Sun Life Financial has appointed Kevin Strain as the new president of Sun Life Financial Asia, promoting him from his previous position of senior vice-president of individual insurance and investments within its Canadian operations.

Strain succeeds Dikran Ohannessian, who is retiring after more than 35 years with the company.

“Sun Life’s operations in Asia are a key pillar of our strategy, and continuity of strong leadership is critical to building on our success in the region,” said Dean A. Connor, president and CEO of Sun Life Financial. “Kevin has proven expertise in both our insurance and wealth lines of business, which is crucial to further advancing our Asian strategy.”
Strain will be responsible for Sun Life’s interests in Asia spanning the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India and China, including managing the company’s relationships with its partners and identifying opportunities for growth in the region.

His successor in Canada will be named in coming weeks.