Sun Life's Kathy Cunningham named one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women

Honoured for driving growth and momentum across Sun Life Financial Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is pleased to congratulate Kathy Cunningham, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Sun Life Financial Canada, for being named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by The Women's Executive Network (WXN). The award recognizes Cunningham's leadership in accelerating the growth and momentum of Sun Life Financial's Canadian businesses, working with the Canadian Executive Team and leading the Canadian Finance and Actuarial team to respond to the rapidly changing environment, and her role in empowering and mentoring women.

"Kathy is a highly respected leader with in-depth experience in the financial sector," said Kevin Strain, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Sun Life Financial. "She adds tremendous value to Sun Life Financial Canada with her strategic thinking and leadership, ensuring our Clients remain front and centre in everything we do."

An experienced Chartered Professional Accountant and formerly a Partner with KPMG, Cunningham joined Sun Life Financial as Senior Vice-President and Chief Auditor in October 2014 and soon after became Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for Sun Life Financial Canada, after evolving the global audit function and delivering relevant insights to the business.

"Kathy's dedication to being an active advocate for our company, and a committed leader in the financial services industry, hasn't wavered since she joined us," said Kevin Dougherty, President, Sun Life Financial Canada. "Collaborating closely with our Canadian Executive Team, she has played a vital role in championing Sun Life Financial's Client-centric strategy. I'm proud to have Kathy on our Canadian leadership team and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition."

Aside from her professional accomplishments, Cunningham is an active community leader who is committed to mentoring women and raising awareness to support women and families in need. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Macaulay Child Development Centre in Toronto and was formerly the Co-Chair of the YWCA Women of Distinction Committee (Toronto) and Treasurer for Sheena's Place. Building on her passion for mentoring women, Cunningham was recently named the newest Executive Sponsor for EmpoweredXchanges, a Sun Life initiative enabling women across the organization to equally seize opportunities and realize their ambition. This program complements our continued support for diversity and inclusion across the organization.

Cunningham joins Melissa Kennedy, Sun Life's Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer & Public Affairs, who was recognized in the 2016 WXN Top 100 ranking and Patricia (Trish) Callon, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Sun Life Financial Canada, a 2013 WXN Top 100 recipient.

Launched in 2003, the Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award recognizes exceptional women leaders who contribute to advancing the societal and professional landscape for future generations. Since its inception, the WXN has celebrated over 1,000 women and their many accomplishments.  

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individuals and corporate Clients. Sun Life Financial 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, 2017, Sun Life Financial had total assets under management of $934 billion. 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 except as otherwise noted. 

Media Relations Contact: 
Sameen Butt
Senior Media Specialist
T. 416-979-4839
[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada