Our International Business Leader of the Year award recognizes a business executive from a Canadian company whose visionary leadership and proactive pursuit of international business opportunities have enabled their company to establish a strong, competitive Canadian presence in global markets. 

2025

Thursday, October 23, 2025 | The Ritz-Carlton| Toronto, ON

Honouring

Kevin Strain, President and CEO, Sun Life

Kevin was appointed President and CEO in August 2021. He joined Sun Life in 2002 and held several senior roles, including Vice-President of Investor Relations for Sun Life’s Corporate Office, and Senior Vice-President of Sun Life’s Individual Insurance and Investments division in Canada.

In 2012, Kevin assumed the role of President, Sun Life Asia where he was responsible for Sun Life’s interests in Asia, including identifying opportunities for growth in the region and managing the company’s relationships with its partners.

In 2017, Kevin was appointed Chief Financial Officer, responsible for Sun Life’s worldwide Finance, Taxation, Capital and Investor Relations, Enterprise Services and Corporate Development business groups.

Kevin is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and was previously on the Board of Governors for the University of Waterloo. Kevin is a member of the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council.

Contact Details

For more information, or to purchase a table, please contact Anick DeSousa, Senior Director, Member Relations at 613.238.4000 (2239) or adesousa@chamber.ca.

Past Recipients

Last year, we were proud to recognize Ian Edwards, President and CEO of AtkinsRéalis as our 2024 International Business Leader of the Year.