OVERVIEW AGENDA SPEAKERS SPONSOR INFORMATION LOCATION POST EVENT COVERAGE Speaker Tamara Harduwar, director, health insights, outcomes, group benefits, Manulife Canada Tamara Harduwar is the director of health insights and outcomes within group benefits at Manulife Canada. Her focus is on identifying, planning and delivering data-driven initiatives that meaningfully improve health for plan sponsors and members. […]
Women’s mental health has historically been underfunded and under-researched, with just three per cent of neuroscience and psychiatry studies between 2009 and 2019 conducted exclusively in females, compared to about 30 per cent in males, according to research cited by Manulife Canada’s Georgia Pomaki during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit. Yet, […]
Three years ago, I wrote an editorial for our inaugural DEI Issue heralding the overdue and rising attention that was being bestowed on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace — but in such a short period of time, the tide is already turning. The rhetoric demonizing DEI began to gain momentum after a ruling […]
Defined contribution pension plan sponsors are navigating the demands of a strict asset allocation guideline in accordance with Islam by incorporating Sharia-compliant funds into their plans’ investment lineups. One reason is the increasingly diverse makeup of the Canadian workforce. According to Statistics Canada, the country’s Muslim population doubled between 2001 and 2021, from two per […]
Under unprecedented economic volatility, institutional investors are leaning on diversified asset mixes that are less reliant on public markets, says Claude St-Laurent, principal of pension and savings at Normandin Beaudry. He notes institutional investors are more frequently pushing beyond traditional equities and bonds to incorporate real estate, infrastructure and other alternative assets. Indeed, in the […]
The percentage of female benefits plan members using fertility drugs rose by roughly 14.57 per cent in 2024, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2024 aggregate claims data, also found while more than half (53 per cent) of Canadian employers offer coverage for fertility drugs, fewer […]
OVERVIEW AGENDA SPEAKERS SPONSOR INFORMATION POST EVENT COVERAGE Speaker Georgia Pomaki, director, mental health best practices, Canadian disability and group life, Manulife Canada Georgia Pomaki is director of mental health best practices and leader of mental health specialists for Manulife Canada’s Disability team. She’s also an instructor at Pacific Coast University for workplace health sciences. […]
For defined contribution plan members, the evolution of education and engagement has passed several milestones, including the introduction of email and mobile apps. “At Manulife, we’ve reached a point where we have two-thirds of logins going through the mobile app and one-third going through the website,” said Marc-Antoine Morin, the record-keeper’s assistant vice-president of group […]
The YVR’s manager of workplace well-being discusses new mental-health initiatives, supporting a growing workforce and landscape photography. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: At YVR, employees have access to a comprehensive set of resources that support their well-being, including wellness programs focused on health promotion, education and preventative care, […]
OVERVIEW AGENDA SPEAKERS SPONSOR INFORMATION LOCATION POST EVENT COVERAGE Speaker Pascal Bernier, portfolio manager, strategic asset allocation, Desjardins Global Asset Management As a portfolio manager, Pascal Bernier oversees strategic asset allocations for institutional clients. He selects investment strategies and structures portfolios tailored to clients' needs and objectives. In this role, Bernier leverages his extensive portfolio […]