Welcoming Our New Policy & Government Relations Committee Co-Chair!
We are delighted to welcome Yan Hai and Erik Bainbridge as the new Co-Chairs of our Policy & Government Relations Committee! With their exceptional leadership and deep expertise, we look forward to driving impactful advocacy and strengthening ties between business and government. Please join us in congratulating them on their new roles!
Yan Hai
Policy & Government Relations Committee Co-Chair
Yan Hai brings extensive experience in government, public affairs, and the financial sector. Since joining Manulife in 2021, she has spearheaded the company's regulatory and public affairs strategy across 13 Asian markets. Yan advises the Global Board and Executive Leadership Team on critical geopolitical and regulatory developments impacting Manulife's business in Asia.
Before Manulife, she led Public Affairs APAC at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, where she initiated a significant MOU with China’s NDRC to address demographic challenges. This agreement, signed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang, helped shape China's first national policy on population aging. Yan has also held senior roles at Brunswick Group and Albright Stonebridge Group, assisting C-suite executives in public affairs, financial communications, and crisis management.
She began her career in the Chinese diplomatic service and holds an MPhil in Contemporary European Studies from the University of Cambridge, along with an L.L.B in Diplomacy from China Foreign Affairs University. Yan serves on the Board of Directors of the Canada-China Business Council.
Erik Bainbridge
Policy & Government Relations Committee Co-Chair
Erik Bainbridge is the Director, Strategic Communications at FTI Consulting Hong Kong where he works on Asia-Pacific (APAC) geopolitical monitoring, analysis and public affairs strategy development. He has extensive experience working on APAC geopolitical files across a variety of sectors on behalf of private sector stakeholders, think tanks and academia, as well as the Government of Canada’s foreign ministry. Highlights of his professional experience includes playing a key role in the development, launch, and implementation of Canada’s whole-of-government 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Erik holds a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University. In his free time, he likes to scuba dive and travel around Southeast Asia.
