Christine van Staden joined Canada Life in 2015 as vice-president, group retirement services, national accounts, responsible for leading the national accounts team in selling and retaining group retirement and savings business in the large case segment through the consultant channel. In May 2017, van Staden was appointed regional vice-president, Toronto consultant office, responsible for overall leadership and direction of the sales and service organization for group retirement and benefits services. In her most recent role as regional vice-president, group customer, national accounts, she is accountable for all business development activity with distinct teams aligned to the private and public sectors, across group benefits and group retirement services nationally.

Van Staden’s leadership skills were built over 32 years of experience in the pension and benefits industry, both in the U.S. and Canada. Her background includes senior leadership roles as regional vice-president, group savings and retirement at Standard Life, national director of business development outsourcing and market leader at Mercer, national practice leader in both the U.S. and Canada at Hewitt Associates and benefits consultant for the executive defined contribution plans at Kimberly-Clark in the U.S.

She holds an honours bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Tennessee and has achieved her pension law certification with Osgoode Hall. She also serves in a leadership capacity for the Canadian Benefits and Pension Institute’s Ontario regional council.