Newsroom

April 25, 2025

Inspiring change, empowering people: Sun Life's Helena Pagano wins Report on Business Best Executive Award

Recognized for her advocacy of women's health in the workplace and fostering a thriving culture

Sun Life Logo (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Inc.)

TORONTO, April 25, 2025 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is pleased to congratulate Helena Pagano, Executive Vice-President, Chief People and Culture Officer at Sun Life on being recognized as a winner of the 2025 Globe and Mail's Report on Business Best Executive Award. This award recognizes non-CEO leaders who demonstrate exceptional leadership and continue to drive impact for their organizations.

"Congratulations to Helena on receiving this well-deserved recognition," said Kevin Strain, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sun Life. "Throughout her tenure at Sun Life, Helena has played a key role in enhancing our culture where people are inspired to deliver on our Purpose and feel truly supported, contributing to strong performance across our markets and leading to our highest talent retention rates in a decade. Her leadership and genuine passion for advancing women's health in the workplace have not only inspired change but are making a difference in the lives of our employees. Helena is a Purpose-driven, innovative leader who consistently strives to help our people thrive and grow."

Helena's leadership approach combines her passion for understanding people's needs with data-driven insights to develop effective people-first strategies. Helena's forward-thinking vision has driven positive change across Sun Life through the following initiatives:

An employer of choice for women
Under Helena's direction, Sun Life continues to foster a culture where women can grow in their careers. Sun Life's leadership as the first organization in Canada to sign onto the Menopause Foundation of Canada's Menopause Works Here Campaign has helped set a precedent for workplace inclusivity and was recognized in Catalyst's first ever 2025 Breakout Program Award. By hosting global employee sessions that elevate the conversation around women's health at work, including topics on menopause and fertility, Helena cultivates an environment that breaks down stigma and creates a safe space for open dialogue. Earlier this year, Sun Life was named in the Report on Business magazine's 2025 Women Lead Here list.

Empowering employees to thrive
Helena has been instrumental in elevating a thriving culture at Sun Life, driving high employee engagement and talent retention. In 2024, Sun Life achieved Great Place to Work® certifications across all participating markets. Recently, Sun Life was named Best Workplaces by Great Place to Work® in Canada and Ireland for 2025. Sun Life was also recognized on the Most Trusted Executive list by Great Place to Work® - for the third year in a row.

"I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Globe and Mail," said Helena Pagano, Executive Vice-President, Chief People and Culture Officer, Sun Life. "This achievement is a testament to the importance of putting people at the centre of everything we do and to the dedication and efforts of the broader HR team at Sun Life. When you put people first, use data to drive actions and cultivate a resilient, Purpose-driven culture, you're fostering an environment that enables higher innovation, improved engagement and better outcomes. It's a win for our people, our organization and our Clients." 

For more information about Helena Pagano's Best Executive Award win, visit the Globe and Mail.

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 December 31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.54 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

To contact Sun Life media relations, please email Media.Relations@sunlife.com

To contact Sun Life investor relations, please email Investor_Relations@sunlife.com

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.

About SLC Management

SLC Management is the brand name for the institutional asset management business of Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”) under which Sun Life Capital Management (U.S.) LLC in the United States, and Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. in Canada operate.

Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. is a Canadian registered portfolio manager, investment fund manager, exempt market dealer and in Ontario, a commodity trading manager. Sun Life Capital Management (U.S.) LLC is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and is also a Commodity Trading Advisor and Commodity Pool Operator registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under the Commodity Exchange Act and Members of the National Futures Association.

BentallGreenOak, InfraRed Capital Partners (InfraRed) and Crescent Capital Group (Crescent), and Advisors Asset Management are also part of SLC Management.

BentallGreenOak is a global real estate investment management advisor and a provider of real estate services. In the U.S., real estate mandates are offered by BentallGreenOak (U.S.) Limited Partnership, who is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, or Sun Life Institutional Distributors (U.S.) LLC, an SEC registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) . In Canada, real estate mandates are offered by BentallGreenOak (Canada) Limited Partnership, BGO Capital (Canada) Inc. or Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. BGO Capital (Canada) Inc. is a Canadian registered portfolio manager and exempt market dealer and is registered as an investment fund manager in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

InfraRed Capital Partners is an international investment manager focused on infrastructure. Operating worldwide, InfraRed manages equity capital in multiple private and listed funds, primarily for institutional investors across the globe. InfraRed Capital Partners Ltd. is authorized and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Crescent Capital Group is a global alternative credit investment asset manager registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Crescent provides private credit financing (including senior, unitranche and junior debt) to middle-market companies in the U.S. and Europe, and invests in high-yield bonds and broadly syndicated loans.

Securities will only be offered and sold in compliance with applicable securities laws.

AAM is an independent U.S. retail distribution firm that provides a range of solutions and products to financial advisors at wirehouses, registered investment advisors and independent broker-dealers.

Website content

The content of this website is intended for institutional investors only. It is not for retail use or distribution to individual investors. All investments involve risk including the possible loss of capital. All asset classes have associated risks. Certain asset classes are speculative, can include a high degree of risk and are suitable only for long-term investment. Further information available upon request. This website is for informational and educational purposes only. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

The information contained in this website is not intended to provide specific financial, tax, investment, insurance, legal or accounting advice and should not be relied upon and does not constitute a specific offer to buy and/or sell securities, insurance or investment services. Investors should consult with their professional advisors before acting upon any information contained on this website. The assets under management (AUM) represent the combined AUM of Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc., Sun Life Capital Management (U.S) LLC, BentallGreenOak, Crescent Capital Group, InfraRed Capital Partners, and Advisors Asset Management.

AUM as of June 30, 2025. Total firm AUM includes assets managed by the SLC Management group of companies on behalf of external clients, and the Sun Life General Account. AUM includes unfunded commitments, cash, equity, and other balances. Total firm AUM excludes assets under administration.

The methodologies used to compile the total AUM are subject to change and may not reflect regulatory AUM. More information is available upon request.

Currency conversion rate: USD $1.00 CAD $1.3607 as of June 30, 2025.

UK Tax Strategy - InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Limited

InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd is the UK holding company of InfraRed Partners LLP and a subsidiary of Sun Life (U.S.) Holdco 2020 Inc, which has its headquarters in the U.S. The company was incorporated to purchase InfraRed Partners LLP and acts solely as a passive holding company. The Tax Strategy for the InfraRed Holdco Group sets out our approach to the management of InfraRed Holdco Group UK tax affairs in supporting business activities in the UK. 

This UK tax strategy is published in accordance with the requirements set out in Schedule 19 of Finance Act 2016. The strategy, which has been approved by the Board of Directors of InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd, is effective for the period ending 31 December 2024. It applies to InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd and its dormant subsidiary Sun Life (UK) Designated Member Ltd, referred to as the “InfraRed Holdco Group”. InfraRed Holdco Group.