Manulife Asia Announces Senior Leadership Team Changes

Changes Include Emerging Markets, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Finance

HONG KONG, February 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Asia has announced strategic changes to its senior leadership team across Emerging Markets, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore, and Finance.

"These changes showcase the depth and strength of our leadership across Asia and position us to continue delivering high-quality sustainable growth and be the number one choice for customers," said Phil Witherington, President and CEO of Manulife Asia. "We are well on track to achieve our goal of contributing half of Manulife's core earnings by 2027, and these leaders have consistently executed our strategy. Their leadership in these new roles will help define the next chapter for Manulife Asia."

• Dr. Kah Siang Khoo, CEO of Singapore, will be appointed as CEO of Emerging Markets, overseeing Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.  Since joining Manulife in 2018, Dr. Khoo has driven sustainable growth, achieving double-digit CAGR in APE, NBV, and CE, and establishing Singapore as a key player in Asia. He strengthened Manulife's market leadership with a notable bancassurance partnership with DBS. Under his guidance, the company introduced digital tools and new distribution models, enhancing operations and customer satisfaction. Dr. Khoo brings extensive financial services expertise and has served as past president of the Life Insurance Association of Singapore.  During the transition period, Dr. Khoo will continue to serve as the CEO of Singapore, until he hands over the role to Benoit Meslet on June 1. 
  
  
• Benoit Meslet, CEO of Japan, will become the CEO of Singapore, effective June 1, 2025, pending regulatory approval. Since joining Manulife in 2020, Benoit has led the business to achieve four consecutive years of core earnings growth, double New Business Value since 2022, and deliver a fast-paced digital transformation, resulting in record-high customer satisfaction and top-quartile employee engagement. With over 20 years of leadership experience in Asia's life insurance industry, he is well-prepared for this new role.
  
  
• Ryan Charland, CEO of Indonesia, will transition to CEO of Japan, effective May 1, 2025.  Mr. Charland will join Mr. Meslet in Japan in April to ensure a smooth transition. Under Mr. Charland's leadership since 2019, Manulife Indonesia has increased market share and achieved a leading Net Promoter Score. He recently launched Indonesia's new Syariah company to tap into the large and underpenetrated Muslim population. His expertise in product development, distribution, operations, finance, and risk management will drive continued growth in Manulife Japan.
  
  
• Lauren Sulistiawati is appointed CEO of Indonesia, starting February 24, 2025, pending regulatory approval. She will work closely with Mr. Charland to ensure a seamless transition, reporting to Dr. Khoo. Ms. Sulistiawati joins from Commonwealth Bank, where she successfully transitioned their operations to Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) while maintaining positive customer experiences. She has held leadership roles in various Indonesian and multinational banks, focusing on transformation, Syariah business growth, and regional insurance partnerships with FWD and AIA. 
  
  
• Adrienne O'Neill, Global Controller and Group Chief Accounting Officer, is appointed Asia Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Colin Simpson, Global Chief Financial Officer, and Phil Witherington. Ms. O'Neill has been with Manulife for over 17 years, and has held a variety of key Finance roles, most recently as Global Controller and Group Chief Accounting Officer. She also served as the Global Head of Investor Relations from 2018 - 2021.
  
  
• As part of these changes, Michael Thomssen, Chief Financial Officer, Asia and Sachin Shah, Head of Emerging Markets, will be leaving Manulife. We thank them both for their contributions to Manulife and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Phil Witherington is the incoming President and CEO of Manulife effective May 9, 2025. Members of the Manulife Asia Senior Leadership Team will report to Mr. Witherington until his successor is announced.

About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

Media Contact
Carl Wong
Head of External Communications, Asia
Manulife
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Manulife