Sun Life Financial U.S. to ring NYSE opening bell to mark 150(th) birthday

WELLESLEY, MA and NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - On March 2, Sun Life Financial will ring the opening bells at the New York, Toronto, and Philippine stock exchanges to celebrate the company's sesquicentennial--its 150(th) birthday. Sun Life Financial's corporate headquarters are in Toronto, with head offices in the U.S. and Hong Kong. The shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. have traded on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine exchanges since its IPO in 2000.

Originally called the Sun Mutual Life Insurance Company of Montreal, the company received its charter in 1865. Renamed the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, it began expanding internationally in the 1880s, and by the 1900s was offering its products in over 50 countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, India, the Philippines, and Bermuda.

This year Sun Life Financial is also celebrating its 120(th) birthday in the U.S. The company first started doing business in the U.S. in 1895, in Detroit. Today Sun Life Financial's U.S. operations are headquartered in Wellesley, MA, just outside of Boston. The Sun Life Financial group of companies also includes Boston-based global asset manager MFS Investment Management, which was acquired in 1982.

"Both Sun Life and the NYSE have such rich histories. We are proud to have the opportunity to celebrate such a milestone by ringing the opening bell at the oldest stock exchange in the world," said Sun Life Financial's U.S. President, Dan Fishbein. "Yet even as we celebrate 150 years, we are always looking forward as we continue to improve and innovate our products and services."

Throughout its history Sun Life Financial has become known as an industry thought leader, including annual summits like the upcoming Wake Up Summit on April 1 at Bloomberg in NY, where brokers and industry experts will discuss the benefits of self-funding, and how employers can navigate self-insurance decisions.

Sun Life Financial is a leader in group employee benefits in the U.S., including life, disability, dental, voluntary and medical stop-loss products. The company is the #1 independent carrier of stop-loss in the U.S., with over $1 billion in sales.

About Sun Life Financial
Celebrating 150 years in 2015, Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. The Sun Life Financial group of companies operates under the "Sun Life Financial" name strictly as a marketing name and no legal significance is expressed or implied. Sun Life Financial and its partners have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. In the United States, Sun Life Financial provides a range of products and services to employers and their employees, including Group and Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, Dental, Disability, Life, and Stop-Loss insurance products. Product offerings may not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE), and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information about Sun Life Financial U.S. please visit www.sunlife.com/us.

SOURCE Sun Life Financial - United States