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Sun Life's Rowena Chan and Patricia Callon named among Canada's 100 Top Most Powerful Women

TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is pleased to congratulate Rowena Chan, President, Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. & Senior Vice-President, Distribution and Patricia Callon (Trish), Senior Vice-President & General Counsel, on being named among Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by The Women's Executive Network (WXN). Rowena and Trish are winners in the Executive Leaders category, recognizing their vision, extraordinary accomplishments and championing of sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sun Life is pleased to congratulate Rowena Chan, President, Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. & Senior Vice-President, Distribution and Patricia Callon, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, on being named among Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by The Women's Executive Network. (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Inc.)

Rowena Chan, President, Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. & Senior Vice-President, Distribution

With over 2,500 advisors supporting nearly two million Canadians, Rowena leads one of the largest Distribution teams in the country. Rowena empowers advisors to deliver on Sun Life's Purpose of helping Canadians achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives through holistic and trusted advice. A champion of change, innovation and growth within Sun Life, Rowena is deeply dedicated to the development of top talent and determined to improve the dynamics of workplace equity for women and underrepresented minorities. In the time she has been with Sun Life, Rowena has achieved equal gender representation and increased the number of underrepresented minorities on her leadership team. Her Distribution salesforce is comprised of 36 per cent women - ahead of the industry norm.

"Rowena joined Sun Life in early 2019 with a mandate to modernize our advisor business and build out Sun Life's omni-channel distribution strategy with a central focus on the value of advice and holistic planning, powered by best in class digital enablement," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "Through this work, Rowena has differentiated Sun Life from competitors and has ensured we are providing service excellence to Canadians from coast to coast. She is a bold, dynamic and accountable leader. She is passionate about creating an inclusive environment, encouraging everyone to bring their authentic selves to work every day."

Trish Callon, Senior Vice-President & General Counsel, Sun Life Canada

As a leader and trailblazer, Trish challenges the status quo and encourages her colleagues to push boundaries and take bold actions. An expert in capital markets, she has dedicated her career to the legal profession, specializing in the financial services and insurance industries. Since re-joining Sun Life in 2014, she has built a high performing, Client-oriented team. Trish is committed to diversity, inclusion and cultivating an environment that supports growth and development. Her efforts resulted in significant changes to the diversity of her team, with 50 per cent of her leadership team comprised of women and over 40 per cent of lawyers hired from underrepresented groups. A champion of clear communication, she provides clarity of purpose, empowering individuals to be their very best, while continually mentoring, motivating and inspiring them along the way.

"Trish's commitment to helping others succeed is unique and demonstrates her tremendous leadership," said Melissa Kennedy Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer & Public Affairs, Sun Life. "She is passionate about mentoring people on her team and within our industry, while pushing them to reach their full potential. At Sun Life, Trish is far more than a General Counsel. She is a thought leader, trusted advisor and champion of agility and innovation."

Launched in 2003, Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award recognizes exceptional women leaders who contribute to advancing the societal and professional landscape for future generations. Since its inception, the WXN has celebrated over 1,000 women and their many accomplishments.

Learn more about Sun Life's commitment to sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate 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, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,186 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.