John Hancock Retirement, a company of Manulife Investment Management, today announced it has named Bill Thompson, divisional vice-president, mid/large market distribution. In this newly created position, Bill will lead a team of retirement plan specialists across the country, who work with financial advisors, plan consultants and employers to help improve retirement plan operations and drive positive retirement outcomes for employees.

"I have the privilege of leading John Hancock's mid/large market sales team for defined benefit, defined contribution and non-qualified retirement plan solutions. The team is composed of passionate and experienced sales professionals who strive every day to make a difference in the lives of the people around them," said Mr. Thompson.

Mr. Thompson has more than 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, with nearly 10 of those years at John Hancock Retirement. During his tenure, he helped build and refine John Hancock's open architecture platform to meet both customers' needs and the business's objectives. He continues to be based in Boston with his wife and two boys and will report to Gary Tankersley, head of sales and distribution, John Hancock Retirement.

"I am excited to announce Bill's new role; he is consistent in his approach but is also extraordinarily responsive to the market's demand for new offerings, such as in-plan advice, income and additional savings tools," said Mr. Tankersley. "I am looking forward to working with him and the broader team to address the increasingly complex needs of sponsors and advisors as we work together and adapt to industry regulations and trends and make retirement plans work for all participants."

John Hancock Retirement provides easily managed and personalized options to employers seeking workplace retirement plan solutions working with sponsors, plan advisors and consultants of all sizes to help design, deliver, and service DC, DB and NQ plans.

About John Hancock Retirement

John Hancock Retirement is the U.S. retirement business of Manulife Investment Management. For nearly 50 years, we've helped people plan and invest for retirement; today, we're one of the largest full-service providers in the United States.1 We take a hands-on consultative approach based on the idea that no two plans - and no two plan participants - are exactly alike. We partner with plan sponsors, financial professionals, and third-party administrators to ensure that every plan is personal to the participant and helps deliver results.

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 17 countries and territories. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement.