Helena Pagano

Helena Pagano is Executive Vice-President and Chief People and Culture Officer at Sun Life. She leads the company’s global People and Culture strategy and oversees Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Events and Experience, Corporate Real Estate and Philanthropy. In this role, Helena helps create the conditions for people to do their best work—building a culture where employees feel connected to Sun Life’s Purpose, supported in their growth and inspired to make a meaningful impact for Clients, communities and the business. Her leadership helps strengthen Sun Life’s reputation as an employer of choice and supports a global workforce of more than 68,000 employees.

Helena is a passionate advocate for advancing women's health in the workplace, helping drive awareness and support on issues that affect women throughout their lives and careers. She was named one of Report on Business magazine's Best Executives in 2025 for her leadership and impact on culture, talent and organizational performance.

Before joining Sun Life in 2017, Helena built more than three decades of global human resources experience across the financial services and natural resources sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University and has served on several community and not-for-profit boards including the Artist’s Health Alliance and the United Way Major Individual Giving Cabinet.