant opportunity ahead," said Hirai. "I have long respected Aon's strong position and contributions to clients in Japan and look forward to working closely with colleagues to further strengthen our business in the market."
Hirai succeeds Tatsuya Yamamoto, who will work closely with him in an advisory capacity to support a smooth leadership transition.
More information about Aon in Japan can be found here.
*Subject to completion of regulatory formalities, where required.
Hashtag: #Aon
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that help protect and grow their businesses.
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Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavours to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.
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HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 May 2026 - Phancy Group Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 6682.HK), a leading Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) company, today announced that it has entered into a strategic cooperation and joint venture framework agreement with Huanxi Media Group Limited ("Huanxi Media", stock code: 1003.HK), a prominent player in film and television entertainment.
By combining Phancy's comprehensive full-stack AI capabilities with Huanxi Media's extensive film and television data, intellectual property (IP) assets, and production expertise, the two companies aim to drive the entertainment industry's shift from digitalization to true intelligence.
Under the framework agreement, the parties plan to set up a joint venture as the collaboration platform. They will pursue in-depth cooperation across several key areas, including data collaboration, development of large models and Agents for film and television, exploration of AI applications in new entertainment scenarios, AI-powered joint production and content creation, IP derivative development, and broader resources collaboration.
In addition, the two parties have signed a framework agreement for large model API services. Huanxi Media intends to adopt Phancy's advanced large model and API services, with a targeted cumulative service value of no less than US$200 million through Token consumption over the next three years. The substantial long-term commitment highlights strong market confidence in the reliability and commercial strength of Phancy's AI Platform, and is expected to provide the Company with stable, recurring revenue streams.
Dr. Dai Wenyuan, Founder and CEO of Phancy, said: "The entertainment sector is one of the most valuable and promising application scenarios for AI. This in-depth strategic partnership with Huanxi Media represents a strong alliance between our two companies and our shared vision to build a new industry ecosystem. As a leader in full-stack AI infrastructure and technical services, we at Phancy will fully leverage our core strengths in large model development, Agentic AI, heterogeneous computing power scheduling, and our Token ecosystem to empower the entire value chain of the entertainment industry. Moving forward, we will work closely with Huanxi Media, combining our respective technological advantages and industry resources to unlock new growth potential in the AI-powered entertainment sector."
Strategic Significance of the Partnership
Phancy's full-stack AI capabilities have taken a major step forward, moving from general platform services into deep vertical integration within the entertainment ecosystem. By embedding its self-developed AI technologies into Huanxi Media's rich data, production environments, and IP assets, Phancy can integrate cutting-edge tools directly into content creation and daily operations, turning advanced technology into real business impact.
The film and television industry is going through a fundamental transformation. From assisted creation to intelligent production, and from virtual actors to interactive film and gaming experiences, AI is reshaping the entire content production process. The two parties will collaborate on frontier areas such as co-productions, digital human actor development, AI-generated realistic dramas, and interactive film-game projects. This partnership will move AI beyond a supporting tool and make it a core driver of content creation. Leveraging Phancy's strengths in domestic computing power adaptation and integrated hardware-software solutions, the collaboration will significantly reduce the barriers and costs of using AI in the entertainment industry and speed up its adoption in actual productions.
This strategic alliance is an important move for Phancy as it expands its presence in real-world AI applications and deepens its industry impact. It is also expected to set a new benchmark for intelligent transformation in the entertainment sector. The two companies will continue to explore innovative ways to integrate AI with entertainment, create high-quality intelligent content, and help drive the industry into a new stage of high-quality intelligent development.
Hashtag: #PhancyGroup
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Phancy Group
Phancy Group (6682.HK) is a leading full-stack AI cloud services platform, providing comprehensive solutions for the AI 2.0 era. Our offerings include SageAIOS, HAMi vGPU and ModelHub XC, delivering efficient and scalable AI infrastructure with end-to-end capabilities. We provide a complete solution from heterogeneous compute resource management and optimization to the deployment of intelligent agent models. These solutions empower digital transformation across a wide range of industries, supporting our vision of building a large-scale and efficient "Token Factory."
Guided by the mission of "AI for Everyone" and positioned as the "Navigator of AI," Phancy Group is committed to becoming a global leader in Artificial General Intelligence.
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
