Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE: MFC, TSX: MFC, SEHK: 945, PSE: MFC), is a Canadian insurance company and financial services provider. Manulife Financial's global head office is located in Toronto, Canada and the Company has operations in 21 countries and territories worldwide.
The Company operates in Canada and Asia through the brand name “Manulife Financial” and in the United States primarily through its
John HancockJohn Hancock Financial is a loose term for a United States insurance company which existed, in various forms, from its founding on April 21, 1862, until its acquisition in 2004 by the Canadian insurance company Manulife Financial. It was named in honor of John Hancock, a prominent patriot...
division.
Manulife Financial is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world as measured by market capitalization.
Manulife currently has approximately 24,000 employees world-wide.
History
The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company was founded in 1887. Its first president was the first
Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald. In 1897, Manulife Financial expanded its operations into
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, including
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In 1999, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s voting eligible policyholders approved demutualization. Later that year, the shares of Manulife Financial Corporation, the holding company of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, began trading on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) under the ticker 'MFC', and on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) under the ticker ‘945’.
In 2002, Manulife–Sinochem Life Insurance Co. Ltd. was granted approval by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) to officially open its branch office in Guangzhou, China. This was the first branch license granted by CIRC to a foreign invested joint–venture life insurance company. Later in 2003, Manulife-Sinochem received approval to open a branch office in Beijing. This was Manulife-Sinochem’s second branch license and the first multiple-branch license granted to a foreign-invested joint venture life insurance company. Manulife-Sinochem is now licensed to operate in more than 40 cities across China.
In 2003, Manulife Financial Corporation and John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. and (including its Canadian subsidiary
Maritime LifeThe Maritime Life Assurance Company was a Canadian insurance company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was founded in 1922 and in 2004 it became fully integrated with Manulife Financial, with the Maritime Life brand being retired. In 2004 it had 2700 employees....
) announced that their Boards of Directors had each unanimously agreed to a tax–free stock–for–stock merger of the companies creating a leading global insurance franchise. Completed in April 2004, the merger created the largest life insurer in Canada, second largest in North America, and fifth largest in the world at the time.
In 2008, Gail Cook-Bennett became the Chair of Manulife Financial’s Board of Directors.
In 2009, Donald Guloien, the Chief Investment Officer, succeeded Dominic D’Alessandro as President and CEO of Manulife Financial. Shortly before his departure, facing a shareholder revolt as the firm posted a quarterly loss for the first time in its public history, D'Alessandro modified his retirement package; the restricted units would only vest for a total of $10 million if the shares reached $36 by the end of 2011, and he would receive $5 million if the shares hit $30. However, the first initiatives under Guloien's leadership were a dividend cut and an equity offering to bolster Manulife's capital levels, making it difficult for the share price to reach the target levels needed to vest.
In September 2009, Manulife Financial Corporation closed a transaction to purchase AIC’s Canadian retail investment fund business. In October 2009, Manulife Financial announced that it had purchased Pottruff & Smith Travel Insurance Brokers Inc., a leading broker and third party administrator of travel insurance across Canada.
In 2010, Manulife Financial announced that it had closed the transaction to purchase Fortis Bank SA/NV’s1 49 per cent ownership in ABN AMRO TEDA Fund Management Co. Ltd. The new joint venture, Manulife TEDA Fund Management Company Ltd. (Manulife TEDA), provides traditional retail and institutional asset management for clients across the Chinese market. Manulife TEDA is 51 per cent owned by Northern International Trust, part of Tianjin TEDA Investment Holding Co., Ltd. (TEDA).
Corporate governance
The members of the Board of Directors of Manulife Financial Corporation are: Gail C.A. Cook-Bennett (Chair), Donald A. Guloien, Linda B. Bammann, Joseph Caron, John M. Cassaday,Thomas P. d’Aquino, Richard B. DeWolfe, Robert E. Dineen, Jr., Pierre Y. Ducros, Scott M. Hand, Robert J. Harding, Luther S. Helms, Thomas E. Kierans, Donald Lindsay, Lorna R. Marsden, John R.V. Palmer, Hugh W. Sloan, Jr., Gordon G. Thiessen and Andrea Rosen.
Sponsorship and naming
Manulife Financial was worldwide sponsor for
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. The sponsorship was acquired along with John Hancock Financial Services.
Manulife is the namesake tenant in the
tallest building in Edmonton, Alberta,
Manulife PlaceManulife Place is a highrise office building and shopping centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was completed in 1983 to the design by Clifford Lawrie Bolton Ritchie Architects. It is located at the corner of 102 Avenue and 101 Street....
.
External links