Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Manulife, we’re fostering a working environment where all our colleagues feel accepted, valued and included. We believe that strength lies in embracing our differences and that diversity plays a key role in driving innovation and growth within our company.

“We’re committed to creating environments where every individual feels comfortable being their true and authentic selves. This is a top priority. Increased diversity is not only the right thing to do, it will also contribute to the resilience of our franchise by boosting innovation and giving us an edge over our competition.”

–Roy Gori, President & CEO, Manulife

Driving strategic change

Our global diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspiration is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace, in which all colleagues are inspired to bring their authentic and whole selves to work, enabling them to thrive personally and professionally to best serve our customers, business partners and communities.

/ Diversity is all the different ways we are human. Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for us all, regardless of our differences. And, when we belong and thrive for all the ways that we are different, that is Inclusion. /

Leading by example – Investing $3.5 million over two years

At Manulife, diversity, equity and inclusion is not simply an initiative owned by HR, but a responsibility that is leader- driven. Our dedicated global DEI team, led by our Global Chief Diversity Officer, supports our business in achieving their DEI goals.

Leadership accountability for DEI is driven in the following ways:

A Global Executive DEI Council chaired by our CEO. D&I Council members meet as a group quarterly and act as champions for DEI on an ongoing basis
Local segment and function DEI Plans developed by each member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) which are reported and tracked by the CEO and DEI Council
DEI Accountability in all People Leader Performance Goals
Leadership and business accountability for diversity through leader DEI dashboards and ELT scorecard, which are reviewed quarterly by our CEO and ELT
Questions to provide insights on DEI in our annual colleague engagement survey

DEI Four Strategic Pillars:

Our Workforce

Diversity at all levels in the organisation that is reflective of the communities we serve

Our Workplace

Employees thrive because they belong and can bring their authentic selves to work

Our Business

Stronger business opportunities when we incorporate DEI in the development and delivery of products and services

Our Community

Strong partnerships and DEI support in the external communities in which we live, work, and serve

Manulife's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion disclosure
is included in our annual Sustainability Report.

Download Report

Manulife and John Hancock are investing more than $3.5 million over the next two years to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and the communities we serve. The goals of these focused investments are three-fold: to increase the representation of diverse talent at all levels in the organization; create greater inclusion across the company through enhanced training; and to support organizations helping racially and ethnically diverse communities/individuals.

This comprehensive program covers three areas of focus:

Building representation of racially and ethnically diverse professionals through graduate programs, focused leadership recruitment efforts and accelerated mid-career development.
Programs designed to educate and train all colleagues that go beyond our mandatory unconscious bias training. This will encompass regular listening forums to foster conversations that will enable building a greater understanding of inclusion and connection across our global team, allyship training and targeted training for all managers on leading inclusively.
Supporting communities through donations and volunteerism focused on financial education and career mentorship.

30%

female representation at VP+ level achieved by 2022

Global
Gender Target

30%

increase in racially and ethnically diverse talent at director+ level by 2025, against a 2020 baseline

North America
Racially and Ethnically Diverse Target

25%

racially and ethnically diverse representation in our annual new grad hiring, at minimum

North America
Racially and Ethnically Diverse New Grad Hire Target

Supplier Diversity

We support businesses owned by women, members of minorities, and persons who identify as LGBTQ, veterans, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples who are part of our efforts to reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.

We have encourage diverse suppliers to pursue opportunities with us:

In the United States: supplier diversity webpage

Global Executive DEI Council (GDEIC)

Meet the team

Our global DEI strategy is spearheaded by our Chief Diversity Officer, and our Global Executive DEI Council guides, supports, and facilitates its implementation. Chaired by our CEO, the Council is made up of executives, with global representation, who are passionate about moving our DEI agenda forward. They work closely with their executive leader to develop and implement annual DEI plans with specific targets set for their function.

Roy Gori

CEO, Toronto

Pam Kimmet

Chief Human Resources Officer, Toronto

Michelle Taylor-Jones

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Boston

Angela Ng

AVP & Senior Counsel
Legal

Calvin Chiu

Head of Asia Retirement
GWAM

Cynthia Innes

AVP Global Marketing Strategy
Marketing

Eileen Cloherty

VP Finance
Finance

Iris Ho

AVP Actuarial Projects/Cost Fit
Actuary

Lora Ricco

AVP & Regional Director
GA Investments

Gaurav Hans Saini

Head of Procurement
Global Operations

Mamta Sethi

VP Global Technology Strategy
Technology

Jeanine Kwong

Global Head of Investment Risk Oversight
Risk

Nina Desai

AVP National Account Management
Canada Segment

Sören Seitz

Deputy Global Compliance Chief, Hong Kong
Asia Segment

Tony Teta

US Head of Inforce Management
US Segment

Role of Global Executive DEI Council

Strategic Direction and Insight
DEI Accountability
Champions of DEI Internally
Champions of DEI Externally

Colleague Resource Groups

At Manulife, we recognize the great value that our resources groups add to our Company’s efforts to create a culture that recognizes diversity and embraces inclusion. They not only support local colleague engagement but are also proponents and champions of our larger diversity and inclusion initiatives, providing multiple opportunities for personal and professional development, while driving diversity of thought and advocating for change. Globally, Manulife has 13 ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) with 31 chapters and over 11,000 members.

Awards & Recognition

Our awards

We are proud of the accomplishments and recognitions received by our business segments, our employees and our company overall. Read on to see some of our recent achievements and honours.

2024 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Winner

Manulife has received the 2024 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA) for the second year in a row, which reinforces our commitment to our people. This award recognizes the most engaged workplace cultures in the world.

Manulife Named One of the World’s Best Employers 2023

For the fourth consecutive year in a row, Manulife was named one of the World’s Best Employers by Forbes. We also were recognized by Forbes as one of Canada’s Best Employers for the seventh consecutive year, and one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2023.

Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2023

Manulife was named by HR Asia as one of the “Best Companies to work for in Asia in 2023” across six of our Asian markets (mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines).

We’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers!

For the third year in a row, Mediacorp Canada Inc. has recognized Manulife as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This national competition determines who leads their industries in offering exceptional workplaces. Employers are evaluated using criteria that includes work atmosphere, benefits, development, performance management, communications, and community involvement.

Manulife Recognized as one of Canada's Best Employers for Diversity

Manulife has been named as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2023 by Forbes. This recognition reinforces our commitment to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment where all colleagues are inspired to bring their authentic and whole selves to work every day. Forbes selected Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity based on an independent survey from approximately 12,000 Canadian workers at companies with at least 500 employees. In addition to the survey, each company’s diversity-related best practices were analyzed and incorporated into the rankings.

Manulife Named to Canada’s Best 50 Corporate Citizens Ranking by Corporate Knights

Manulife has, for the third year in a row, been named a top corporate citizen in Canada by Corporate Knights. We are honoured to be recognized as one of Corporate Knights' leaders on sustainable investments and revenues, as we seek to deliver products and services that improve health outcomes and provide financial security for our stakeholders. This work aligns with our global Impact Agenda, through which we are making ambitious goals to build a better business to better the world.

Manulife – one of the World’s Best Insurance Companies

Manulife has been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Insurance Companies in 2023. This recognition reinforces our commitment to putting customers first and exceeding expectations through digitization and innovation. In partnership with Statista, Forbes developed its list based on survey responses obtained between mid-March and mid-April from more than 30,000 people in 15 different countries.

Gallup recognizes Manulife as an Exceptional Workplace

Gallup, the organization that conducts engagement surveys for some of the world’s largest global companies, has recognized Manulife as an exceptional workplace for 2023. This award is Gallup’s most distinguished global recognition celebrating companies that have a high performing team and culture.

Manulife recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers 2023

We’ve been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. for the sixth year running. Our global Diversity, Equity. and Inclusion (DEI) aspiration is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace, in which all colleagues are inspired to bring their authentic and whole selves to work, enabling them to thrive personally and professionally to best serve our customers, business partners, and communities.

Manulife included in Bloomberg’s 2023 Gender-Equality Index

Manulife has been named to Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year. The Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) tracks the performance of public companies committed to disclosing their efforts to support gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.

Manulife recognized as one of Canada’s Best Employers

Manulife has been named to the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for the seventh year running. This recognition reinforces our incredible winning team who help to make Manulife a great place to be, and who are committed to making a difference in people’s lives.

Manulife was selected as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People for 2023

Manulife has once again been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People by Mediacorp Canada Inc., continuing to make it a priority to recruit and develop young people. We recognize that young people cannot succeed simply based on their technical skills – they also need to learn soft skills. For this reason, each of our programs targeting young people is structured to encourage collaboration, communication skills, relationship building, presentation skills, problem solving and analysis, and leadership abilities.

Manulife named to 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Manulife has once again been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America and was one of only [seven] insurers across North America to be included in the index, recognizing the organization's continued and strengthening commitment to sustainability performance. Manulife was placed in the 89th percentile of its industry group with its score benefiting from sustainability progress including ongoing improvements to its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and disclosures.

Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures

Waterstone Human Capital has named Manulife as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ of 2021-2022. This national program annually recognizes best-in-class Canadian organizations for having cultures that have helped them enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. And we are now in Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ Hall of Fame.

We’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers!

We already know Manulife is a great place to work and so does Mediacorp Canada Inc. They’re the organization that puts out Canada’s Top 100 Employers list each year – and we’re on it for 2023! This national competition determines who leads their industries in offering exceptional workplaces. Employers are evaluated using criteria that includes work atmosphere, benefits, development, performance management, communications, and community involvement.

Manulife recognized as one of the World’s Best Employers

For the third year in a row, Forbes has recognized Manulife as one of the World’s Best Employers. Forbes developed its list based on a survey of 150,000 employees in 58 countries working full or part time. In partnership with Statista, Forbes collected direct recommendations from our employees and employees at other companies as well as indirect recommendations from workers across industries.

Manulife recognized by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resources Management (HKIMRM)

Manulife received three awards form HKIMRK: Merit Award for Talent Management; Excellent Award for Diversity and Inclusion; Grand Award of the Year. Overall, these awards recognise the excellence of a service provider in providing its client with a talent attraction strategy; supports diversity and inclusion initiatives; and is seen as the most outstanding example of best practice in action, inspiring Hong Kong HR practitioners with new ideas to help them excel in their profession.