Head of Distribution Strategy
Manulife Financial · Tokyo
Manulife is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make decisions easier and lives better. Help shape the future you want to see — and discover that better can take you anywhere you want to go.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Role Summary:
At Manulife Japan, we are driving transformation under our Purpose: "Decision made easier, Lives made better," with a strong focus on customers and distributors. This role serves as a strategic partner to the Chief Distribution Officer and channel heads, leading the integration of distribution strategies across channels (Independent Agency, Financial Institutions and Captive Agency channels) and reports to the Head of Distribution Strategy Headquarter.
You will drive the business through a dual focus on mid- to long-term strategic direction and annual sales execution, orchestrating cross-channel alignment and focusing on key growth opportunities to deliver sustainable commercial impact.
This is a strategy-to-execution leadership role, accountable for translating direction into disciplined execution and tangible business outcomes across the Distribution organization.
Job Descriptions:
- Distribution Strategy & Execution: Partner with the CDO and channel heads to define and continuously refine channel and overall distribution strategies, translating them into clear annual sales plans, targets, and actionable initiatives. Drive both mid- to long-term strategic priorities and short-term execution in parallel, focusing the organization on the most critical growth drivers such as productivity uplift, activation, recruitment, and cross-sell.
- Performance Management: Establish and evolve KPI frameworks to monitor sales effectiveness and channel performance, enabling data-driven decision-making. Lead business reviews with senior Distribution leadership, identify performance gaps, and proactively drive targeted interventions and action plans to accelerate growth and strengthen execution discipline across channels.
- Distribution Transformation & Capability Building: Lead strategic initiatives to enhance sales effectiveness, including segmentation, coverage models, incentive design, and sales processes. Support the development of next-generation distribution models and capabilities, incorporating digital and AI-enabled approaches, while ensuring these are embedded, adopted, and scaled in the field to deliver measurable impact.
- Cross-functional and Cross-channel Leadership & Alignment: Act as a central integrator across channels, driving alignment beyond organizational silos and leading cross-channel initiatives that unlock synergies and scale best practices. Serve as a strategic bridge between Distribution and key functions such as Product, Marketing, Transformation and Technology, facilitating executive-level alignment and ensuring integrated execution of commercial priorities.
- Market Intelligence & Commercial Growth Initiatives: Lead the collection and analysis of market, competitor, and customer intelligence to identify emerging opportunities and risks. Translate insights into high-impact strategic initiatives that drive commercial growth, including implications for product strategy and go-to-market approaches, and partner with Product and Marketing to shape compelling value propositions aligned with evolving market needs.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Experience at a strategy consulting firm (e.g., McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Big4, Accenture) or in a comparable corporate strategy, business planning, or sales strategy role within leading organizations
- Experience driving initiatives from concept through strategy building and execution, in close collaboration with the field and business functions
- Domain knowledge in insurance or retail financial services is a plus
- Business-level proficiency in both Japanese and English (mandatory)
- Minimum 10 years of relevant experience; MBA and consulting experience preferred
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and facilitation skills, with the leadership to develop teams while delivering hands-on results
Culture & work style:
- A diverse and inclusive culture with a flat organizational structure that enables direct involvement in decision-making.
- Flexible work arrangements, including full-flex and hybrid work options.
- A high-impact role to drive distribution strategy and commercial performance across channels.
- Long-term career development supported by global networks and mobility programs, including collaboration with Regional and Group teams.
About Manulife and John Hancock
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.
Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer
At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.
It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact hr@manulife.com.
Working Arrangement