Director, Corporate Strategy

Posted:
6/3/2026, 5:00:00 PM

Location(s):
Toronto, Ontario, Canada ⋅ Ontario, Canada

Experience Level(s):
Expert or higher ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
Business & Strategy

About the Team:

At Manulife, the Corporate Strategy team sits at the center of the organization, partnering directly with the Board, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team to shape and advance the company’s long-term vision.

We operate across business lines, functions, and geographies to define enterprise priorities, enable strategic alignment, and drive sustainable growth. Our work spans enterprise strategy development, strategic planning, portfolio optimization, and high-impact initiatives that inform critical executive decisions in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

The Opportunity:

As a Director, Corporate Strategy, you will play a pivotal role in shaping Manulife’s enterprise-wide strategy and advancing our most critical strategic priorities.

This is a high-visibility role with exposure to senior leadership, where you will help define the firm’s long-term direction, structure strategic conversations, and translate corporate ambitions into clear, actionable initiatives.

You will also lead the annual enterprise strategic planning process—ensuring alignment across corporate, segment, and functional strategies.

This role is ideal for a strategy leader who has experience contributing to or shaping enterprise-wide strategy models in complex, global organizations or top-tier consulting environments.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategy Formation & Strategic Initiatives

  • Partner with senior executives to identify enterprise and segment-level growth opportunities

  • Act as a trusted strategic advisor, leading the design and execution of high-impact initiatives across the organization

  • Conduct and synthesize market, competitor, and industry analysis to inform strategic direction and benchmarking

  • Develop executive-level insights, perspectives, and thought leadership to influence corporate priorities

  • Support the evolution of Manulife’s enterprise strategy framework and long-term strategic roadmap

Annual Strategic Planning

  • Lead the annual strategic planning process in collaboration with the Board and Executive Leadership Team

  • Structure and facilitate strategic dialogues to define corporate and segment-level priorities

  • Design and lead executive strategy offsites and working sessions

  • Partner closely with business segments and functions (e.g., Segment Strategy, Finance, Investor Relations, FP&A) to ensure alignment and integration of strategies

  • Serve as a central connector across the organization—ensuring enterprise-wide consistency, transparency, and alignment on strategy execution

Leadership Capabilities

  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to anticipate market trends and translate insights into long-term strategic direction

  • Influence & Collaboration: Proven ability to build credibility and influence at the executive level

  • Executive Communication: Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and board-level communication skills

  • Execution Excellence: Ability to translate strategy into tangible outcomes and measurable impact

  • Change Leadership: Comfortable leading through ambiguity and driving alignment during transformation

  • Talent Development: Strong commitment to coaching, development, and building high-performing teams

Required Qualifications:

  • 8+ years of experience in corporate strategy, business strategy, or management consulting

  • Experience within financial services and/or a top-tier consulting firm strongly preferred

  • Demonstrated exposure to enterprise-wide strategy models—including contributing to or shaping strategy at a corporate level across multiple business units, geographies, or functions

  • Strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and driving measurable outcomes in complex, matrixed environments

Education:

  • University degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field

  • MBA or equivalent graduate degree from a top-tier institution strongly preferred

Why Join Manulife:

  • Shape enterprise strategy at a global financial services leader

  • Work with senior leadership on high-impact, visible initiatives

  • Be empowered to grow your career in a dynamic and inclusive environment

  • Join a purpose-driven organization focused on long-term value creation for customers, stakeholders, and communities

#LI-Hybrid

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

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].

Referenced Salary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$145,130.00 CAD - $195,130.00 CAD

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our personal information collection statement.