Toronto-based Manulife Financial Corp. announced on Wednesday that Linda Mantia will join the company as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO), effective Oct. 3.
Mantia will be a member of the firm’s executive committee and the global leadership team, and she will lead approximately 7,100 people around the world.
Mantia will provide leadership to many of Manulife’s essential group functions, ranging from strategy creation to execution, on a global basis. She will play a critical role in defining corporate strategy, policies, standards, and processes, and will also oversee Manulife’s innovation portfolio.
“Linda is a collaborative, innovative and transformative leader, with deep roots in digital disruption and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences,” says Donald Guloien, president and CEO, Manulife, in a statement. “The proven track record of success she has built throughout her career is not only directly relevant to the COO role, but also aligns closely to our customer-centric strategy.”
Paul Rooney, who currently serves as COO, has made the decision to leave the company. He has agreed to stay until the end of December and work with Mantia to ensure a smooth transition.
Rooney joined the company in 1986 and held a wide variety of increasingly senior positions, which developed him into one of Manulife’s top leaders. He was instrumental in a number of recent strategic transactions undertaken by Manulife, including the Standard Life and New York Life Retirement Plan Services acquisitions.
Most recently, Mantia served as executive vice president of digital, payments and cards at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). She was responsible for RBC’s credit card business, as well as the bank’s mobile and online banking platforms.
Before joining RBC, she worked at global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., and prior to that, she practiced corporate securities law at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP.
Manita holds a law degree from Queen’s Law School in Kingston, Ont.
Copyright: Bloomberg