Canada’s biggest insurer Manulife Financial has promoted its chief actuary Steve Finch to head its Asian business, picking a company veteran to take charge of a region that is projected to become the group’s single most profitable market.
Finch will bring more than three decades of industry experience to his new role as president and Asia CEO when he takes over from Phil Witherington on May 9 in Hong Kong, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Witherington will return to Toronto to replace Roy Gori as global CEO, according to a November announcement.
“I am incredibly excited about this opportunity to lead the Asia segment,” Finch said in a phone interview with the Post. “The growth opportunities here are tremendous, given the status of Hong Kong as a regional financial services hub.”
Finch marked his third decade at Manulife in 2022. Before his current role as chief actuary, he served as the chief financial officer of Manulife’s US unit, John Hancock. He started visiting Asia in 2016, making about five trips annually.
“My wife and I are really excited about making the move here,” said Finch, who has been in Hong Kong since January. “We came to love Hong Kong very quickly. We were finding some of the good restaurants around the city, and we are really excited about making the move here permanently.”
