About Us


Our Strength

Parental Strength

We're backed by strength. Our parent is part of Great-West Life, one of the world's leading life assurance companies.

Great-West Life is a leading Canadian insurer with interests in the life and health insurance, investment, savings and retirement income and reinsurance businesses, primarily in Canada and Europe.

As part of The Great-West Life Assurance Company, we have access to a large pool of experience and expertise on a global scale, allowing us to continuously enhance our product and service offering.

Great-West Life was founded in 1891 and has its headquarters in Winnipeg, Canada.

For more information on our parental strength please click here.


Financial Strength

Both Great-West Life and Canada Life receive consistently high financial ratings from the major independent rating agencies, including Canada Life's AA rating* from Standard & Poor's. This makes Canada Life one of the largest and strongest life and pension companies operating in the Irish market today.

For more information on our financial strength please click here.




Our Brand Strength

Founded in Ireland in 1903, Canada Life has over 100 years' experience serving the financial planning needs of our customers in the Irish market.

As part of a Canadian group we have first-hand experience working in a conservative risk-aware environment to ensure best practice for our customers, and we are justifiably proud to be part of one of the largest and strongest life assurance groups, from a country ranked the most financially sound in the world **.


Investment Strength

At Canada Life we're proud of our investment strength and we only partner with the best investment fund managers to offer a broad range of choice to Irish investors.

Through our investment partners we offer clients a full range of investment options that covers the entire risk and reward spectrum. From low-risk cash and fixed-interest funds, to higher-risk equity and dividend- based funds, Canada Life has an investment option with the right level of risk, reward and flexibility to suit all our clients' investment needs.

Our primary asset manager is Setanta Asset Management. Setanta was established in Ireland in 1998 and has grown steadily since then. With a well-resourced Dublin-based team, Setanta is focused exclusively on the business of asset management. Funds under management with Setanta amount to €4.9bn *** and derive from mandates across the entire investment spectrum.

As well as Setanta Asset Management, Canada Life offers access to a range of additional investment managers to offer an even broader level of choice to investors. Our other investment partners include; SEI Investments, BlackRock Investments, Morgan Stanley, and Merrion Investment Managers.


Fund Performance Strength

Our fund performance track record remains strong across our broad range of investment choices.

Our flagship fund, the Canada Life/Setanta Global Equity Fund, has an exceptional record of outperformance. Through various economic cycles, and both up and down markets, the Global Equity Fund has consistently outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI World Index, since its inception in 2001****.


Warning: Past Performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of your investment may go down as well as up.

* The financial rating shown for the Canada Life Assurance Company is provided by Standard & Poor's. Standard & Poor's is a ratings agency which provides ratings on the financial strength of companies. Source: Bloomberg as of 28/04/2011.

** Source: World Economic Forum 2010.

*** As at September 2011.

**** Source: Moneymate.

Setanta Asset Management Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Canada Life Assurance (Ireland) Limited and The Canada Life Assurance Company are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.