Manulife has appointed Steve Finch as President and CEO of Manulife Asia, effective 9 May. He will succeed Phil Witherington, who will take over as Manulife’s global President and CEO on the same date.
Finch has been with Manulife for 32 years and joined the Executive Leadership team in 2016. Currently serving as Chief Actuary, he brings extensive experience in reinsurance, product development, and marketing. He previously held roles as Chief Financial Executive at John Hancock, Manulife’s US business, and also led its US Life Insurance division.
“Finch has contributed significantly to Manulife’s transformation and financial performance, including through several historic transactions that validated the prudence of the company’s reserves, and supporting the transition to IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 accounting standards,” the insurer said in its announcement, adding that he is a “proven leader across both functional and commercial areas of Manulife’s business.”
Witherington commented on the appointment, saying, “Steve is a proven leader who has developed our actuarial talent globally into one of the best teams in the industry.”
He added that Finch’s leadership will aid in driving “high-quality, sustainable growth” in the region to help achieve the ambition of Asia, contributing over 50% of Manulife’s core earnings.
