This position will shape and deliver a bold vision for communications supporting Manulife Wealth and Asset Management globally. Manulife Wealth & Asset Management is the global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services segment of Manulife Financial Corporation, serving over 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide.

This position will report to the Global Chief Communications Officer and the President and CEO of Manulife Wealth and Asset Management and will be a senior member of both the Global Communications and Manulife Wealth and Asset Management leadership teams.

This role will be responsible for the following portfolio of work across Manulife Wealth and Asset Management: media relations, CEO communications, colleague communications, colleague events, thought leadership, executive visibility, and reputation management. This role will lead a team of direct reports dedicated to Manulife Wealth and Asset Management while also convening teams across our Global Communications organization to integrate and scale our delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Shape and deliver a strategic communications vision internally and externally that articulates a clear and compelling point of view aligned with the Manulife Wealth and Asset Management strategy globally. Build out a dedicated CEO Platform, a fulsome Thought Leadership and Executive Visibility strategy leveraging expert voices across the business, and sustained and integrated communications support across our retirement, retail, and institutional channels. Align this strategy with Global Communications functional priorities and ways of working.

• Be a strategic advisor on communications and reputation for the Manulife Wealth and Asset Management’s CEO and leadership team. Bring timely, relevant, and actionable perspectives pertinent to promoting and defending our reputation within the global wealth and asset management industry to the CEO and leadership team. 

• Lead reputation management efforts for Manulife Wealth and Asset Management, working closely with Marketing, Risk, and Government Relations/Legal counterparts to define, elevate, and act upon reputation risk and opportunity.

• Develop, strengthen, and manage strategic relationships with top-tier media, industry analysts, and influencers. Leverage relationships to secure strategic media opportunities that advance Manulife Wealth and Asset Management’s business objectives. Represent Manulife Wealth and Asset Management as a primary external spokesperson. To support these efforts, manage relevant agency and internal team members’ priorities globally.

• Lead communications for various change management projects such as transformation, crisis management, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions.

• Lead colleague communications and engagement, ensuring our global team understands and believes in the business strategy and direction of the organization. Working together with Global Practice Areas in Global Communications, build creative content across all relevant internal channels to help tell our story.

• In partnership with Strategy and Finance, support the communications needs of the CEO for quarterly earnings, board presentations, and presentations or events with other audiences as needed. 

• Ensure timely delivery of the communications team’s commitments and report clearly to stakeholders on progress made against the communications strategy, highlighting necessary pivots and investments appropriately.

• Lead, engage, and inspire a dedicated team of professional communications across Canada, the US, the UK, and Asia, clearly setting priorities and managing execution against strategy.

Pivotal Experience and Expertise:

• Significant Wealth and Asset Management Industry Experience: The candidate should have an expert-level understanding of business and political dynamics across the global wealth and asset management industry, with specific experience in retail, retirement, and institutional channels.

• External Communications Expertise: The candidate will bring significant external communications expertise (at least 10 years of specific experience with media relations, issues management, and thought leadership, and a substantial track record with media).

• Communications Leadership: Deep experience cultivating, developing, and leading a multi-faceted communications function with solid knowledge and exposure to highly regulated or financial services businesses.

• Executive Communication/Stakeholder Management: Experience communicating with and gaining buy-in from a broad range of stakeholders and experience collaborating and working closely with stakeholders to achieve business goals.

• Global mindset: Experience in senior leadership working within a global organization. Experience leading both direct and indirect/matrixed teams that are culturally and geographically diverse.

Leadership Capabilities

• Drive for Results – Ability to drive execution, continuously improve the core, and reallocate resources at pace.

• Shape Strategy – Ability to anticipate & interpret market changes, envision the future, and decide strategic priorities.

• Inspire & Influence – Ability to co-create meaning and purpose, engage and energize the organization, and lead through influence.

• Build Talent & Teams – Ability to develop talent, build and develop teams, and strengthen organizational capability.

• Disrupt & Challenge – Ability to create possibilities from new thinking, generate disruptive change, and lead change.

• Leads Innovation – Ability to experiment, collaborate across boundaries, and scale and invest in new ideas.

• Customer Focus – Ability to understand and shape customer needs, create distinctive value for customers, and build deep customer relationships.

Agility and Potential

• Foresight – Ability to Simplify Complex Problems, Develop Creative Solutions, and Thinking Dexterity.

• Learning – Demonstrate a high level of Self-awareness. Curious, open-minded, and courageous.

• Adaptability – Demonstrate a high level of authenticity and empathy. Able to flex and transform.

• Resilience – Has an ownership mindset. Able to persist and sustain energy in the face of challenges. Act with purpose and integrity.

Culture Impact

• Own it - We feel empowered to make decisions and take action to deliver our mission.

• Think big - Anything is possible. We can always find a better way.

• Share your humanity - We build a supportive, diverse, thriving workplace.

• Get it done together - We’re surrounded by an amazing team. Do it better by working together

• Obsess about customers - We predict their needs and do everything in our power to satisfy them.

• Do the right thing - We act with integrity and do what we say.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].

Toronto, OntarioHybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$171,200.00 CAD - $317,700.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.