Great-West Lifeco subsidiary The Great-West Life Assurance Company celebrates 125 years of working with Canadians

Lifeco to open the TSX today

TSX:GWO

WINNIPEG, Aug. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Great-West Lifeco Inc. subsidiary The Great-West Life Assurance Company today celebrates 125 years of working with Canadians.

In recognition of this significant milestone, Great-West Lifeco will open the markets today at the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba on August 28, 1891, Great-West Life and its subsidiaries – London Life and Canada Life – now serve the financial security needs of more than 12 million people across Canada.

"Over these many decades, individuals, families, businesses and organizations have been able to count on us to deliver on the promises we make," said Paul Mahon, President and CEO of Great-West Lifeco and Great-West Life. "One constant through those years is the dedication, skill and energy of our employees and distribution associates and their commitment to helping our customers achieve financial security and well-being."

Highlights of Great-West Life today*

• 12,000+ employees and 27,000+ distribution associates supporting our customers across Canada
• Provided income for over 75,000 people who became disabled and could no longer work
• Helped Canadians fund their retirement through over $800 million of annuity payments
• Paid over 50 million claims representing more than $4 billion in health and dental benefits for group insurance plan members
• Supported more than 900 community projects across Canada with contributions totalling $12.1 million to address major issues such as literacy and essential skills training, lifelong health and wellness, and basic needs like food and housing
• Our employees and distribution associates gave donations and volunteered more than 20,000 times in communities across Canada
• $2.1 million raised by our employees for charity through corporate teams, United Way campaigns and other support
• One of Canada's Top 100 Employers and a Top Employer for Young People

* as at December 31, 2015

About The Great-West Life Assurance Company
Great-West Life, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, is a leading Canadian insurer. Together with its subsidiaries London Life Insurance Company and The Canada Life Assurance Company, Great-West Life seves the financial security needs of more than 12 million people across Canada.

For individuals and families, we offer investment, savings and retirement income plans and annuities, as well as life, disability, critical illness and health insurance. For large and small businesses and organizations, we offer group benefit plan solutions featuring options such as life, healthcare, dentalcare, critical illness, disability and wellness, international benefits plans, plus convenient online services. We also offer group retirement and savings plans that are tailored to the unique needs of businesses and organizations.

Great-West Life has interests in life insurance, health insurance, investment, savings and retirement income and reinsurance, primarily in Canada and Europe.

About Great-West Lifeco
Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSX:GWO) is an international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management and reinsurance businesses. Great-West Lifeco has operations in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia through Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life, Irish Life, Great-West Financial and Putnam Investments. Great-West Lifeco and its companies have approximately $1.2 trillion* in consolidated assets under administration and are members of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.

* Assets as of June 30, 2016

SOURCE Great-West Lifeco Inc.

Media Relations: Marlene Klassen, APR, 204.946.7705; Investor Relations: Wendi Thiessen, 204.946.7452