Manulife announced yesterday that it has appointed Linda Mantia as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Her appointment comes into effect Oct. 3, 2016.

Outgoing COO Paul Rooney has agreed to stay until the end of December to work with Mantia and ensure a smooth transition.

As senior vice president and COO, Mantia will be a member of Manulife’s Executive Committee and the global leadership team. Under her leadership are approximately 7,100 from around the world, in countries where Manulife operates.

Previously, Mantia served as Executive Vice President of Digital, Payments and Cards at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Prior to her role in RBC, she had worked for global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, where she practiced corporate securities law. She holds a law degree from Queen's Law School.

“Ms. Mantia will provide leadership to many of Manulife's essential group functions, ranging from strategy creation to execution, on a global basis, ensuring they deliver strong and consistent value, expertise and thought leadership to Manulife's and John Hancock's businesses around the world,” a press release said.

"Linda is a collaborative, innovative and transformative leader, with deep roots in digital disruption and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences," remarked Manulife president and CEO Donald A. Guloien. "The proven track record of success she has built throughout her career is not only directly relevant to the COO role, but also aligns closely to our customer-centric strategy."

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