Manulife Launches Global Longevity Institute Committing $350M by 2030 to Accelerate Progress on Lifelong Health and Financial Resilience
Global research, advocacy and community investment platform created to advance innovation that will reimagine aging and lifelong well-being
Initial actions include new research with Milken Institute, Longevity Symposiums across global markets, and more
November 12, 2025
Toronto - Today, Manulife announced the launch of the Longevity Institute,a global platform that will seek to drive action to help people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives. Backed by a $350 million commitment, the Longevity Institute will work to champion research, innovation, and partnerships that will help people thrive at every age.
As a global leader in life insurance, asset management, and retirement planning, Manulife is deeply invested in the health and well-being of its customers. However, the gap between how long people live (lifespan) and their quality of life (healthspan) is widening — with many spending up to 20% of their lives in poor health, and nearly 40% facing financial insecurity as they agei. The Longevity Institute aims to close this gap by reimagining how people live, work, learn, and contribute throughout their lives.
“Empowering health, wealth, and longevity is central to Manulife’s bold new ambition. It aligns with our values and our commitment to the communities we operate in, and we are uniquely placed to help individuals and families navigate the growing gap between lifespan and healthspan,” said Phil Witherington, President and CEO of Manulife. “For generations now, Manulife has supported customers at every stage of life, and we see a powerful opportunity to scale our expertise and help even more people live longer, healthier, better lives. Through the Longevity Institute, we will partner with organizations that share our purpose, unlock new insights, drive innovation, and create a future where everyone can thrive—at any age.”
The Longevity Institute will focus on igniting global research and thought leadership to better understand how people can flourish as they live longer; accelerating innovation and advocacy through initiatives that promote health, wellness, and financial readiness; and investing in community partnerships that advance knowledge, promote equity, and drive action around longevity.
Initiatives
Manulife has a long history of driving impact through programs, products, services, and community investments dating back to 1888, when Manulife gifted an ambulance to the City of Toronto—its first act of public service to help people live longer, healthier lives.
To mark the launch of the Institute and build on our long history of impact, Manulife is pleased to share new and ongoing initiatives that reflect our commitment to advancing longevity through meaningful action:
Partnering with the National Institute of Ageing: Manulife is supporting the National Institute on Ageing’s annual Ageing in Canada Survey, conducted in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University. This important research explores the lived experiences of Canadians aged 50+ to inform policies that promote healthy ageing.
Partnering with the Milken Institute: Manulife has supported the Milken Institute to advance thought leadership and research on some of the most critical issues shaping longevity and the future of health. Feeding Change's work and recent policy brief highlight opportunities for strengthening resilient fruit and vegetable production and integrating food into health interventions. TheFuture of Aging initiative and new report, Longevity Ready: A Systems Approach to Aging Well at Home, elevates solutions enabling current and future generations to prepare for longer, healthier lives in their homes and communities.
Longevity Symposiums: The Manulife and John Hancock Longevity Symposiums began in Boston two years ago and are now expanding globally. Recently, Manulife Singapore and Manulife Philippines hosted inaugural events in Asia, bringing together healthcare experts, industry leaders, financial consultants, customers, and partners—to explore how people can live not just longer, but better. John Hancock will host its third Longer. Healthier. Better. Longevity Symposium in the U.S. in April 2026.
The launch of the Longevity Institute quickly follows John Hancock’s inaugural Longevity Preparedness Index — developed with MIT AgeLab, which measures how ready U.S. adults are to thrive as they age. This index will expand to cover Canada in future years and provides insights that support the need for continued longevity advancements and innovations.
Outcomes
The Longevity Institute will build upon Manulife’s existing efforts to help more than 36 million customers improve their health and wealth. This work aims to drive the following outcomes:
Health: Help people make everyday choices that support their physical, mental, and emotional well-being—through better nutrition, early detection, movement, and mental health support that fits into real life.
Wealth: Empower people to feel confident about their financial future, with tools, education, and support that help them weather life’s ups and downs and build lasting financial security.
A comprehensive list of the Institute’s work and partnerships to date can be found inthis fact sheet. The Institute will be known as the John Hancock Longevity Institute in the United States. For more information on the Longevity Institute, and to stay up to date on the Institute’s actions, insights, and events through 2030, visit Manulife.com/Longevity.
Quotes
“As Canada’s largest insurer, Manulife is proud to help one in four Canadians live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives. With people living longer than ever, we have a responsibility – and opportunity – to ensure those extra years are lived well. The Longevity Institute is a bold step forward, driving innovation that helps Canadians stay strong in health and secure in wealth, at every stage of life.”
Naveed Irshad, President & CEO, Manulife Canada
“We firmly believe that as a life insurer, we are in a unique position to play a critical role in helping our customers not just increase their lifespan but improve their healthspan. And that goes beyond the solutions we offer to our customers to providing all Americans with education and resources—like our recent Longevity Preparedness Index—that can empower them to take small everyday steps toward longer, healthier, better lives. We’re excited to see our longstanding commitment to longevity at John Hancock scaled globally through the Longevity Institute.”
Brooks Tingle, President & CEO, John Hancock
“With the demographic shifts in Asia, where one in four people will be over the age of 60 by 2050, it's crucial to rethink traditional approaches to financial planning, health care, and workforce participation. At Manulife, we are committed to driving innovation that promotes long-term financial resilience, equitable healthy aging, and lifelong fulfillment. By supporting early-stage innovations and providing comprehensive solutions, we aim to help people live better for longer and secure their financial futures.”
Steve Finch, President & CEO, Manulife Asia
"As people live longer, healthier lives, the need for thoughtful financial planning and lasting resilience has never been greater. Longevity is reshaping how we invest, retire, and prepare for the future. At Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we’re committed to equipping advisors, intermediaries, plan sponsors, and investors with the insights and strategies to navigate this evolving landscape. The Manulife Longevity Institute builds on that commitment through research, advocacy, and community investments designed to help people prepare for longer retirements.”
Paul Lorentz, President & CEO, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management
About Manulife Longevity Institute
The Manulife Longevity Institute is a global research, thought leadership, advocacy, and community investment platform to drive action that can help people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives. Underpinned by a $350 million signature commitment, its focus is on helping people extend their healthy years, promoting greater financial resilience for all. As a global insurer, retirement plan provider, and asset manager, Manulife is uniquely placed to help lead this change. The Institute’s work will support Manulife’s Impact Agenda strategy by investing in organizations that are growing the longevity economy, convening research collaborations with leading academic institutions and think tanks, and producing thought leadership to advance awareness and action on the issues impacting populations as they age. The Institute will be known as the John Hancock Longevity Institute in the United States. The actions of the Institute will be guided by a Steering Committee of members of Manulife’s Executive and Global Leadership Teams and in partnership with a robust ecosystem of partners and experts who champion longevity across Canada, Asia, and the US. Canada, Asia, and the US.
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.
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The Longevity Institute is a strategic initiative of Manulife and does not represent a separate legal entity. The information presented reflects current priorities and is subject to change based on evolving market, regulatory, and operational conditions. This document is intended for informational purposes only, does not promote any business or business interest of Manulife, or a solicitation of services. The initiative’s focus areas have been informed by stakeholder engagement, internal review, and alignment with Manulife’s broader Impact Agenda. This document contains forward-looking statements with respect to outcomes or the intended impacts of the Longevity Institute. Such outcomes are not guaranteed and are based on a number of assumptions and factors that may cause actual results to be different from the results expressed or implied in such statements. The addresses or hyperlinks to third-party websites are provided for the recipient’s convenience. Manulife takes no responsibility for such websites or their contents, or for any loss or damage that may arise from their use. If you decide to access any of the third-party websites linked on this page, you do so at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of such websites.
