Manulife Financial Corp. has been named Life Insurance Company of the Year at the Asia Insurance Review Awards 2007.

In naming Manulife as winners at the award ceremony on November 5, the judges cited the company’s “continued commitment to professionalism, excellent customer service and innovation with first-to-market products.”

Manulife’s senior executive vp and general manager for Asia, Mr. Robert Cook, stated: “This award is testament to Manulife’s core values: our focus on professional standards, offering real value to our customers, ensuring we conduct our business to the highest standards of integrity, our demonstrated financial strength and our determination to be the employer of choice.”

Manulife now operates in10 countries and territories in Asia with a 25,000-strong agency force and an expanded distribution network of 50 distribution agreements with banks and securities dealers. It seves serving nearly 5 million customers in the region.

Also singled out for special mention by the judges was the launch of Manulife’s first-of-its-kind variable annuity product that offers guaranteed income for life. Launched this year in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, MSIP builds on Manulife’s existing variable annuity expertise in North America and Japan and is already revolutionizing how customers think about managing their retirement assets.

The Asia Insurance Review awards, now in their 11th year, are designed to recognize and salute excellence in the insurance industry.