Manulife Asia has unveiled a significant leadership reshuffle, including the appointment of three new CEOs across the region, as part of its strategic transformation. The company also revealed that Phil Witherington will take on the role of President and CEO of Manulife starting May 9.
Kah Siang Khoo will transition from his current role as CEO of Manulife Singapore to CEO of Emerging Markets, overseeing Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Khoo, who joined Manulife in 2018, has driven double-digit growth in areas such as APE, NBV, and CE, while also strengthening the bancassurance partnership with DBS. He will continue to serve as CEO of Singapore until June 1, when he will hand over leadership to Benoit Meslet, the current CEO of Manulife Japan.
Meslet, who has been with Manulife since 2020, has successfully led four consecutive years of core earnings growth and doubled the New Business Value since 2022. His leadership has also been pivotal in driving the company’s digital transformation efforts.
Ryan Charland, currently the CEO of Manulife Indonesia, will take on the role of CEO of Manulife Japan on May 1. Charland, who has expanded Manulife Indonesia’s market share and launched a Syariah-compliant company for the Muslim population, will transition to Japan in April to work closely with Meslet ahead of the leadership change.
To succeed Charland, Lauren Sulistiawati will become CEO of Manulife Indonesia, effective February 24, pending regulatory approval. Sulistiawati, who joins from Commonwealth Bank, where she led the company’s transition to OCBC, brings extensive leadership experience from both Indonesian and multinational banks. She will report to Khoo and work alongside Charland during the transition period.
Adrienne O’Neill, currently serving as Global Controller and Group Chief Accounting Officer, has been appointed as the new Asia Chief Financial Officer. O’Neill, who has been with Manulife for over 17 years, including her role as Global Head of Investor Relations from 2018 to 2021, will report to Global CFO Colin Simpson and Manulife Asia CEO Phil Witherington.
As part of this leadership restructuring, Michael Thomssen, the current CFO of Asia, and Sachin Shah, Head of Emerging Markets, will be departing from Manulife.
Witherington’s new role as President and CEO of Manulife takes effect on May 9. Until a successor is named, Manulife Asia’s senior leadership team will report directly to him.
Related topics
