Good afternoon. Welcome to the 2026 Annual Meeting of MetLife, Inc Shareholders on June 16, 2026. I'm Glenn Hubbard, Chairman of the Board of MetLife, Inc. The time is 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time. I hereby call the meeting to order. During this meeting or the general question period that follows, we may discuss potential MetLife actions or future results. Of course, what actually happens could turn out differently, due in part to the risks and uncertainties described in the risk factors included in MetLife, Inc's SEC filings. MetLife does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any such forward-looking statements. Joining the meeting today are members of the Board of Directors, members of the company's executive leadership team, and Karen Lynch and Tannisha Troutman , each a partner and representative from Deloitte & Touche LLP, the company's independent auditors.
The board has appointed an agent of American Election Services, LLC, Christopher Woods, to serve as the Inspector of Election for this meeting. Mr. Woods is attending the meeting today and has previously taken his oath as Inspector of Election. Before we proceed, I would like to recognize Denise M. Morrison and Carlos M. Gutierrez, both retiring from the board today. I'd like to thank them for their outstanding leadership and service as members of the Board of Directors. Each of MetLife's current directors, other than Denise and Carlos, is standing for election for a one-year term that ends at the 2027 annual meeting. The rules of conduct for today's meeting are accessible at the lower right section of your screen under the Meeting Materials section.
I will ask Tim Ring, Senior Vice President and Secretary, to confirm that we have a quorum for the meeting.
Yes. Mr. Woods has certified that a quorum is present for the transaction of business at this meeting.
Thank you. I declare the polls for voting on each of the three proposals to be presented for a vote at today's meeting open as of 2:33 P.M. Eastern Time on June 16, 2026. Shareholders as of the April 17, 2026 record date, who registered for this meeting with their control number may vote their shares online at any time until the closing of the polls by clicking the Vote Here button on your screen. If you have previously submitted a proxy and do not wish to change or revoke your vote, your vote will be cast as you previously instructed and no further action is required. Shareholders who registered for this meeting with their control number may ask questions or submit comments via the Ask a Question section on the lower left of your screen, and members of executive management and the board will be available to respond.
Those attending the meeting as guests and logged in without a control number may listen only. We'll begin by attending to the formal business of the meeting. Tim, can you confirm the mailing of the meeting notice to the company's shareholders?
Thank you, Glenn. I confirm that we received an affidavit from Broadridge, the company's agent for the proxy mailing, attesting that the mailing of the notice of this meeting to shareholders commenced on April 29th, 2026. That affidavit has been filed with the records of the company.
Thank you. We now turn to the three proposals to be presented for a vote. Each of the proposals is described in detail in the proxy materials, which are also included in the Meeting Materials section in the lower right section of your screen. The first item of business is Proposal 1, the election of directors. Each of the following nominees is currently serving as a director of the company, and if elected, will serve a term of one year ending at the company's annual meeting next year. Daniel S. Glaser, Carla A. Harris, Laura J. Hay , R. Glenn Hubbard, Jeh C. Johnson, William E. Kennard, Michel A. Khalaf, Diana L. McKenzie, Christian S. Mumenthaler, Michelle Seitz, and Mark A. Weinberger.
The next item of business is Proposal 2, the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company's independent auditor for 2026. The third item of business is Proposal 3, a non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers. The Compensation Committee will review the outcome of the vote and will take it into account when considering future compensation arrangements. The Board of Directors recommends a vote for the election of all the director nominees listed in Proposal 1 and for Proposals 2 and 3. At this time, we'll respond to questions and comments regarding any of the proposals. As a reminder, shareholders who logged in with a control number may submit questions or comments.
Tim, are there any questions or comments related to the proposals?
Glenn, a shareholder asks, where can I find information about the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer?
Thank you. Good question. Details about the compensation of the CEO, the CFO, and other named executive officers are included in the proxy statement.
Glenn, we have no other questions related to the three proposals that are before the shareholders today.
Thank you, Tim. The polls for voting on Proposals 1, 2, and 3 are about to close. If you've not yet voted, please do so. Remember, if you have previously submitted a proxy and do not want to change or revoke your voting instructions, you do not need to do anything. I now declare the polls for voting on each of the Proposals 1, 2, and 3 closed on June 16th, 2026 at 2:36 P.M. Eastern Time. Tim, at this time, would you please present the preliminary report of the proxy vote?
According to the preliminary report of the proxy vote that was provided to me by the Inspector of Elections, each director nominee listed in Proposal 1 has been elected. Proposal 2, the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company's independent auditor for 2026 has been ratified, and Proposal 3, the non-binding advisory vote on the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers has been approved. The final vote totals will be included in a Form 8-K that will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days following today's meeting.
Thank you, Tim. This concludes the formal business to be conducted at today's meeting. The formal portion of the annual meeting is now adjourned. Before opening the remaining time to general questions and comments from shareholders, I would like to introduce Michel Khalaf, a Director and President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, who will provide the report of the company. On behalf of the board, I want to thank him for his leadership of the company's strategy, structure, and strong execution. Michel.
Thank you, Glenn. On behalf of the management team and our 46,000 associates around the world, thank you for joining us. 2025 was a strong first year under our New Frontier strategy, which is designed to deliver responsible growth and attractive returns with less risk for our investors. We demonstrated clear business momentum and reinforced why MetLife is a compelling long-term investment. 2025 built the foundation for us to deliver on our five-year financial commitments with adjusted earnings per share growth of 10% versus 2024 and 16% adjusted return on equity, both excluding total notable items. Importantly, these results are repeatable as they reflect the core strengths that have long set MetLife apart, scale, diversification, and discipline. Together, these factors enable us to grow responsibly, manage risk effectively, and create shareholder value across market environments.
Let me start with scale. Our global portfolio is differentiated by leading capabilities, strong distribution relationships, and technology-enabled solutions. In the U.S., MetLife is the number one provider of both group benefits and institutional retirement products. Across Asia and Latin America, we are well-positioned to capture rising demand for retirement and protection solutions. MetLife Investment Management is growing earnings with low capital intensity strengthened by our PineBridge acquisition. Next, a defining strength remains our diversification across geographies, businesses, and distribution channels. Our diversification enables a balanced earnings mix featuring capital-light growth, scale-driven returns, and a recurring revenue model built on long-standing customer relationships. It supports durable earnings, cash generation, and risk management.
Finally, discipline is what has underpinned our success for nearly 160 years. It shapes how we manage expenses, improving our efficiency while cultivating growth. It also guides how we put our precious capital to work. In 2025, we deployed close to $4 billion to support organic new business, nearly $1.2 billion into accretive acquisitions and strategic investments while returning about $4.4 billion to shareholders in the form of common dividends and share repurchases. None of this would be possible without our purpose, helping our people, customers, and communities build a more confident future. This purpose strengthens our culture and drives performance.
In closing, year one of our New Frontier successfully built the engine for us to accelerate in 2026 and beyond with a focus on executing with speed and discipline. We believe this momentum is sustainable, as evidenced in our exceptional Q1 results, and we're confident in our long-term ability to expand our earnings power, deploy capital to its highest and best use, and generate value for our shareholders across cycles. Thank you for your continued trust and support.
I'll now turn it back to Glenn.
Thank you, Michel, for that report and for your leadership. I now open the remaining time for shareholder questions and comments. Tim, are there general questions or comments from shareholders?
Glenn, a shareholder asks, "Why do MetLife's disclosures refer to accounting numbers that are adjusted?
Thank you for the question. MetLife, like many public companies required to report results on a GAAP accounting basis, also reports certain adjusted or non-GAAP results to give investors and to give management a clearer view of MetLife's operational health. These adjusted amounts remove certain GAAP components that can fluctuate significantly over periods due to market volatility or hedging activity and other non-operating items that do not reflect core business performance. Adjusted earnings measures serve as the basis for internal resource allocation, performance evaluation, and executive and other employees' compensation. These measures also facilitate comparisons to broader industry results.
Explanations of adjusted measures and reconciliations to their GAAP equivalents are available in MetLife's SEC reports and the proxy statement, as well as other investment materials, investor materials on the MetLife investor relations webpage.
Glenn, there are no other shareholder questions.
Thank you, Tim, and thank you to all who joined. The meeting is now concluded. We thank you for your time, and especially your continued interest in the company.
That concludes our meeting today. You may now disconnect.