General Counsel, Asia

The Opportunity 

From emerging risks and new products to legal developments impacting insurers and insurance products, general counsels in Asia have been tasked with increasingly complex leadership mandates in recent years. 

Given these new opportunities and challenges, Manulife is seeking a strong General Counsel Asia to lead the Legal, Compliance and Corporate Governance teams across the region’s 11 (soon 12) markets, as well as the Global High Net Worth business. This is an attractive opportunity to be part of a fast evolving and growth-oriented organization. 

The Asia GC will be reporting to the General Counsel for Global Insurance and partner closely with the President of the Asia Segment, Steve Finch. S/he will be part of the Asia Division Executive Committee (ADEC) and will play a pivotal role in advising the business on driving growth across the firm’s franchise and advancing its digital and customer-centric efforts.

The Asia GC will oversee a total team size of approx. 55-60 team members, through 3 regional lawyers, 11 local General Counsel (of which 2 have matric reports), and 2 key matrix reports in Compliance and Regulatory Affairs. 

This role will be based in Hong Kong (preferred location) or Singapore. 

Key Responsibilities

In terms of key responsibilities, this position will encompass but not be limited to the following:

•    Strategic Functional Leadership – the Asia GC will head Manulife’s regional Legal, Compliance, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Affairs teams; as such, s/he will have experience within a corporate setting, leading a similarly-complex multi-market function in Asia, in service of commercial objectives 
•    Corporate Legal – including Regulatory Legal, Commercial Contracts, Employment Legal, M&A, Transactions, Governance and Company Secretariat 
•    Commercial Legal – Insurance Legal, including insurance transactions (e.g. distribution arrangements), and regional developments in insurance laws and regulations 
•    Ethics and Compliance – Operationalize and maintain the firm’s Ethics, Compliance, Anti-Bribery & Corruption framework 
•    Global Insights – Demonstrated understanding of the interplay of business, legal and geopolitical issues impacting Manulife’s business in Asia (including US-China political trends)
•    Regulatory Affairs – Good understanding of the public policy landscape; this GC will play an important role in developing Manulife’s regional narrative by delivering timely and relevant communications, ensuring a “no-surprise” culture
•    Team leadership and performance-oriented culture – Lead the function by setting individual objectives, reviewing performance / appraisals and providing on-going feedback on a formal & informal basis so that all staff are aware of what they are required to achieve and how they are performing against their objectives; role model inclusive leadership behaviours that demonstrate commitment to Manulife’s values.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will possess substantial experience in legal leadership roles in a comparably complex financial institution; experience in compliance and / or corporate and regulatory affairs is advantageous, but not a must-have. 
Asia on-the-ground experience is preferred, and international experience gained in another jurisdiction (e.g. US) is a plus. 

S/he will play an advisory role to senior stakeholders and balance risk mitigation with commercial goals of the business in mind. This candidate should be at ease building relationships and influence in a global business environment, across multiple jurisdiction and cultures. This person must be a self-starter with excellent communication skills, have a thoughtful, calm and deliberative approach and an ability to develop trusted advisor relationships at all levels within Manulife. To be successful in this role, s/he has to effectively make judgements in ambiguity and apply navigate different shades of grey versus having a “black & white” mentality.  

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

Technical & Functional Elements 

Setting Strategy & Executing for Results
•    Track record of business partnering and influencing at Senior Management level (Group and Regional)
•    Proven ability to develop a comprehensive vision for the function and then execute to deliver results, driving positive change.
•    Strong grasp of the legal and compliance issues impacting Manulife, including the ability to identify emerging issues and opportunities and to formulate appropriate solutions. 
•    Flexible, agile, and a hands-on approach, coupled with an interest in working on a variety of legal matters to guide the leadership on the legal implications of the business strategy.

Leading Teams
•    The ability to lead and develop top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
•    The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
•    A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback.
•    Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and motivate individuals – including those who are not in their reporting structure – charged with advancing goals related to complicated public policy issues.  

Relationships and Influence
•    Preferably significant experience living in the region coupled with a global perspective and high EQ 
•    Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively
•    Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole. 
•    Skilled at relating to multiple internal stakeholders / audiences and bringing them along the journey when architecting legal solutions.

Driving Sustainability
•    Firmly believes that both sustainability and profit are in the organization’s best long-term interest.
•    Integrates economic, societal, and environmental factors into a purpose-driven strategy, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.
•    Understands and incorporates viewpoints from all key stakeholders to drive decision making and share the benefits.

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].