2010 News Releases

Awards go to leaders in Andover, MA, Allentown, PA, Buffalo, NY, and Dallas, TX

BOSTON  —John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN) recently announced the 2009 awards for leadership and client service excellence: the Leading with Excellence (LEX) award for its top independent firms and the Achieving Client Excellence (ACE) award for its leading financial representative. Those recognized were: 

·         Mark Marroni, JD, LLM, CLU, ChFC, Managing Partner of Boston Partners Financial Group, LLC, in Andover, MA,   was recognized with the Leading with Excellence - Trophy Award. The Trophy Award is the highest honor JHFN can bestow upon one of its independent firms. As the 2009 winner of the Trophy Award, the firm, its management team, and financial representatives have demonstrated that they consistently deliver a personalized, high touch approach to helping their clients achieve their financial goals as well the firm’s outstanding leadership in building and growing a successful financial services organization. The firm also won the Trophy Award in 2007, which shows its ongoing efforts to ensuring clients’ financial well-being. Boston Partners is a New England-based organization, with offices in Boston, Andover, and Gloucester, MA; Concord, NH; and Portland, ME.

·         Thomas Nikles, ChFC, Managing Partner of Keystone Financial Management, based in Allentown, PA, was recognized for the second year in a row with the Leading with Excellence - Growth Award for outstanding leadership in building and growing a successful financial services organization, maintaining a culture where financial representatives can best succeed, and demonstrating a strong commitment to providing clients with exceptional levels of service. Keystone Financial Management has offices in Allentown, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Media and Moosic, PA.

·         Brian O’Mara, Managing Partner, and Robert Burgio, Associate Managing Partner, Empire Financial Partners, based in Buffalo, NY, were recognized for the third consecutive year by JHFN with the Leading with Excellence - Brokerage Award. This Award recognizes outstanding leadership in building and growing a successful financial services organization, maintaining a culture where financial representatives and independent brokers who work with the firm can best succeed, and demonstrating a strong commitment to providing clients with exceptional levels of service. The firm has offices in Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Saratoga Springs, and Binghamton, NY, and in Erie, PA, and Bridgewater, NJ.

·         Daniel J. Prescott, was named the John Hancock Financial Network Financial Representative of the Year. An experienced financial services leader, Prescott is also co-founder of Prescott Pailet Benefits*, an independent firm that focuses on health and employee benefit solutions based in Dallas, which was also voted “One of the Best Places to Work” by the Dallas Business Journal. Prescott’s recognition, within JHFN as well as nationally through other awards, is a reflection of the high level of professionalism, respect, integrity, and real value that he and his firm deliver to clients every day.

“These are the leaders from our national network of independent firms and they truly exemplify client service excellence,” said Brian Heapps, Executive Vice President, Sales and Business Development for JHFN. “Especially during difficult economic times, these individuals and their firms have gone above and beyond to meet their clients’ needs.”

About John Hancock Financial Network

John Hancock Financial Network is a national network of independent firms with approximately 1,900 financial professionals across the U.S. A leader with the stability and scale to offer an innovative business model, John Hancock Financial Network gives entrepreneurial financial professionals the power to effectively build unique businesses, based on their own vision and market opportunity. For more information on John Hancock Financial Network and its national network of independent firms, visit www.jhnetwork.com.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States,

Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$440 billion (US$420 billion) at December 31, 2009.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

*Prescott Pailet Benefits, LP is independent of Manulife, John Hancock, and Signator Investors, Inc

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor, 197, Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116.

Media Contact:  
Melissa Berczuk
617-663-4750
mberczuk@jhancock.com