Manulife Philippines has appointed Erica Jurilla Santos as Chief Operations Officer, effective 15 September 2026. Santos will also join the Manulife Philippines Executive Committee as the company continues to strengthen its operations, customer experience, digital adoption, and business transformation efforts.
Erica Jurilla Santos Appointed Chief Operations Officer
As Chief Operations Officer, Santos will lead Manulife Philippines’ operations strategy, focusing on service excellence, operational performance, digital adoption, and customer-focused innovation. Her role will support the company’s continued transformation and its commitment to delivering better experiences for customers and distribution partners.
Santos’ appointment reflects Manulife Philippines’ continued focus on building stronger operational capabilities while enhancing customer and distribution experiences. Her leadership will also support the company’s business transformation efforts and its ambition to be the #1 choice for Filipino customers.
The new Chief Operations Officer will oversee operations with a focus on strengthening how the company delivers services and supports both customers and distribution partners. The role brings together key priorities around operational performance, service delivery, customer experience, and innovation.
“Erica is a highly experienced operations leader with a strong track record in transformation, operational resilience, process efficiency, and talent development,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Her deep understanding of service delivery and customer experience will help us further strengthen our operations, improve how we serve customers and distribution partners, and support our growth ambitions in the Philippines. Erica’s appointment also reinforces our commitment to developing future-ready operations that enable our teams to serve with greater speed, consistency, and care.”
Hora highlighted Santos’ experience in transformation, operational resilience, process efficiency, and talent development as key strengths that will support Manulife Philippines’ operations. Her experience in service delivery and customer experience will also contribute to the company’s efforts to strengthen the way it serves customers and distribution partners.
Santos Brings More Than 20 Years of Operations Experience
Santos brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across insurance, contact center, and back-office operations. Her areas of expertise include service delivery, workforce strategy, financial governance, vendor management, customer experience, and operational transformation.
She joined Manulife Business Processing Services in 2022 and has since made significant contributions to strengthening operations. Most recently, Santos led a 600-FTE organization supporting Manulife’s U.S. insurance business across new business, policy administration, and life and health claims.
Her background covers multiple areas of operations, including service delivery, workforce strategy, financial governance, vendor management, customer experience, and operational transformation. This experience forms part of her leadership role as she takes responsibility for operations at Manulife Philippines.
Santos’ experience at Manulife Business Processing Services also includes leadership of a large organization supporting the company’s U.S. insurance business. Her most recent role involved a 600-FTE organization working across new business, policy administration, and life and health claims.
The combination of her leadership experience and operations expertise will support her new responsibilities as Chief Operations Officer. Her appointment also adds to Manulife Philippines’ focus on strengthening operational capabilities and developing future-ready operations.
Focus on Customer and Distribution Experiences
Santos said her new role will focus on working with Manulife Philippines’ teams to strengthen operations and improve the customer and advisor experience.
“I’m honored to take on this role and to work with the talented teams across Manulife Philippines,” said Erica Jurilla Santos, Chief Operations Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Operations plays a critical role in shaping the customer and advisor experience, and I look forward to helping build stronger, simpler, and more responsive ways of working that deliver meaningful value for our customers and our distribution teams. Together, we have an opportunity to build more agile, customer-centered operations that support Manulife’s growth and help make decisions easier and lives better for more Filipinos.”
Santos’ priorities include building stronger, simpler, and more responsive ways of working. Her focus on customer-centered operations will support Manulife Philippines’ efforts to deliver meaningful value for customers and distribution teams.
Her appointment as Chief Operations Officer also places operations at the center of the company’s continued transformation. The role will support efforts to improve operational performance, strengthen service excellence, advance digital adoption, and encourage customer-focused innovation.
With Santos joining the Manulife Philippines Executive Committee, the company will continue its focus on operational capabilities, customer and distribution experiences, and business transformation. Her leadership is expected to support the company’s ambition to be the #1 choice for Filipino customers while helping its teams serve customers and distribution partners with greater speed, consistency, and care.
