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Mark SylviaPresident and Chief Executive Officer Mark Sylvia joined Empire Life as President and Chief Executive Officer in June 2014. He is also Chair of the Board of Directors for Empire Life Investments. Mark has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, many in a leadership role where he has successfully grown companies by focusing on service, simplicity and strategic partnerships. |
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Edward Gibson, FSA, FCIASenior Vice-President, Capital Management and Chief Actuary Edward joined Empire Life in February 1988 in the Individual Insurance division, and then progressed into senior roles in Group Solutions, Corporate Actuarial and Corporate Finance. In 2008, he became Senior Vice-President and Chief Actuary, and in 2018 was appointed Senior Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Actuary. |
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Kathy Thompson, BA, FSA, FCIASenior Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer Kathy was appointed Senior Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer in September 2018 to oversee the company's enterprise-wide risk management program and practices. She joined Empire Life in 1989 as an actuarial analyst, and after completing her Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries in 2001 and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries in 2002, joined our group division. |
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Richard CartyGeneral Counsel and Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Richard Carty is the General Counsel and Senior Vice-President, Human Resources of Empire Life and is Vice-President and General Counsel of its parent company, E-L Financial Corporation Limited. Prior to joining Empire Life in 2007, Richard practiced corporate and commercial law. He is currently a director of Algoma Central Corporation, a public shipping company. Richard has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Law from the University of Victoria, and a Masters of Business Administration from Imperial College London. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1992. |
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Steve Pong, BAScSenior Vice-President, Retail Steve Pong provides overall leadership and strategic direction for our Retail division, including marketing, distribution, product development and service operations. He joined Empire Life in 1997 as Director, Process Design and Improvement, and then became Director, National Marketing. He was appointed Vice-President, Individual Marketing and Service in 2001. |
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Michael PerrySenior Vice-President, Group Solutions Michael joined Empire Life in August, 2016 as Vice-President, Group Marketing and was appointed Senior Vice-President, Group Solutions in 2019. He is responsible for marketing, distribution, product development and operations for our employee benefits division. Prior to joining Empire Life, Michael spent 20 years in the Canadian banking industry in senior marketing, product development and business effectiveness roles. |
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Rebecca Rycroft, FSA, FCIASenior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Rebecca joined Empire Life in 2021 as Senior Vice-President, Corporate Finance, responsible for leading our Finance team. Previously, Rebecca was the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President of a major Canadian reinsurer, and prior to that, worked in the actuarial consulting division of a leading management consulting firm. |
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Chris VolkSenior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer Chris joined Empire Life in 2011 to lead our Web Centre of Excellence. In 2017, he became Vice-President, IT Digital Strategy and Innovation and was appointed Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer in 2021. Chris is responsible for the digital and data technology strategy for the company and acts as champion and change agent for our digital vision for the enterprise, overseeing technology initiatives and transformation projects. |
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Mark Rogers, CASenior Vice-President, Corporate Development As Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development, Mark Rogers is responsible for strategic development, oversight and management of our subsidiary investments as well as facilitating our corporate strategic planning initiatives and process. Mark joined Empire Life in 2016 as Vice-President, Finance for our Retail division, bringing deep experience in banking and insurance gained through progressively senior roles in the financial services industry. |
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Paul Holba, CFASenior Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer As Senior Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer, Paul Holba is responsible for leading the investment team providing management for segregated and mutual funds and works closely with distribution partners. Paul joined Empire Life’s retail distribution division in 2009 before moving into the Vice-President, Investments role with Empire Life Investments Inc. For the past seven years, he has held the position of Vice-President, Retail Distribution. |