The Vice President, MGS Head of GWAM Operations, is the senior GWAM Operations leader in the Philippines, with enterprise accountability for MGS service delivery supporting Global Retirement, Wealth, and Investment Operations. Working in close partnership with peers as GWAM business leaders and Operations Global Business Heads across Retirement, Wealth, and Institutional businesses, the role sets direction and holds decision authority for strategy execution, operational performance, transformation, risk and controls, financial stewardship, operational resilience, and the talent agenda across GWAM Operations teams within MGS and strategic partner locations. Success in this role is highly dependent on the ability to shape decisions, influence, align, and hold partners accountable across the operations global senior leadership team, recognizing that business priorities, strategic direction, and outcomes are delivered through a shared global operating model.
As a core member of the SVP, Global GWAM Operations leadership team, this leader is an influential peer and enterprise contributor who jointly shapes and determines global Operations strategy, priorities, investment choices, talent decisions, and shared outcomes. The role partners with GWAM business, functional, Technology, and Operations leaders globally to set direction and translate business priorities into scalable service delivery strategies, evolve the target operating model and global operations footprint, and deliver sustainable business, client, employee, and financial outcomes. As the primary GWAM Operations leadership presence within MGS, the incumbent strengthens integration between GWAM and MGS, resolves competing priorities, establishes clear accountability, and builds a high-performing, engaged, and future-ready organization capable of delivering operational excellence through continued change.
Responsibilities
- Set strategic direction and hold enterprise accountability for MGS service delivery supporting Global Retirement, Wealth, and Investment Operations across MGS and designated strategic partner locations.
- Determine and execute the multi-year strategy and target operating model, aligning service delivery, location strategy, capabilities, technology, data, risk, and talent with GWAM priorities.
- Serve as a core member of both the MGS and Global GWAM Operations leadership teams and as an influential peer in jointly determining global Operations strategy, priorities, investment choices, talent decisions, and shared outcomes.
- Hold decision authority and end-to-end accountability for stable, accurate, timely, scalable, and resilient service delivery across the portfolio.
- Establish integrated performance management connecting client outcomes, service levels, productivity, quality, risk, employee experience, and financial performance.
- Set annual business plans and goals and approve capacity plans, portfolio priorities, service agreements, and performance measures.
- Own the transformation agenda, including strategic reviews, investment cases, portfolio prioritization and sequencing decisions, governance, benefits realization, adoption, transitions, and migrations.
- Jointly set priorities with GWAM and Technology leaders to modernize operations through automation, artificial intelligence, data, workflow redesign, and platform simplification, with appropriate controls and human oversight.
- Own the operational risk and control environment, ensuring risks, incidents, audit findings, regulatory commitments, and remediation actions are managed to sustainable closure.
- Set operational resilience expectations and authorize response, recovery, and escalation decisions to protect critical services and minimize disruption.
- Own and approve resource allocation across the annual budget, forecast, workforce plan, investment portfolio, productivity commitments, and value creation plans for MGS GWAM Operations.
- Lead through senior leaders, strengthen succession and critical capability depth, and foster an inclusive, high-performing, accountable culture.
- Act as the primary GWAM Operations leadership presence within MGS, strengthen integration between GWAM and MGS, and make decisions within delegated authority and provide final recommendations on performance, risk, investment, talent, and transformation.
- Drive collaboration, standardization, innovation, and continuous improvement across business units, service delivery towers, functions, and locations.
Accountabilities
- Set and own the MGS GWAM Operations strategy, target operating model, and global operations footprint, ensuring alignment with GWAM business priorities, enterprise objectives, strategic partner delivery, and future capability needs.
- Own end-to-end service delivery, performance, client outcomes, operational resilience, and continuous improvement across Global Retirement, Wealth, and Investment Operations teams delivered through MGS and strategic partner locations.
- Set priorities and approve sequencing for the transformation portfolio, including modernization, automation, data, process redesign, transitions, investment governance, benefits realization, and adoption.
- Own the portfolio risk and control environment, ensuring effective incident oversight, regulatory and audit commitment closure, control effectiveness, and business continuity.
- Own financial and commercial decisions across budget, forecast, workforce, capacity, productivity, investment prioritization, and multi-year value creation.
- Build strategic partnerships and executive governance across GWAM, MGS, Technology, and enterprise functions, enabling shared decisions, clear decision ownership, transparent reporting, timely escalation, and effective issue resolution.
- Lead, coach, and develop senior leaders and employees, strengthening accountability, engagement, succession, inclusion, and critical talent pipelines.
Key Shared Accountabilities
- Deliver shared GWAM business, client, employee, financial, service, and transformation outcomes in partnership with global business, functional, Technology, Operations, MGS, and strategic partner leaders.
- Achieve agreed productivity, savings, capacity, financial, and value-creation commitments while maintaining service quality and effective controls.
- Strengthen operational resilience, regulatory compliance, risk management, cybersecurity alignment, and sustainable remediation across the operating environment.
- Modernize GWAM Operations through technology, data, automation, artificial intelligence, workflow redesign, and platform simplification with Technology and business partners.
- Build a future-ready talent and leadership pipeline through coordinated workforce planning, capability development, internal mobility, and succession management.
- Strengthen integration between GWAM and MGS and drive enterprise collaboration, standardization, shared learning, and scalable operating practices across functions, locations, and strategic partners.
- Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, constructive challenge, client focus, and continuous improvement.
Job Requirements / Competencies
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, Technology, or a related discipline; an advanced degree is preferred.
- 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in investment, fund, securities, wealth management, retirement operations, or a comparable global financial services environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading a large, complex, multi-function global service delivery organization through senior leaders across multiple geographies, time zones, and strategic partner locations.
- Executive-level business acumen with strong understanding of operating models, financial management, transformation, risk, controls, and customer outcomes.
- Proven success shaping and executing multi-year strategies, major transformation programs, operating model changes, and large-scale transitions.
- Deep knowledge of investment products, the trade lifecycle, operational controls, and relevant service delivery practices is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to operate as an influential enterprise peer, shape global priorities and talent decisions, and align executive stakeholders across a complex matrix.
- Experience owning significant budgets, workforce plans, productivity commitments, and investment business cases.
- Strong record of building high-performing leadership teams, strengthening succession, and developing diverse talent pipelines.
- Excellent judgment and communication, with the ability to simplify complexity, present clear recommendations, and lead confidently through ambiguity.
- Sound understanding of program governance, change leadership, operational resilience, and risk management practices.
Decision Authorities and Key Stakeholders
Holds direct decision authority for strategy execution, target operating model, portfolio prioritization, service performance, resource allocation, workforce and capacity planning, financial management, transformation governance, operational risk, controls, resilience, and execution for GWAM Operations delivered through MGS and strategic partner locations, within delegated mandates. As a core member of the SVP, Global GWAM Operations leadership team, jointly shapes and influences enterprise decisions on global Operations strategy, investment choices, global operations footprint, location and sourcing strategy, technology and data priorities, talent decisions, material service changes, business cases, leadership appointments, and enterprise operating decisions. Where authority is shared or sits outside the role's mandate, the Vice President develops the recommended course of action, articulates trade-offs, and escalates for timely executive decision. Key stakeholders include GWAM business, functional, Technology, and Operations leaders; MGS and GBS leadership; strategic partners; Finance; Risk; Compliance; Human Resources; and other enterprise functions.
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 hr@manulife.com.
Hybrid