Sun Life may be known for insurance—but under CEO Kevin Strain, it's become a $1.5 trillion force in global asset management. In this episode of In the Money with Amber Kanwar , we sit down with Strain to uncover how this 160-year-old Canadian company has transformed into the country’s largest asset manager, now rivaling industry titans like Brookfield. Strain explains why Sun Life is going all-in on alternative assets like real estate, infrastructure, and private credit, and what that means for institutional and retail investors alike. He addresses the outflows at the company’s asset management arm and pushes back on the “problem child” label, revealing how that division continues to quietly generate close to a billion dollars a year in income. He also breaks down why Asia has become Sun Life’s biggest growth engine, and how its long-standing presence there gives it an edge. The conversation covers Kevin’s outlook on the Canadian economy and why he believes short-term pain could lead to long-term strength. He also addresses concerns about the company’s U.S. health insurance business and shares how Sun Life is experimenting with AI across the firm. Don’t miss this wide-ranging, honest conversation with one of Canada’s most influential CEOs. Timestamps 00:00 Show Intro 02:10 Strain’s path to become the CEO of Sun Life 04:10 Sun Life’s history and reach 06:50 A lot of people don’t know Sun Life is an asset manager that’s bigger than Brookfield 10:35 Break 11:10 Understanding Sun Life’s asset management business 16:30 Sun Life’s massive Asia business 19:50 Break 20:20 What about tariffs? 25:15 Are the conditions right for Canadian companies to invest? 27:20 Strain on investing in alternatives like real estate 29:25 Sun Life’s real estate exposure 36:30 The U.S. health insurance business 42:00 What is Kevin worried about? 46:30 How is Sun Life using artificial intelligence? 50:00 What about acquisitions? 53:15 What was Kevin’s biggest mistake? 55:30 What does Kevin want to leave behind as his legacy? Sponsors For over 25 years, Raymond James has been helping Canadians achieve their financial goals. Visit raymondjames.ca today to discover how you can live a life well planned. With $62 billion in assets, ATB Financial is powering possibilities for more than 820,000 financial services clients in Alberta and beyond. Visit ATB.com/inthemoney for more information Over the last 45 years, Middlefield has helped Canadians build and preserve wealth through active management. Ask your financial advisor about Middlefield or learn more at middlefield.com today. Discover how The Murray Wealth Group can work for you by visiting MurrayWealthGroup.com. World class investing. Wealth built together. Links https://inthemoneypod.com/ https://instagram.com/inthemoneypod https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569721774740 https://twitter.com/inthemoneypod https://tiktok.com/@inthemoneypod
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