Richard Bates is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Philippines. Richard is responsible for the overall strategy and development of Manulife’s business in the Philippines. His remit is to ensure that the company is focused on Manulife’s mission to make customers’ decisions easier and lives better.

Richard is a finance industry veteran, who has a strong background in advancing insurance penetration in emerging markets in Asia. Prior to joining Manulife, he served as CEO of a multinational insurance firm in Cambodia, where he spearheaded the company’s market entry and launched its multi-channel operations. Prior to this posting, Richard was responsible for the Asia operations of a private equity fund focused on investing and incubating insurance start-ups. He also previously led a multinational consulting firm’s deal strategy unit in Hong Kong and its financial services line of business across Asia.