Manulife has appointed Stephanie Fadous as chief actuary, effective May 9, 2025.
Fadous will succeed Steve Finch, who was recently named president and CEO of Manulife Asia. She will join the executive leadership team and report to Phil Witherington, the company’s incoming president and CEO.
Witherington will succeed Roy Gori in these roles upon the latter’s retirement on May 8.
Witherington, who has been with the company since 2017, has led Manulife’s Asian operations and has previously served as chief financial officer. Meanwhile, Gori will continue in an advisory capacity until August 31, 2025, to assist with the transition.
Currently, Fadous holds the position of global treasurer and head of capital management at Manulife, where she oversees global funding strategies and manages relationships with rating agencies and financial institutions. She also previously led the implementation of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 accounting standards and has held roles in global finance, group actuarial, corporate development and asset liability management.
“Stephanie’s deep understanding of our company, commitment to leading with our values and focus on continuous growth will serve her well as Chief Actuary,” said Roy Gori, president and CEO of Manulife.
“I look forward to welcoming Stephanie to our Executive Leadership Team. Her ability to drive results and focus on outcomes will further strengthen our global team,” said Witherington.
Following Fadous’ appointment, Hung Ko will transition to the expanded role of global head of treasury and investor relations. Ko, who currently serves as global head of investor relations, brings over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry.
In February, the company reported positive financial results for 2024. It announced core earnings of C$7.2 billion, up 8% from a year earlier. This surge was propelled by robust growth in Asia and global wealth and asset management (WAM) sectors, with Asia alone seeing a 27% increase in core earnings.
Manulife also announced the appointment of Nancy Carroll, a former partner at McCarthy Tetrault LLP, and John Montalbano, former CEO of RBC Global Asset Management, to its board of directors, effective Feb. 28.
The two new directors are expected to contribute their experiences in supporting the company’s effective oversight of its strategies and operations, Manulife said.
