Manulife appoints Patrick Graham as CEO for Hong Kong and Macau to take business to new heights

HONG KONG, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Hong Kong today announced the appointment of Patrick Graham as Chief Executive Officer of Manulife (International) Limited, overseeing Manulife's business across Hong Kong and Macau. Mr. Graham will become a member of Manulife's Asia Division Executive Committee and Global Leadership Team, reporting directly to Damien Green, President and CEO, Manulife Asia.

Mr. Graham will assume his new role on January 1, 2023, subject to regulatory approval. An insurance leader with a track record of delivering results at scale, both regionally and in multiple geographies across Asia, he will bring to Manulife Hong Kong and Macau more than 25 years of leadership experience in the insurance and financial services industry.  

"As the longest continuously operating life insurer in the city, Hong Kong has always been Manulife's most important market in Asia with huge contributions to the Group over the past 125 years. The appointment of Mr. Graham really highlights our commitment to Hong Kong and our ambitions in this region," Mr. Green said. "With his outstanding leadership calibre and track record of delivering excellent results, Mr. Graham will lead our Manulife Hong Kong and Macau team to take our business to new heights and serve the health, protection, retirement and financial needs of the one in every three Hongkongers who are our customers. I am excited that he is joining our winning team."

Mr. Graham joins Manulife from Cigna, where he covered eight markets including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea and Singapore in various senior leadership positions over the last decade with his most recent role as CEO, Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Cigna, Mr. Graham spent 14 years at GE Capital, which was then the financial services arm of General Electric. For the past three years, he has also been Director and Treasurer of the US ASEAN Business Council.

Following the new appointment, Mr. Pankaj Banerjee, who since late May has held dual roles as interim CEO for Manulife (International) Limited and Chief Distribution Officer for Manulife Asia, will revert full time as Chief Distribution Officer, Manulife Asia, in January 2023.

"Thanks to Pankaj's stewardship of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau's business which demonstrated further resilience in the past few months. His contribution to growing our business from strength to strength is immense. I look forward to having him back to his regional role to drive the expansion of our multi distribution channels across Asia," said Mr. Green.

Manulife Hong Kong and Macau is supported by about 2,000 employees and more than 11,500 agents. It is the largest Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF) provider in Hong Kong with market share of 26.7% based on assets under management as at June 30, 2022^[1]. Manulife remains the top player amongst major pan-Asian insurers in terms of new business total premiums and investment-linked assurance scheme sales, as of the first half of 2022^[2].

About Manulife Hong Kong

Manulife Hong Kong has been a trusted name for 125 years. Since our operations started in Hong Kong in 1897, we have grown to become one of the top-tier providers of financial services, offering a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to over 2.4 million customers in Hong Kong and Macau. We are committed to helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers.

Manulife Hong Kong, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited.

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 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

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