Manulife Financial Corp.'s board has appointed Rona Ambrose as a director, effective Sept. 1.

She serves as an independent corporate director and global fellow at the Wilson Center's Canada Institute in Washington, D.C., where she focuses on bilateral trade between Canada and the U.S. and North American competitiveness issues. She also serves on the advisory board of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Ambrose is a former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and served as minister for nine Canadian federal departments during her career in government.