Manulife CEO Gori Set to Retire, Witherington to Succeed Him (1)

Manulife Financial Corp. said Chief Executive Officer Roy Gori will retire in May and be succeeded by Phil Witherington, head of the company’s Asia business.

Gori, who has been CEO of the Toronto-based insurer since 2017, will remain with the firm as an adviser through Aug. 31, 2025, Manulife said in a statement Monday.

Given he’s just 56 years old and has been CEO for less than a decade, Gori’s decision to leave came as a surprise to Royal Bank of Canada analyst Darko Mihelic, who called it a “young” retirement.

“In our view, Mr. Gori’s passion has ...