Manulife taps former wealth management marketer for global C-suite role
Chapman currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Manulife Canada and leads the company’s global Digital, Customer Centricity and Sustainability agendas.
She previously held the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Manulife Wealth and Asset Management, giving her direct exposure to the retail advice and investment management channels that matter most to advisors and planners working within the Manulife ecosystem.
Witherington described the move as evidence of internal succession planning, noting that Chapman’s appointment “reflects the strength of our internal talent pipeline.” Her remit will span marketing strategy, brand stewardship, digital, analytics, customer experience, and sustainability, an unusually broad mandate that underscores the weight Manulife is placing on the intersection of marketing and client outcomes.
Chapman succeeds Karen Leggett, who will retire from Manulife at the end of 2026, with an overlap structured to enable a smooth leadership transition.
What the appointment signals for advisors
Manulife’s Canadian wealth operation has been through significant leadership turnover in recent months. As Wealth Professional reported, Manulife Wealth named Lior Valitsky as Chief Operating Officer in August 2026 as part of a broader restructuring of its senior team in a move that came alongside record gross flows and nine per cent earnings growth in Q2 2026.
