HSBC Group

Some careers have more impact than others.

If you’re looking for a career where you can make a real impression, join HSBC and discover how valued you’ll be. Whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

Our GCIO organisation plays a critical role for the bank. This team partners with the businesses to build the platforms, systems, and products that our customers use every day. We keep people’s money and data safe, and are at the forefront of driving innovation for our businesses, customers, and colleagues.

We are currently seeking a high calibre professional to join our team as a Head of Insurance Technology Business Solutions.

Role Purpose

We are seeking a forward-thinking and highly experienced Head of Insurance Technology Business Solutions to join our global technology leadership team at HSBC Life, a leading life insurance provider. This strategic role blends technology leadership with deep insurance domain expertise to deliver innovative, value-driven solutions across the organization. The successful candidate will lead the ideation, design, and delivery of transformative business and technology solutions, with a strong emphasis on automation and AI-driven efficiencies.

This role will function as a catalyst for innovation, working at the intersection of business strategy and technology execution. The ideal candidate is part business strategist, part technology visionary, and part hands-on engineer—with the credibility and experience to engage senior stakeholders and drive measurable outcomes. If you thrive at the crossroads of business strategy, emerging tech, and real-world execution — this is your platform.

Reporting into the CIO Global Insurance, this role will lead initiatives that harness automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and modern engineering practices to improve customer experience, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. The ideal candidate brings a hybrid skill set—combining deep life insurance domain knowledge, advanced technology expertise, and leadership acumen akin to that of a CTO.

This role will work in close partnership with Global Insurance Architecture to ensure enterprise architecture outcomes are seamlessly integrated with platform and solution architecture and design outcomes. This role will also work in partnership with other IWPB Platform Leads, Enabler Leads and Value Stream Tech Leads to drive the delivery of an optimal technology solutions for all insurance Value and Sub-Value Streams, ensuring a best in industry end to end experience for our customers and distribution workforce throughout their journey with HSBC.

Working closely with the Global Insurance Head of Engineering, this role will also have joint responsibility for developing and delivering the Insurance platform technology strategy and roadmap for across all insurance markets together with Architecture in line with FSA.

Principal Accountabilities:  Key activities and decision making areas

Strategic Innovation and Value Creation

• Lead Innovation with Purpose. Imagine, shape, and deliver innovative business and technology solutions that solve real problems and deliver measurable impact. Champion a forward-thinking roadmap that turns vision into value
• Develop and maintain a multi-year insurance business technology roadmap focused on AI, automation, and next-gen platforms.
• Identify and evaluate new technologies and vendors that can create competitive advantage.
• Facilitate strategic innovation workshops and prototype solutions with business teams.

Technology and Solution Leadership

• Architect the Future. Own the design and development of scalable, secure, and high-performing solutions. You’ll steer the integration of AI, automation, and modern platforms that streamline processes and enhance decision-making across the enterprise.
• Oversee the design, development, and implementation of scalable and sustainable business technology solutions.
• Champion the application of AI and automation to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure that solutions meet both technical and business requirements.
• Jointly provide architectural and engineering direction across systems and platforms, ensuring technical excellence and alignment with business goals.
• Design and develop optimal/future-proof solutions whilst providing reliable cost and effort estimations to solve complex and ambiguous problems using modern set of technology platforms, delivery disciplines and DevOps mindset
• Deliver against a strategic operating plan (such as Core Capabilities) that ensures resources (capability, people and funding) deliver improvements in current customer journeys and new features to increase customer experience
• Jointly manage the annual budget spread between designing and developing new services (Change The Bank) as well as managing and supporting existing services (Run the Bank)

Business Alignment and Collaboration

• Collaborate across the various business functions. Be the go-to partner for our actuarial, underwriting, claims, and policy operations teams. Speak both “tech” and “insurance,” aligning everyone around solutions that work.
• Partner with functional leaders across underwriting, claims, actuarial, policy administration, and operations.
• Translate business goals into technology capabilities and work with teams to co-create solutions.
• Develop strong internal networks to gain buy-in and drive adoption of new technologies and AI.
• Improve technology solutioning and estimation for delivery (ie increase quality and innovation, be cost effective and improve resilience – design-to-operate)
• Manage an effective working relationship with partners and third party vendors to ensure successful delivery and efficient cost management
• Create and maintain strong and trusted working relationship outside of Insurance business in other IWPB business lines and the broader HSBC group
• Represent Insurance in IWPB channel and digital for all technology and business executive forums

Leadership and Execution Oversight

• Deliver real change. Translate strategic ideas into actionable technology initiatives that transform operations, customer journeys, and market performance. Lead cross-functional delivery with clarity, energy, and accountability.
• Build trust and credibility. Influence senior executives, engage diverse stakeholders, and lead with transparency and confidence. Your leadership will inspire high-performing teams and nurture a culture of experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and develop a high performing global insurance solutioning team through effective communication, performance management, development plans and reward/recognition practices.
• Build a pipeline of solutioning, architecture and engineering talent
• Cultivate an environment that supports diversity and reflects the HSBC brand and values

Operational Effectiveness and Control

• Ensure technology goals are identified and aligned, communicated, documented and delivered in the most effective manner (cost, timeframe and resiliency) possible through to the completion of the successful deployment
• Work closely with the Head of Platform Engineering to ensure solution and platform design are practical, scalable and future-proof whilst embedding the necessary risk controls and quality automation checks.
• Consistent identification of key risks, issues and interdependencies and provide appropriate mitigation strategies 
• Ensure HSBC is not put at any operational or reputational risk

Major Challenges

The following are an overview of the major challenges for the role holder:

• To manage effectively and be a key influencer in a matrix organization across diverse stakeholders and geographies
• To deliver a set of globally integrated technology services supporting a diverse set of business and functional needs (as part of global Core Capabilities)
• To connect teams across IWPB’s language, geographical/time zone, cultural, systems and legislative boundaries 
• To build new capabilities and change the status-quo for architecture and engineering with team members who have been in the organisation for a very long time (ie reluctance for change and cross skilling and adopting new tech)
• To deal with a range of complex issues with conflicting and changing priorities 
• To manage the balance between effective execution of day-to-day operations and services, whilst driving a substantial transformation agenda, overall cost reduction and technology automation in a legacy technology landscape
• To achieve the above whilst effectively ensuring that risk is well managed 
• To stay abreast of external developments in global regulation, market trends and competitor activity
• To challenge the status quo with peers across Technology leadership teams, as well as counterparts in GBGFs
• To capture, leverage and promote best practice methodologies and tools across IWPB, based on lessons learned across IWPB teams globally and on standards established by Global Tech horizontals (e.g. Design and Application Development & Maintenance, Tech Security, Tech Risk, Tech COO)

Role Context

• Work closely with VS and SVS Tech Leads to develop new insurance solutions and capabilities that integrate with existing solutions and technology limitations/restrictions
• Promote re-use of readily built platform solutions and global components
• Advocate for AI to address operational inefficiencies, improved customer experience and better insights for the business operations
• Work closely with VS, SVS Tech/Bus Leads as part of the team to deliver end-to-end from Design, Delivery and Operating of underlying technology capabilities for Global Insurance.
• Responsible for a small team of high performing team of Insurance Solution Specialists at Group Insurance and Market level\
• Primary functional reporting relationship is to the Global Insurance CIO
• Works closely with Global Insurance COO and Transformation teams including the market teams
• Some travel to India and China where majority of engineering team members are located

Knowledge and Experience

Mandatory:

• Outstanding Technology leader who is passionate about leveraging technology and AI to drive business outcomes
• Significant years in cross-business technology leadership roles with a focus on business transformation within life insurance, with working
• Deep understanding of insurance products, distribution, policy administration, claims processing, and regulatory factors in order to provide fit-for-purpose technology/AI solutions which drive sustainable business outcomes
• Strong background in enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, and digital ecosystems relevant to Life Insurance in Asia (specifically HK, China and Singapore)
• Proven track record of modernizing legacy systems and delivering new digital capabilities.
• Strong understanding of operational effectiveness
• Strong ability to balance risks vs. rewards and maximizing the cost effectiveness and profitability for the business
• Possess the following competencies - strong people leadership, teamwork, is data and facts driven, sound judgment and decision making, effective communication skills
• Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, and execution capabilities.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working with C-suite executives and presenting to boards or executive committees.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.

Desirable:

• Hands-on experience with AI, machine learning, automation (e.g., RPA), and API-based system integration would be highly desirable.
• Experienced in managing programs, projects and a variety of delivery / assurance roles across a number of markets/locations and cultures
• Built and manage commercially viable digital platforms, services and capabilities
• Worked in the functional business areas in Life Insurance in Asia
• An MBA or additional Life Insurance business qualifications are a plus.
• Experienced at managing operational functions and leading process reengineering and efficiency exercises

Key Attributes:

• Innovative: Passionate about using technology to drive business transformation.
• Credible Leader: Commands respect through knowledge, experience, and collaborative leadership.
• Business-Savvy: Understands the intricacies of the life insurance business and how to deliver technology that matters.
• Agile and Results-Oriented: Operates with urgency and adaptability, delivering tangible outcomes.
• Change Agent: Energizes teams and stakeholders around a shared vision for the future.

Opening up a world of opportunity
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Issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited