New York Life has appointed Zhen Zhao as Chief AI Officer, where he will oversee the company’s enterprise AI strategy, platform architecture, and execution. In his new role, he will drive the advancement of AI and data science solutions, including agentic AI and machine learning capabilities.

Zhao joins New York Life from Chubb, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Global Head of AI Platform. At Chubb, he led global teams focused on AI platform development, governance, machine learning, and large language model operations (LLMOps).

Earlier in his career, Zhao held leadership positions at Barclays and Comcast, spearheading AI engineering, enterprise data platforms, and machine learning initiatives. He began his professional career as a software engineer at the People’s Bank of China.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Zhao is an innovator and researcher holding multiple patents and serves as an adjunct associate professor at Temple University. He earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree in computer engineering from Drexel University, as well as a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Sun Yat-sen University.

“I’m excited to work alongside talented colleagues across the organization as we continue to explore how AI can enhance experiences, improve how we work, and create value for our clients, agents, advisors, and employees,” Zhao shared in a LinkedIn post.