Sun Life Financial Inc. has hired long-time Toronto-Dominion bank wealth executive, Rowena Chan, as the insurer sharpens its focus on customer service.
Ms. Chan will become president of Sun Life Financial Distributors, a position that will oversee the company’s 4,000-adviser network. Ms. Chan will begin her role on March 14 and will report directly to Jacques Goulet, president of Sun Life Financial Canada.
Ms. Chan’s appointment comes at a time when large financial institutions are putting a stronger emphasis on boosting their wealth management segments.
Prior to Sun Life, Ms. Chan spent more than 30 years with TD Bank, where most recently she worked with approximately 1,000 financial planners as senior vice-president at TD Wealth Financial Planning, and was involved in growing the high-net-worth client division for the bank. During her time at TD, Ms. Chan also held executive roles with TD’s legal department and TD direct investing, the bank’s online discount brokerage.
On Tuesday, Sun Life also announced the creation of a new “client experience office,” led by Eric Monteiro, senior vice-president, chief client experience officer. The office will combine several departments, such as marketing, data analytics and client engagement, with an eye to improving customer service.
The enhanced focus on clients’ needs will also see the three main business lines within the individual insurance and wealth department run independently with Ms. Chan as senior vice-president of distribution, Rick Headrick continuing in his role as president of Sun Life Global Investments and senior vice-president of Investment Solutions, and Vineet Kochhar, who has been appointed senior vice-president of Insurance Solutions.
Former head of the insurance and wealth business, Léo Grépin, will be president of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Sun Life markets, and is moving to Hong Kong to oversee the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
A TD spokeswoman said the bank has not yet announced a replacement for Ms. Chan.
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Clare O’Hara