Sun Life Opens New Offices in Downtown Hartford 

11.16.2022
Member News

Downtown Hartford has a new resident. 

Sun Life Financial cut the ribbon on its new offices in the city’s iconic Gold Building Nov. 14, creating one of six hubs across the country.

“Hartford is such a great place for people to be,” said Dan Fishbein, president of Sun Life U.S about the decision to relocate from Windsor. 

However, the more than 400 employees who live within commuting distance, will have the option of when, or if, they go to the office.

“We want the office to be a magnet, not a mandate,” said Fishbein. 

“As a company we are completely committed to a hybrid work environment. So what that means is each person in our company decides what’s best for them based on their calendar for that day.

“We’re not requiring that people come into the office a certain number of days, but we want to have really appealing, inviting spaces in great locations for people to come to.” 

‘Future of Work’

The new space will prioritize collaboration, supporting different workplace activities. 

“This office is literally the future of work,” said Fishbein.

Employees will have access to collaboration areas, quiet spaces, treadmill desks, a relaxation room, and a work cafe.

In building the new offices, the company put an emphasis on sustainability.

Sun Life ribbon cutting
Ribbon-cutting: Sun Life’s Jeff Moyer and Dan Fishbein, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Sun Life’s Rebecca Bergstrom.

That includes utilizing LED lighting, low water usage restrooms, electric vehicle charging stations, and living moss walls.

Sun Life has also partnered with the Amistad Center for Art & Culture to feature works by local artists of color throughout the office.

The partnership will also include building awareness for the center’s efforts, employee engagement and financial support. 

“We’re just part of a larger community,” said David Healy, senior vice president of group benefits.

Pandemic Recovery

Sun Life’s move comes as Hartford works to recover from the pandemic and attract more people to the city.

“Over the last couple of years we obviously had some massive changes in the workplace, some changes in the patterns of work,” said Mayor Luke Bronin.

“We, as a city, have an incredible history as an insurance capital. 

“This is a fantastic place for us to be, to be centered and have access to great people and talent.”

Sun Life’s David Healy

“We are determined that we are not to be just the insurance capital of the past, but the center of innovation in insurance, the center of growth in insurance, the center of growth in insurtech, continue to build an incredible, deep pool of talent and continue to bring new companies in, even as our old companies grow.

“What the team here at Sun Life has done to build out this space to meet the company’s needs is also a beautiful example of what modern workplace looks like.”

Healy noted that Hartford “actually “on average has nine times more insurance professionals living and working here than the average city in the U.S.”

“So this is a fantastic place for us to be, for us to be centered, and have access to great people and talent,” he said.

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