VP, Controller, Asia

General Description:

The VP, Controller, Asia will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations and reporting for Asia Division. This role involves ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, managing financial risks, and providing strategic financial insights to support business growth.

This role has responsibility and accountability for leadership, management and development of the Controllers area and collaborate effectively with local business unit Controllers, Regional Finance teams and Corporate Finance teams.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in financial management within the insurance industry, demonstrating a strong understanding of regional market dynamics and regulatory environments. This role requires exceptional leadership skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex financial landscapes to achieve organizational objectives.

As part of the Asia Finance Leadership Team, the incumbent also has an accountability to provide complete transparency into the financial performance of the business and to promptly escalate issues and concerns.

Position Responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Take responsibility for the recruitment, development and motivation of the team to achieve the current and future business objectives
• Contribute to the leadership and strategic direction of the function locally, regionally, and globally

Financial Reporting: 

• Establish a framework for external reporting that allows all necessary information to be provided on an accurate and timely basis in a highly efficient manner. 
• Ensure that a Management Information System is in place to provide relevant internal management reporting that is of extremely high quality, with accurate and timely service and that serves as the principal tool for strategic management decision-making.  The reporting should provide key financial information, and advice to all areas of the operations.

Performance Measurement: 

• Support business managers to better understand and manage their operations by developing performance measures that enable the effectiveness and efficiency of the business at an operational level to be continuously improved.  This will require an understanding of the business dynamics of all aspects of the operations.

Financial and Operational Controls:

• Interpret, develop, modify, implement and monitor policies, processes and standards to ensure compliance with Group and Divisional practices, professional accounting practices and external requirements within the jurisdictions in which business is conducted.
• Continuously improve the quality of internal controls to minimize the business exposure to all forms of operational, financial and compliance risks.
• Manage internal and external audits related to financial reporting and monitor compliance with process and controls across the business unit.

Accounting Systems:

• Analyze and evaluate the development and implementation of financial systems to support the needs of the business unit, in relation to system development methodologies and sound business controls.
• Monitor and control changes to the general ledger, administration interfaces, unit valuation systems and investment reporting applications to ensure the integrity and robustness of the financial information provided by each system.
• Direct and coordinate fully auditable reviews of key business functions and processes to continuously maintain a sound control environment ensuring no material audit issues arise.

Individual Accountabilities:

• Owner of Asia finance group reporting including financial results, management reporting, and annual incentive plan framework and metrics
• Provide leadership to finance function in Asia, ensuring that the function is robust including talent development and succession planning
• Integrity of all external group level financial information and related disclosure
• Integrity of accounting processes, procedures and controls
• Implementation of global accounting policies
• Owner of relationship with external auditors covering Asia legal entities
• Support Asia growth initiatives

Key Shared Accountabilities:

• Earnings analysis, goodwill assessments
• External disclosures
• Talent development
• Building finance community
• Annual incentive plan framework and metrics

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated financial leadership in a large financial multinational company and demonstrated track record of leading and developing staff
• Over 10 years of relevant finance experience with a life insurance company
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills
• Ability to work with multiple audiences (Management, Group, Asia Regional, business areas) involving complex financial issues
• Deep IFRS accounting and reporting experience
• Good track record of actively improving processes

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our global team, we’ll 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 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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Working Arrangement