Recognized as a leader reducing the gender
gap across the financial industry to meet Canadians' diverse
needs
TORONTO, Nov. 29,
2023 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF)
(NYSE: SLF) is pleased to congratulate Oricia Smith, President, SLGI Asset Management
Inc. and Senior Vice-President, Investment Solutions, Sun Life
Canada, on being named one of Wealth Professional's Top 50 Leading
Women in Wealth. This award recognizes exceptional women for their
outstanding professional achievements and meaningful contributions
to the Canadian financial industry.
"I am proud to congratulate Oricia on this important
recognition," said Jacques Goulet,
President, Sun Life Canada. "As the President of Sun Life Global
Investments, Oricia's passion for putting Clients' unique needs
first has pushed the business to expand their product shelf and
innovate to develop new, holistic solutions. This strategy is
powering Sun Life Global Investments in becoming one of the
fastest-growing retail and institutional managers in Canada."
Oricia has been at the forefront of Sun Life Global Investments'
Client-centric business model, delivering tailored and sustainable
retirement solutions and products. Behind her business strategy,
she is also dedicated to empowering the next generation of
women.
Holistic solutions to help
Canadians achieve lifetime financial security and live their most
meaningful lives
Leading both an asset management company and an insured wealth
product business, Oricia oversees investment outcomes totaling over
$54B of Clients' capital. She has
uniquely positioned Sun Life Global Investments to offer holistic
retirement and estate planning solutions at every stage of life and
her business boasts one of the strongest and most diverse lineups
of investment funds, individual segregated funds, and payout
annuities, catering to all investor profiles. A champion of
innovation, Oricia is also paving the way for new digital and
virtual experiences for advisors, focusing on the distinct needs of
investors, and considering top-of-mind issues like market
volatility, increasing geo-political risks, estate planning and
funding a thriving retirement lifestyle.
Taking action to create a diverse
and equitable industry for women in wealth
Oricia actively uses her platform to challenge the status quo,
helping to drive greater diversity and build a stronger, more
equitable industry, benefitting all Canadians. When it comes to
assets, women are the breadwinners in more than 40% of Canadian
households1. Currently, Canadian women control
$2.2 trillion of assets, and this
number is expected to almost double to $4
trillion by 20282. While women investors indicate
they are more comfortable taking investment advice from women
advisors, only 18% of financial advisors are women3.
Women as investors and as advisors have not been recognized for
their full potential, putting a spotlight on the importance of
reducing the gender gap across the wealth industry. To create this
impactful shift and drive change, Oricia has integrated diversity,
equity, and inclusion into Sun Life Global Investments' business
model, with many women leaders on the multi-asset solutions team
and in the field as Wealth Sales Directors. She is dedicated to
attracting and retaining more women in the wealth management
industry by investing in the next generation of advisors, providing
mentorship and training opportunities, and sponsoring and
participating in women and wealth-focused events.
Sustainability-driven
As responsible stewards of capital, Oricia is leading Sun Life
Global Investments to advocate for industry-wide change to keep the
planet healthy and economies strong. To demonstrate its
sustainability commitment, Sun Life Global Investments signed on to
the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative and the Institutional
Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), signifying its
commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. As a
manager of managers, Sun Life Global Investments also closely
monitors and engages with sub-advisors on their climate action
journey and offers sustainable investment solutions, such as the
Sun Life KBI Sustainable Infrastructure Private Pool.
"I am honoured to be featured among such passionate female
leaders across Canada," said
Smith. "This recognition is a testament to the impact our talented
team is having across the industry and the progress we are making
to build a more sustainable and equitable future for Clients,
advisors and our communities. I am proud to be leading a business
that has the power to affect society by helping people save for
their retirement, build their legacy, and achieve lifetime
financial security for generations to come."
About SLGI Asset Management
Inc.
SLGI Asset Management Inc. is a subsidiary of Sun Life Financial
Inc. It offers Canadians a diverse lineup of mutual funds and
innovative portfolio solutions, empowering them to pursue their
financial goals at every life stage. We bring together the strength
of one of Canada's most trusted
names in financial services, Sun Life, with some of the best asset
managers from around the world to deliver a truly global investment
platform. As of September 30, 2023,
SLGI Asset Management Inc. manages $34.3
billion on behalf of institutional and retail investors from
coast-to-coast and is a member of the Sun Life group of companies.
For more information visit
www.sunlifeglobalinvestments.com.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services
organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and
health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life
has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong
Kong, the Philippines,
Japan, Indonesia, India, China,
Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2023, Sun
Life had total assets under management of $1.34 trillion. For more information, please
visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New
York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the
ticker symbol SLF.
Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.
__________________________
1 Statistics Canada,
2015
|
2 Sun Life
Global Investments, Where are the women advisors? Why gender equity
builds stronger advisory teams, March 2023
|
3 Investor
Economics, ISS Market Intelligence, Women in Brokerage, July
2023
|
Media Relations Contact:
Laura
Torchia
Manager, Corporate Communications
T. 416-818-5613
laura.torchia@sunlife.com
SOURCE SLGI Asset Management Inc.