Cercle canadien : Événement avec Jessica Tan

Biography

Jessica Tan

Executive Vice-President and President
Sun Life Canada

Biography

Daniel Lamarre (Moderator)

Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group

From Pressure to Possibility: How Businesses Can Help Canadians Thrive

For many Canadians, life today feels heavier than ever. Rising costs, fragmented systems, constant decisions, and persistent uncertainty are creating a daily mental and emotional load. Managing money, navigating care, protecting loved ones, and planning for the future often feel like separate, complex challenges - even though they are deeply connected. This session is designed for leaders who shape the systems Quebecers and Canadians rely on. Employers and institutions are now central infrastructure in Canadians’ daily lives. It explores how, in moments of uncertainty people need guidance, simplification, and coherence. Hear how Sun Life is helping connect health, wealth, and protection, and supporting people where they are, and what leaders can do to support their employees, and help boost business and the economy.
The interview will be moderated by Daniel Lamarre, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

Event sponsor

Biography

Jessica Tan

Jessica Tan is Executive Vice-President and President of Sun Life Canada. She is responsible for leading Sun Life’s business in its home market, driving continued growth as a leader in health, wealth and protection for Canadians. Sun Life Canada is a 160-year business serving 12 million Canadians, which is more than half the working Canadians in the country across insurance, wealth, asset management, and health businesses.
Jessica is widely recognized as a transformative leader. She held a top 5 ranking on Fortune's Most Powerful Womenfor 5 consecutive years (2019 -2023) and has been recognized as one of Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Womensince 2019.
Prior to Sun Life in North America, Jessica worked in Asia for 20 years across Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. Specifically, she was the co-CEO of Ping An, one of Asia’s largest insurance companies, responsible for Ping An’s insurance, digital banking, healthcare, and technology businesses. Prior to that Jessica was a partner at McKinsey where she worked in North America and Asia working with global and regional financial services companies and regulators.
Jessica is an active leader in the global community for fintech, healthcare and elderly care. She sits on several global boards and advisory committees including the Singapore Central Provident Fund (Singapore National Pensions Fund >US$460 billion), SEA Group (Southeast Asia's largest gaming, e-commerce and fintech company), Global Finance & Technology Network (Global Fintech Network started by the Monetary Authority of Singapore), Asia Society Global Board of Trustees, Oxford Blavatnik School of Government, and AGE-WELL elderly care/tech organization in Canada.
Jessica is married with two teenage daughters, andgraduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with aMaster degree in Electrical Engineeringand Computer science, and two Bachelors degrees in Electrical Engineeringand Economics.
Biography 2026

Daniel Lamarre

As Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board, Daniel Lamarre is in charge of strengthening key partnerships and driving new growth projects for Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.
For the last two decades, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cirque du Soleil, Daniel Lamarre was in charge of strategy at both the business development and operations levels. He also led the rebirth of Cirque du Soleil in 2021 and saw to the organization’s financial sustainability and the perpetuation of its culture and values.
Maintaining the fine balance between the company’s overall strategy, stability, and financial growth, and the integrity of its culture and corporate values, Daniel spearheaded the company’s transformation into the global live entertainment leader it is today.
Before joining Cirque du Soleil in January 2001, Daniel Lamarre was President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe TVA for almost four years. From 1984 to 1997, he worked with the public relations firm National, where he served as Executive Vice President and Senior Partner, then President. In 1981, as Vice President and General Manager, he opened the first Montréal offices of the world's largest public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller. He also held several management roles in communications and practiced journalism for ten years.
Daniel has received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Arts, McGill University's Faculty of Law, and the Université du Québec à Trois Rivières. In 2018, he was proudly appointed Officer of the Order of Canada.
Daniel highlights his glorious career and shares his great wisdom in his book Balancing Acts, launched in 2021.
Biography 2026