Head of Asia Strategy & Transformation

Manulife John Hancock; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife Financial Corporation in Hong Kong seeks a Head of Strategy and Transformation, Asia, to shape Asia's strategy and oversee priority transformation programs. The role reports to the Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Asia, and provides regional oversight aligning with Enterprise priorities.

The ideal candidate will lead cross-functional initiatives, drive planning, and ensure rigorous governance and performance across markets in Asia.

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic planning and transformation initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to size opportunities and define KPIs.
• Excellent stakeholder management and leadership in multi-country contexts.

Responsibilities

• Develop high impact strategies in partnership with business/functional leads to drive profitable growth.
• Spearhead Asia growth strategy and lead change initiatives with compelling business cases.
• Assess internal/external data to size growth opportunities and define success metrics.
• Drive annual strategic planning with Finance and prioritize initiatives.
• Align Asia priorities with Enterprise strategy and create a clear roadmap for initiatives.
• Monitor strategic/financial results of peers to benchmark progress and inform decisions.
• Provide strategic counsel to Asia CEO and Asia Marketing & Strategy Officer.
• Ensure governance and execution, monitor progress, and communicate results widely.

Job description

General Description

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Asia, Canada, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

Our Asia segment provides insurance products and insurance-based wealth accumulation products, driven by a customer-centric strategy, leveraging the asset management expertise and products managed by our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment. Present in many of Asia's largest and fastest growing economies, we are well positioned to capitalize on the attractive underlying demographics of the region, underpinned by a rigorous focus on creating value for our customers, employees and shareholders.

In 2025, our Asia segment contributed 38% of the Company's core earnings from operating segments and as of December 31 2025, accounted for 13% of the Company's assets under management and administration. Asia reported net income attributed to shareholders of C$2,972 million in 2025, compared with C$2,355 million in 2024.

The Asia Strategy and Transformation team sets the strategic direction and ambition of Manulife's Asia business and connects strategy to disciplined execution and value realization. This role is pivotal in shaping Asia segment strategy, leading the strategic planning process and scorecard management, and overseeing priority transformation programs. The role provides regional oversight of portfolio investment planning and prioritization, governance and performance of strategic initiatives, while ensuring alignment with Asia's strategic objectives and target performance outcomes.

The Head of Strategy and Transformation, Asia will be based in Hong Kong and report directly to the Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Asia. The role serves as a trusted adviser to the Asia Executive Team, bringing together country, functional and Enterprise stakeholders to shape strategy. Working closely with the Global Strategy and Transformation team and the Enterprise Strategic Portfolio Management Office, the role strengthens alignment between Asia and Enterprise priorities, governance and portfolio decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Develop high impact strategies in partnership with business/functional leads to drive profitable growth
• Spearhead the development of Asia's growth strategy and lead the organization's vision and business case for change in a way that inspires commitment in others. Inform strategy development through a rich understanding of external factors (i.e. tech, customer, industry, competitor trends) and internal capabilities of the company.
• Assess internal and external data to size growth opportunities to derive point of reference of where we are today, future aspirations and go-forward strategy, identifying key initiatives against the opportunities, prioritizing the initiatives and defining success metrics across the priorities and initiatives to measure financial and non- financial performance.
• Drive the annual strategic planning process with Finance and facilitate dialogue around prioritization of key strategic and transformational initiatives.
• Drive strategic alignment across functional and country priorities with Asia's strategic ambition and Enterprise strategy, establishing clear, prioritized roadmap for initiatives to accelerate, continue, resharpen or deprioritize.
• Actively monitor and share with leadership key strategic and financial results of global peers relative to Manulife Asia's own progress to ensure that the company is on track to achieve its ambition and to gain key insights into its strategic decisions.
• Act as strategic counsel to the Asia CEO and Asia Marketing and Strategy Officer on an ongoing basis.
• Ensure clear governance and seamless execution, closely monitor progress, and communicate results widely to create momentum for transformation
• Oversee strategic initiatives to meet financial and non-financial targets. Partner with key business and functional partners to monitor progress against strategy aspirations and work with the BUs to develop specific action plans to ensure progress remains on track.
• Execute our strategic plan to deliver financial and operational targets, generate momentum to exceed financial and non-financial aspirations. This includes defining ambitious individual and organizational goals that support Asia's and broader enterprise objectives and developing clearly defined KPIs to enhance engagement and ownership to drive execution and transformation.
• Drive the communication of the strategy throughout the organization and beyond in partnership with the Asia Marketing and Strategy Officer, Asia CEO and executive team. Communicate and maintain business alignment between regional executives direc