OneDegree Announces Promotion of Emily Chow to Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Passing Four-Year Tenure with Flying Colors, Delivering over Sixfold Revenue Growth & Full-Year Profitability

Hong Kong virtual insurer, OneDegree, today announced the promotion of its Deputy Chief Executive, Emily Chow, to Chief Executive and Executive Director with immediate effect.

Emily joined OneDegree as General Manager in January 2022 and was promoted to Deputy Chief Executive in January 2023. Under her leadership, OneDegree became the first virtual insurer in Hong Kong to achieve full-year profitability (calculated in accordance with the Insurance Ordinance) ¹, while revenue increased over sixfold over the past four years compared to 2021.

During her tenure, Emily and her team further strengthened OneDegree’s leadership position in the Pet Insurance market and expanded the company’s presence across a broader ecosystem of pet economy. She also spearheaded the enhancement and continuous innovation of the company’s general insurance portfolio by introducing various general insurance products; from Critical Illness Insurance, Home Insurance and Fire Insurance to market-first offerings such as Turtle, Tortoise and Bird Insurance and Home Appliance Warranty Insurance. Through continuous product enhancements and improved coverage, OneDegree under her leadership has successfully elevated customers’ insurance experience and most importantly, it strengthened OneDegree’s competitiveness in the market.

Emily brings extensive experience in financial services marketing, backed by over 20 years of distinguished experience in the financial services sector and over a decade in fintech leadership. She was also a founding member of two prominent virtual banks. With a proven track record of leveraging technology and digitalisation to transform financial service experiences, she has successfully brought various disruptive brands that challenge the  traditional financial sector and scaled to achieve market leading positions. Furthering her commitment to industry thought leadership, Emily is currently pursuing a Doctor of FinTech at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She seeks to blend her deep industry expertise with rigorous academic research to contribute new knowledge and insights to elevate the standard of insurance and fintech sectors.

Alvin Kwock, Co-founder of OneDegree’s parent company AIFT said, “In just five years, OneDegree has successfully democratized virtual insurance in Hong Kong, making it accessible to people from all walks of life, while proudly becoming the first virtual insurer to achieve full-year profitability, which is an achievement that speaks for itself. This appointment reflects Emily’s outstanding contributions and performance during her tenure, as well as the confidence placed in her by both the Group and the Insurance Authority. We look forward to seeing OneDegree continue to scale new heights under her leadership while delivering a vastly enhanced insurance experience to the people in Hong Kong.”

As one of the first insurtech companies in Hong Kong to obtain the virtual insurance licence, OneDegree has remained committed to driving industry innovation through a fully digital insurance platform. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies, the company has significantly enhanced operational efficiency. In 2025, operational efficiency for administrative duties improved by 24% year-on-year, substantially reducing manual workload, while revenue generated per employee increased by 42% year-on-year. In addition, approximately 40% of pet insurance claims are now approved instantly within one second through automated claims assessment, delivering a faster and more efficient claims experience for customers.

The Group expects Emily to continue leading the adoption of AI and automation technologies, further strengthening its customer-centric strategy while combining insurance expertise with innovative and unconventional perspectives to continue to drive operational efficiency and enhance customer experience.

Emily Chow, Chief Executive of OneDegree, said, “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of Chief Executive of OneDegree. Over the past few years, my team and I have worked closely together to achieve a significant industry milestone by delivering full-year profitability. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AIFT, our Co-founders, Alvin Kwock and Alex Leung, the Board of Directors, the Insurance Authority and all my colleagues for their unwavering support and trust throughout this journey. This appointment demonstrates that innovation in insurance is not limited by traditional boundaries, and that diverse backgrounds can bring valuable new perspectives to the industry. As a female leader, I also hope this appointment will encourage more women pursuing careers in fintech and insurtech. Looking ahead, I remain committed to building a technology-driven, customer-centric and highly efficient insurance experience with a human touch for the people of Hong Kong.”

Female representation among chief executive officers in Hong Kong remains relatively low. According to data from global executive search firm Egon Zehnder, women accounted for only 5% of CEOs in Hong Kong in 2022, compared with 8.6% in Mainland China and 6.3% globally. Although women now outnumber men in Hong Kong’s financial and insurance workforce, female representation within senior management remains around 20% or lower. As a female leader from a non-traditional insurance background, Emily’s appointment marks a significant milestone for leadership diversity within Hong Kong’s financial and insurtech sectors and serves as a valuable example for future industry talent development.

Alvin Kwock said, “Female CEO representation remains relatively low in Hong Kong. Emily’s promotion reflects the Board’s strong confidence in her leadership capabilities and management performance, while also demonstrating OneDegree’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Although Emily did not come from a traditional insurance background, she successfully led OneDegree to become Hong Kong’s first profitable virtual insurer through her cross-industry experience and innovative thinking. We firmly believe that diversity and gender equality are key drivers of innovation and long-term business growth. Emily’s strategic vision and leadership will guide OneDegree into its next chapter of growth in Hong Kong’s virtual insurance industry.”

Remark:

1. Based on figures prepared under the Risk-based Capital (RBC) regime of the Insurance Ordinance, as submitted to the Insurance Authority, and before ESOP expense.