Sun Life is celebrating its 25th anniversary since opening its office in Waterford. The company held various celebrations, and welcomed Michael McGrath, Minister for Finance, and Nancy Smyth, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland to the office for an all-employee Town Hall meeting.
The celebratory events concluded an active summer of employee fundraising for local charities and engaging the Waterford community. Throughout the summer, employees took on a series of challenges to raise money, including an inflatable obstacle course at SETU Arena, designing Celtic jewelry with Strong Roots Jewelry and creating giant sand art on Clonea Strand beach. The challenges culminated in a walking tour of Waterford this week, leading to a special red carpet event at the Tower Hotel, where Sun Life presented cheques totalling over €64,000 to local charities.
Minister for Finance, Micheal McGrath, TD said, “I want to congratulate the team in Sun Life on 25 years of success in Waterford. Regional investments are an important element of Ireland’s dynamic International Financial Services industry where investors like Sun Life leverage the depth of Ireland’s talent pool to execute their global business plans. The commitment to the community is clearly demonstrated by the generosity of the Sun Life staff in their recent fundraising efforts for worthy local and national charities. I wish them all the very best for the future.”
Sun Life opened their offices in 1998 and have seen significant growth in their business since that time. Last year Sun Life reopened the office with an investment of over €6 million in sustainable, state-of-the-art renovations that include the latest technology solutions, a focus on employee collaboration, an inclusive, flexible working model, and a carbon neutral goal. Sun Life has oft been recognized as an employer of choice in Ireland, receiving Best Workplaces awards in the “large company” and “tech” categories in 2023, and the Great Place to Work certification in December, 2022 as well as a Gold award by the Irish Centre of Diversity.
Pierre Peiclier, Managing Director of Sun Life Ireland and Vice President of IT, said, “we opened this office 25 years ago with just 12 employees, and we now have nearly 600 employees here. We are incredibly proud of our talented employees and their commitment to our organisation. Our continued investment in the Waterford community is a testament to the amazing talent base we work with, as well as those who will join us in the future in one of the many exciting opportunities we currently have open.”
IDA Ireland, CEO Michael Lohan, said, “since 1998, Sun Life has been a major and valued employer in the South East. Last year, this global financial services company announced a €6m refurbishment of its Waterford hub and it’s wonderful to celebrate with the team here once again as it marks its silver anniversary. Sun Life’s focus on sustainability is very much aligned to IDA Ireland’s Strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024. I’d like to wish the team continued success.”
Originally opened in 1998, Sun Life’s Waterford office has been a base for nearly 600 employees who support Sun Life’s operations globally. While the office can accommodate more employees, Sun Life’s flexible work approach enables hiring talent wherever they are located in Ireland.
Source: IDA Ireland
