UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 40-F

(Check One)

OR

MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Canada

(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

6311

(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number (if applicable))

Not applicable

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number (if applicable))

200 Bloor Street East, NT 11, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4W 1E5

(416) 926-3000

(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive offices)

James D. Gallagher, Manulife Financial Corporation, 601 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210-2805 (617) 663-3000

(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number

(including area code) of agent for service in the United States)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act. None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.  4.90% Senior Notes due 2020, 4.150% Senior Notes due 2026, 5.375% Senior Notes due 2046, and 4.061% Subordinated Notes due 2032

For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Emerging Growth Company  ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

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Principal Documents

The following documents, filed as exhibits 99.1, 99.2 and 99.3 hereto, are hereby incorporated by reference into this Annual Report:

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Certifications and Disclosure Regarding Controls and Procedures.

(a)    Certifications. The Certificates required by Rule 13a-14(a) and (b) are set forth in Exhibits 99.4, 99.5, 99.6 and 99.7 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

(b)    Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The conclusions of the principal executive and principal financial officers of Manulife Financial Corporation (the “Company”) regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as at December 31, 2018 are set forth under the heading “Controls and Procedures – Disclosure Controls and Procedures” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

(c)    Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Management’s report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is set forth under the heading “Controls and Procedures – Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

(d)    Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm. Ernst & Young LLP’s attestation report on management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting is set forth under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm to the Shareholders and Board of Directors on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

(e)    Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Information regarding any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is set forth under the heading “Controls and Procedures – Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Information regarding audit committee financial experts is set forth under the heading “Audit Committee” in the Company’s Annual Information Form (“AIF”) dated February 13, 2019 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) that applies to all directors, officers and employees of the Company and that qualifies as a “code of ethics” as that term is defined in Form 40-F. The Code is posted on the corporate governance section of our website and is available for viewing at: https://www.manulife.com/content/dam/corporate/global/en/documents/corporate-governance/codeofbusinessconductandethics1.pdf

In 2018, the Company made certain amendments to its Code to clarify several matters, including that all Ethics Hotline Reports are presumed to be made in good faith; that nothing in the Code should be construed as prohibiting communication with any regulator, either voluntarily or in response to a regulatory inquiry; that employees must report discrimination, harassment or violence experienced or observed in the workplace; and to express Manulife’s commitment to doing its part to help eradicate human trafficking and its expectation that our business partners will adhere to ethical business conduct consistent with the Company’s own. A provision relating to freedom of association was also added to the Code. There were no waivers, including implied waivers, from any provision of the Code during 2018.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Information regarding the fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP is set forth under the heading “Audit Committee – External Auditor Service Fees” in the Company’s AIF dated February 13, 2019 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures.

Information regarding the pre-approval policies and procedures of the Company’s audit committee is set forth under the heading “Audit Committee – Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures” in the Company’s AIF dated February 13, 2019 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

Hours Expended on Audit Attributed to Persons Other than the Principal Accountant’s Employees.

Not Applicable.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.

Information regarding the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements is set forth in the discussion of risk in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F. The notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F include the following disclosures related to off-balance sheet arrangements:

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Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations.

Information regarding the Company’s contractual obligations is set forth under the heading “Contractual Obligations” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

Identification of the Audit Committee.

Information regarding the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is set forth under the heading “Audit Committee – Composition of the Audit Committee” in the Company’s AIF dated February 13, 2019 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.

Independence of Directors.

A majority of the directors and all members of the Board’s standing committees must be independent so that the Board operates independently of management.

A director is independent if he or she does not have a direct or indirect relationship with the Company that could reasonably be expected to interfere with the director’s ability to exercise independent judgment. The Company has established an independence policy for the Board which is consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including those established under Canadian and U.S. securities law, the Insurance Companies Act (Canada) and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange. The independence policy is available on our website (www.manulife.com).

Each year the Board, with the assistance of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, reviews the independence of each director and has determined that 13 of the 14 directors are independent and that the members of the Audit Committee and the Management Resources and Compensation Committee meet the additional independence requirements for those committees. As CEO, Roy Gori is not independent.

Presiding Director at Meetings of Non-Management Directors.

The independent directors meet regularly with senior executives and have an opportunity to meet privately without management present during closed sessions held at each Board and committee meeting. They may also use these sessions to meet privately with members of management or independent advisors.

In addition, the independent directors meet without the CEO present to review the performance and approve the compensation of the CEO, to review the Board’s effectiveness assessments and to approve the Board’s objectives for the following year.

Communication with Non-Management Directors.

Shareholders wishing to contact non-management Directors of the Company may write to the Chairman of the Board, in care of the Corporate Secretary, at the head office of the Company, 200 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4W 1E5.

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Corporate Governance Guidelines.

The Company’s governance practices are consistent in all material respects with the requirements of the Insurance Companies Act (Canada), the corporate governance guidelines established by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada) and by the Canadian Securities Administrators, the New York Stock Exchange corporate governance rules for domestic issuers and the applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. The Company’s statement of corporate governance practices is posted on the corporate governance section of our website and is available at: http://manulife.force.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=00P50000010BL5nEAG&ver=10

Board Committee Charters.

The Board has established four standing committees to assist it in fulfilling its mandate: Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Audit Committee, Risk Committee, and Management Resources and Compensation Committee.

All of the members of the standing committees are independent. Each committee reviews and, as necessary, updates its charter every year and monitors compliance with its charter on a regular basis throughout the year. Each committee chair reports to the Board on the committee’s deliberations and any recommendations that require Board approval.

The committee charters and the position description for each committee chair are posted on the corporate governance section of our website and are available at: https://www.manulife.com/en/about/corporate-governance/board-committees.html

Mine Safety Disclosure.

Not applicable.

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UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS

Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an Annual Report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.

The Company has previously filed a Form F-X in connection with the class of securities in relation to which the obligation to file this Annual Report arises.

Any change to the name or address of the Registrant’s agent for service of process shall be communicated promptly to the Securities and Exchange Commission by an amendment to the Form F-X referencing the file number of the relevant registration statement of the Registrant.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this Annual Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, on February 13, 2019.

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EXHIBIT INDEX