Emma Watkins was appointed CEO at Canada Life UK in September 2025. In her role she leads over 1,500 people in the UK and the Isle of Man.
With over 25 years’ experience in financial services, prior to joining Canada Life, Emma spent a decade at Scottish Widows as Managing Director, Retirement & Longstanding and was a member of the Executive Committee.
Before this, she was a Partner at Lane Clarke & Peacock LLP and have held a number of senior roles within insurance businesses including MetLife Assurance Ltd and Ace European Group.
“I believe passionately that the power of the collective is the foundation for a truly people-centric organisation that delivers great customer outcomes and throughout my career I’ve worked to support and champion women in the workplace,” she said.
“I’m proud to be CEO of Canada Life UK, supporting our 3.5m UK customers to build financially secure futures.”
Emma studied Microbiology at the University of Reading and is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute and an ex-board member of the Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA).
