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 regions 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 firms 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 Manulifes 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 firms Ethics Compliance Anti-Bribery & Corruption framework
Global Insights Demonstrated understanding of the interplay of business legal and geopolitical issues impacting Manulifes 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 Manulifes 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 Manulifes 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 organizations 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 organizations 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:

• Well empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

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

• As part of our global team well 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 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 .