Manulife Financial, one of Canada’s most international financial services company, is headquartered in Toronto.  With a market capitalization of $33.9 billion, the company provides a wide range of insurance, wealth and asset management products and services in 22 countries and territories worldwide.

Originally founded as a life-insurance company in Canada, Manulife steadily evolved into an international, diversified financial services firm. The company expanded operations in Bermuda and Hong Kong in the 1890s, for instance, and later expanded to the United States and the Philippines.  Manulife added investment and banking services to its portfolio in the 1940s and 1990s respectively.

In 1999, Manulife Financial became a public company with its shared trading on stock exchanges in Toronto, New York, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The transition ushered in an era of remarkable growth: in its first decade as a public company, Manulife Financial’s market capitalization, premiums and deposits and funds under management quadrupled, while the number of its employees and agents doubled. In 2004, Manulife continued to grow its business and merged with John Hancock Financial Services Inc. in the U.S. 

Founded in 1887, the company’s first president was also Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. Manulife Financial employs approximately 10,000 people in Canada and maintains offices across the country. The company’s prominent presence in Canada—home to one of the world’s most stable economies and rigorous financial regimes—continues to play a large role in Manulife’s success.

Manulife Financial [www.manulife.com] is another great example of Canadian leadership and excellence the global business world counts on.

Additional Facts

• Based on market capitalization, Manulife is the biggest life insurer in North America and among the top five in the world.
• In 2009, Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries managed funds worth approximately $437 billion.
• In the United States, Manulife Financial operates as John Hancock.
• Manulife has a long history of responsible leadership and is a significant investor in communities where it is present.  For 2010, along with its partners, the company has set a goal to contribute 75,000 volunteer hours.  In 2008, Manulife donated $26 million to non-profit organizations world-wide.