HONG KONG, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Hong Kong today announced a strategic partnership with Alibaba Cloud, a leading global provider of AI infrastructure and the intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, to establish a collaboration framework focused on advancing responsible AI innovation and accelerating the deployment of AI technologies across the business. The partnership will support the development of AI applications within the insurance industry, while reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a regional hub for AI innovation.
This collaboration builds on Manulife's enterprise-wide ambition to become an AI-powered organization and the momentum of its continued AI leadership and investments in Hong Kong and globally. According to the Memorandum of Understanding, by combining Manulife's extensive insurance and financial services expertise with Alibaba Cloud's leading AI and cloud technologies, the two parties will explore opportunities to co-develop AI-enabled initiatives that enhance customer experience, operational effectiveness, and sustainable long-term growth. The collaboration will be guided by robust security, privacy and responsible AI principles, in line with applicable legal, regulatory and data governance requirements.
Under the partnership, Manulife Hong Kong and Alibaba Cloud will explore the establishment of a joint AI hub to incubate next-generation AI applications and develop innovative use cases aligned with Manulife's business priorities. The collaboration is expected to focus on embedding AI-powered solutions across digital customer journeys, including strengthening fraud detection capabilities and advancing service personalization.
The partnership also provides a framework for identifying and evaluating potential co-development opportunities, pursuing go-to-market collaboration where appropriate, and assessing emerging technologies that can deliver meaningful business impact, subject to further agreement between the parties and regulatory approvals.
Dr. Hongjuan Liu, Chief AI & Data Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, said: "This partnership with Alibaba Cloud marks an important step in expanding our AI ecosystem. Through the establishment of a joint AI hub, we are creating a structured platform to co-develop innovative AI solutions that can transform both customer experiences and business processes. We see this collaboration as a catalyst for unlocking new ideas and accelerating impactful AI applications, underpinned by robust data governance and regulatory safeguards."
Andy Bruce, Chief Information Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, said: "The collaboration builds on an established technology partnership between Manulife Hong Kong and Alibaba Cloud, which has supported a range of digital initiatives across our Hong Kong and Macau businesses. This represents a further step in deepening this relationship, with a shared focus on strengthening our technology foundations to support responsible AI adoption aligned with our evolving customer, distribution and operational needs."
Edward Zhang, Vice President of Public Cloud and General Manager of Financial Services Industry, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: "This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing innovation through AI and cloud technologies. By working closely with Manulife, we will combine deep industry expertise with Alibaba Cloud's advanced technical capabilities to co-develop AI-enabled solutions that address real-world business needs. We believe this partnership will help deliver tangible value for customers and contribute positively to the broader digital ecosystem."
In Hong Kong, Manulife has already deployed AI across multiple areas of its business, including customer engagement tools, data driven insights to support frontline distribution, and intelligent automation to enhance operational efficiency and service responsiveness. These initiatives form part of Manulife's broader enterprise strategy to embed AI responsibly into day-to-day operations and decision-making. Manulife is deploying AI at scale, aiming to unlock value and deliver meaningful benefits across the organization. The company expects to generate more than CAD$1 billion in enterprise AI value by 2027 [i].
About Manulife Hong Kong and Macau
Manulife Hong Kong has been a trusted name for more than 125 years, while we have served the Macau market for nearly three decades. Since our operations began in Asia in 1897, we have grown into one of the top-tier providers of financial services, offering a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to over 2.6 million customers in Hong Kong and Macau. We are committed to helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers.
Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited, and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited. These entities are all subsidiaries of Manulife Financial Corporation.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in our ambition to be the number one choice for customers, we operate as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
About Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud (https://www.alibabacloud.com/) is a global leader in full-stack AI+Cloud solutions. It offers a comprehensive suite of flexible, scalable and secure cloud services built on a three-tiered architecture of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Model-as-a-Service (MaaS). Alibaba Cloud empowers enterprises worldwide with its full-stack AI capabilities, powered by Qwen (Chinese: Qianwen), a family of large language and multimodal AI models developed by Alibaba. Debuted in 2023, Qwen models are available to global developers via HuggingFace (open-weight) or through API on Model Studio, Alibaba's one-stop, enterprise-grade AI development platform offering access to the full suite of Qwen foundation models.
| [i] The expected value from our AI initiatives includes realized run-rate expense reductions, top-line revenue uplift from AI-powered workflows, fraud reduction, and growth absorption |
[i] The expected value from our AI initiatives includes realized run-rate expense reductions, top-line revenue uplift from AI-powered workflows, fraud reduction, and growth absorption
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Manulife Hong Kong and Alibaba Cloud Sign Strategic Partnership to Accelerate and Scale AI Innovation
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ROME, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- There are those who have conquered the world with an unforgettable feat, and those who have made their entire careers a model of loyalty and respect. These are the stars of the 30th edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award, whose winners were announced today in the Hall of Honour of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
From football to swimming, fencing and Paralympic skiing, as well as athletics, basketball, speed skating and volleyball: the 2026 edition of the Award brings together champions who have thrilled fans and sports enthusiasts around the world and who also continue to leave their mark outside the field of competition.
"We are delighted to be gathered here in the CONI Hall of Honour, a place steeped in the history of Italian sport and its values, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Fair Play Menarini Award. Thirty years is a significant milestone; it is history: a path built on solid foundations that has honoured many champions - says Luciano Buonfiglio, President of CONI - I'm particularly pleased today because three very young people are being honoured - a message that is more than just about medals. They demonstrate ethics, respect and integrity - important values to be upheld and promoted. These three young people are a fine example of this."
Among the standout names of the 30th edition is Armand Duplantis, world record holder and pole vaulting legend. Representing the world of football will be Gianfranco Zola, one of the most beloved talents in the history of Italian sport. Joining them are Gregorio Paltrinieri, a leading figure in the world of swimming, Achille Polonara, the face of Italian basketball, Antonella Palmisano, queen of race walking, Chiara Mazzel, star of Paralympic skiing, and Daniele Garozzo, Olympic champion and ambassador for Italian fencing.
Also taking the stage at the Fair Play Menarini event will be Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti, key figures in Italy's speed skating successes, together with Simone Anzani, one of the most recognisable faces in Italian volleyball.
On July 2, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence will host the awards ceremony of the 30th edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award. An evening to celebrate some of the best-known figures in international sport, this year broadcast once again in collaboration with Sky TG24. The event will be presented by Rachele Sangiuliano, Michele Cagiano and Omar Schillaci, alongside legendary sports commentators such as Federico Buffa.
Fair play knows no age limits, as demonstrated by Matteo Pasqualetti, Gloria Tinaburri and Alberto Belluzzi, winners of the "Young Athletes" Fair Play Menarini Award. Three young people who remind us all that fair play is a choice we make every day, both in competition and in life.
"For thirty years, the Fair Play Menarini International Award has been celebrating those champions who have left their mark not only through their victories, but also through the way that they approach sport – say Luca Lastrucci, Valeria Speroni Cardi and Filippo Paganelli, Board Members of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation – The stories of this year's award winners remind us that respect, loyalty and fairness remain values with the power to unite different generations and resonate with those who love sport, both on and off the pitch."
Ahead of the grand finale, the run-up to the 30th edition will come to Florence on 15 June with the Special Fiamme Gialle "Study and Sport" Award, dedicated to young talents who succeed in balancing their studies with competitive sport.
ROME, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- There are those who have conquered the world with an unforgettable feat, and those who have made their entire careers a model of loyalty and respect. These are the stars of the 30th edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award, whose winners were announced today in the Hall of Honour of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
From football to swimming, fencing and Paralympic skiing, as well as athletics, basketball, speed skating and volleyball: the 2026 edition of the Award brings together champions who have thrilled fans and sports enthusiasts around the world and who also continue to leave their mark outside the field of competition.
"We are delighted to be gathered here in the CONI Hall of Honour, a place steeped in the history of Italian sport and its values, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Fair Play Menarini Award. Thirty years is a significant milestone; it is history: a path built on solid foundations that has honoured many champions - says Luciano Buonfiglio, President of CONI - I'm particularly pleased today because three very young people are being honoured - a message that is more than just about medals. They demonstrate ethics, respect and integrity - important values to be upheld and promoted. These three young people are a fine example of this."
Among the standout names of the 30th edition is Armand Duplantis, world record holder and pole vaulting legend. Representing the world of football will be Gianfranco Zola, one of the most beloved talents in the history of Italian sport. Joining them are Gregorio Paltrinieri, a leading figure in the world of swimming, Achille Polonara, the face of Italian basketball, Antonella Palmisano, queen of race walking, Chiara Mazzel, star of Paralympic skiing, and Daniele Garozzo, Olympic champion and ambassador for Italian fencing.
Also taking the stage at the Fair Play Menarini event will be Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti, key figures in Italy's speed skating successes, together with Simone Anzani, one of the most recognisable faces in Italian volleyball.
On July 2, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence will host the awards ceremony of the 30th edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award. An evening to celebrate some of the best-known figures in international sport, this year broadcast once again in collaboration with Sky TG24. The event will be presented by Rachele Sangiuliano, Michele Cagiano and Omar Schillaci, alongside legendary sports commentators such as Federico Buffa.
Fair play knows no age limits, as demonstrated by Matteo Pasqualetti, Gloria Tinaburri and Alberto Belluzzi, winners of the "Young Athletes" Fair Play Menarini Award. Three young people who remind us all that fair play is a choice we make every day, both in competition and in life.
"For thirty years, the Fair Play Menarini International Award has been celebrating those champions who have left their mark not only through their victories, but also through the way that they approach sport – say Luca Lastrucci, Valeria Speroni Cardi and Filippo Paganelli, Board Members of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation – The stories of this year's award winners remind us that respect, loyalty and fairness remain values with the power to unite different generations and resonate with those who love sport, both on and off the pitch."
Ahead of the grand finale, the run-up to the 30th edition will come to Florence on 15 June with the Special Fiamme Gialle "Study and Sport" Award, dedicated to young talents who succeed in balancing their studies with competitive sport.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
FROM DUPLANTIS TO PALTRINIERI, FAIR PLAY MENARINI KICKS OFF ITS 30TH EDITION
FROM DUPLANTIS TO PALTRINIERI, FAIR PLAY MENARINI KICKS OFF ITS 30TH EDITION
