Empire Life

Empire Life is controlled by the Jackman family through E-L Financial Corporation, a publicly traded Toronto Stock Exchange holding company where the Jackmans retain voting control via a dual-class share structure. Duncan N.R. Jackman serves as Chairman and CEO of E-L Financial. His father, Henry N.R. (Hal) Jackman, is the former Chairman and remains a major shareholder.

The Jackman family's multi-generational control and the permanent nature of insurance float allow Empire Life to hold concentrated positions — notably in Granite REIT and Allied Properties REIT — through full market cycles without redemption pressure. This approach, visible in E-L Financial's public filings, mirrors permanent-capital strategies more commonly associated with Berkshire Hathaway or Fairfax Financial than with typical Canadian life insurers.

Canoe Financial serves as a strategic partner to Empire Life, co-developing and managing segregated fund products. World Financial Group acts as a distribution partner, marketing Canoe EL Protection Portfolios to retail investors across Canada. These relationships extend Empire Life's asset-gathering reach beyond its direct insurance sales channels.

Through E-L Financial, the Jackman family holds significant positions in Granite REIT, a global industrial property owner, and Allied Properties REIT, a major Canadian urban office landlord. Empire Life also owns its historic headquarters building at 259 King Street East in Kingston and maintains a Toronto office at 200 Bay Street.

The Hal Jackman Foundation is the family's primary philanthropic vehicle, separate from Empire Life's corporate Community Investment Program. Hal Jackman, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, established the foundation to support arts, education, and healthcare causes in Canada. The foundation operates independently from the insurance company's balance sheet.