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Sun Life Global Investments' Oricia Smith named one of Wealth Professional's Top 50 Leading Women in Wealth

T.SLF | November 29, 2023

Recognized as a leader reducing the gender gap across the financial industry to meet Canadians' diverse needs

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2023 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is pleased to congratulate Oricia Smith, President, SLGI Asset Management Inc. and Senior Vice-President, Investment Solutions, Sun Life Canada, on being named one of Wealth Professional's Top 50 Leading Women in Wealth. This award recognizes exceptional women for their outstanding professional achievements and meaningful contributions to the Canadian financial industry.

"I am proud to congratulate Oricia on this important recognition," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "As the President of Sun Life Global Investments, Oricia's passion for putting Clients' unique needs first has pushed the business to expand their product shelf and innovate to develop new, holistic solutions. This strategy is powering Sun Life Global Investments in becoming one of the fastest-growing retail and institutional managers in Canada."

Oricia has been at the forefront of Sun Life Global Investments' Client-centric business model, delivering tailored and sustainable retirement solutions and products. Behind her business strategy, she is also dedicated to empowering the next generation of women.

Holistic solutions to help Canadians achieve lifetime financial security and live their most meaningful lives

Leading both an asset management company and an insured wealth product business, Oricia oversees investment outcomes totaling over $54B of Clients' capital. She has uniquely positioned Sun Life Global Investments to offer holistic retirement and estate planning solutions at every stage of life and her business boasts one of the strongest and most diverse lineups of investment funds, individual segregated funds, and payout annuities, catering to all investor profiles. A champion of innovation, Oricia is also paving the way for new digital and virtual experiences for advisors, focusing on the distinct needs of investors, and considering top-of-mind issues like market volatility, increasing geo-political risks, estate planning and funding a thriving retirement lifestyle.

Taking action to create a diverse and equitable industry for women in wealth

Oricia actively uses her platform to challenge the status quo, helping to drive greater diversity and build a stronger, more equitable industry, benefitting all Canadians. When it comes to assets, women are the breadwinners in more than 40% of Canadian households1. Currently, Canadian women control $2.2 trillion of assets, and this number is expected to almost double to $4 trillion by 20282. While women investors indicate they are more comfortable taking investment advice from women advisors, only 18% of financial advisors are women3. Women as investors and as advisors have not been recognized for their full potential, putting a spotlight on the importance of reducing the gender gap across the wealth industry. To create this impactful shift and drive change, Oricia has integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion into Sun Life Global Investments' business model, with many women leaders on the multi-asset solutions team and in the field as Wealth Sales Directors. She is dedicated to attracting and retaining more women in the wealth management industry by investing in the next generation of advisors, providing mentorship and training opportunities, and sponsoring and participating in women and wealth-focused events.

Sustainability-driven

As responsible stewards of capital, Oricia is leading Sun Life Global Investments to advocate for industry-wide change to keep the planet healthy and economies strong. To demonstrate its sustainability commitment, Sun Life Global Investments signed on to the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative and the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), signifying its commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. As a manager of managers, Sun Life Global Investments also closely monitors and engages with sub-advisors on their climate action journey and offers sustainable investment solutions, such as the Sun Life KBI Sustainable Infrastructure Private Pool.

"I am honoured to be featured among such passionate female leaders across Canada," said Smith. "This recognition is a testament to the impact our talented team is having across the industry and the progress we are making to build a more sustainable and equitable future for Clients, advisors and our communities. I am proud to be leading a business that has the power to affect society by helping people save for their retirement, build their legacy, and achieve lifetime financial security for generations to come."

About SLGI Asset Management Inc.

SLGI Asset Management Inc. is a subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. It offers Canadians a diverse lineup of mutual funds and innovative portfolio solutions, empowering them to pursue their financial goals at every life stage. We bring together the strength of one of Canada's most trusted names in financial services, Sun Life, with some of the best asset managers from around the world to deliver a truly global investment platform. As of September 30, 2023, SLGI Asset Management Inc. manages $34.3 billion on behalf of institutional and retail investors from coast-to-coast and is a member of the Sun Life group of companies. For more information visit www.sunlifeglobalinvestments.com.

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 September 30, 2023, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.34 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.