Manulife Appoints Mike Coyne General Counsel

Rhea-AI Summary

Manulife (NYSE:MFC) has appointed Mike Coyne as its new General Counsel, effective September 1, 2025. Coyne, who will join Manulife's Executive Leadership Team and report to President and CEO Phil Witherington, brings extensive experience from his recent role at the Bank Policy Institute and previous positions at MUFG and JPMorgan Chase.

Coyne's appointment comes as current General Counsel Jim Gallagher retires. The new General Counsel brings significant expertise in leading legal teams, managing complexity, and leveraging technology, along with a strong background in global financial services leadership.

Positive

• Appointment of experienced legal executive with global financial services background
• Addition of strategic leadership expertise in technology and transformation
• Strengthening of executive team with focus on inclusive culture and talent development

Negative

• None.

TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife announced the appointment of Mike Coyne as General Counsel, effective September 1, 2025. He will join Manulife's Executive Leadership Team and will report to Phil Witherington, Manulife's President and CEO.

Mr. Coyne most recently served as Senior Fellow and Litigation Strategy Advisor at the Bank Policy Institute (BPI), a leading non-partisan advocacy and policy think tank for the world's largest banking organizations. Prior to BPI, Mr. Coyne served as General Counsel and Senior Legal Officer for the Americas for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). He was also an Executive Officer of Tokyo-headquartered MUFG and its commercial bank subsidiary, MUFG Bank Ltd.  Prior to MUFG, Mike spent over 20 years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., ultimately rising to Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Global Co-Head of Litigation.

"Mike brings demonstrated ability to lead high-performing legal teams, navigate complexity, leverage transformative technology to optimize ways of working, and advise boards and executive leadership with strategic clarity and sound judgment," said Mr. Witherington. "His global perspective and passion for building an inclusive culture, as well as sponsoring, developing, and coaching colleagues, will be invaluable as we write Manulife's next chapter."

Mr. Coyne is a graduate of Boston College Law School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He succeeds Jim Gallagher, who is retiring from Manulife this month.  

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping our customers make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice and insurance for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2024, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 109,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 36 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

Media Contact:

Gina Simonis
(617) 840-4794
gsimonis@manulife.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manulife-appoints-mike-coyne-general-counsel-302535071.html

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

FAQ

Who is Mike Coyne, Manulife's new General Counsel?

Mike Coyne is an experienced legal executive who previously served as Senior Fellow at the Bank Policy Institute and General Counsel for MUFG Americas. He also spent over 20 years at JPMorgan Chase, rising to Senior VP and Global Co-Head of Litigation.

When will Mike Coyne start as Manulife's General Counsel?

Mike Coyne will begin his role as Manulife's General Counsel on September 1, 2025.

Who will Mike Coyne report to at Manulife (MFC)?

Mike Coyne will report to Phil Witherington, Manulife's President and CEO, and will join the company's Executive Leadership Team.

What is Mike Coyne's educational background?

Mike Coyne is a graduate of Boston College Law School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Who is Mike Coyne replacing as Manulife's General Counsel?

Mike Coyne is succeeding Jim Gallagher, who is retiring from Manulife in August 2025.