John Hancock Financial Network Launches "Practice of the Year" Recognition Program for Its Top Financial Professionals and Advisors

Program Honors Excellence in Several Key Areas of Practice Management and Client Service

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Jun 06, 2011, 10:00 ET

BOSTON, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN) today launched Practice of the Year, a new program for its top financial professionals and advisors to recognize excellence in practice management.

Conducted in partnership with the international management consulting firm Business Health, Practice of the Year will evaluate how JHFN's top financial professionals and advisors manage their practices in several key categories including: client management, internal planning and structure, external relations, staffing and technology capabilities, and overall practice performance.

"Our national network is made up of so many types of financial services practices, we wanted to develop a program that truly recognized the business as a whole, no matter what focus, or size of revenues," said Peter Gordon, president of JHFN. "JHFN is focused on enabling our professionals to be entrepreneurial and build their own businesses in their own way and as such, we developed Practice of the Year to recognize the most well-run practice across our network and celebrate what that individual has done to achieve his or her own, unique vision of success."

In order to be considered, JHFN's financial professionals and advisors register and complete Business Health's HealthCheck, a web-based business assessment tool that benchmarks a practice in several areas. Among all HealthChecks received, 10 semi-finalists will be selected to receive a site visit from Business Health in the fall. Business Health and a panel of JHFN and outside experts will then narrow the field to one winner and four finalists, to be announced in January 2012.

The winner receives funds to reinvest in the practice for future growth, and all finalists will be able to use Practice of the Year branding on their websites and marketing materials.

"For years, JHFN has worked to become a network of successful financial services practices, centered on providing exceptional client service," said Brian Heapps, CLU, ChFC, executive vice president of JHFN Sales and Business Development. "We're also always working to provide tools and programs to help our financial professionals and advisors build lasting, enduring practices and we want to recognize those who've excelled."

About Business Health

Business Health is an international consulting firm specializing in the financial services industry. Business Health has developed and marketed a suite of unique and exclusive business diagnostic tools which are supported by a range of specialized consultancy services.

About John Hancock Financial Network

John Hancock Financial Network is a national network of independent firms with approximately 1,900 financial professionals across the U.S. A leader with the stability and scale to offer an innovative business model, John Hancock Financial Network gives entrepreneurial financial professionals the power to effectively build unique businesses, based on their own vision and market opportunity. For more information on John Hancock Financial Network and its national network of independent firms, visit https://www.johnhancockfinancialnetwork.com.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were $478 billion (US$492 billion) as at March 31, 2011. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

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