Office address: One MetLife Way, Whippany, NJ 07981
Website: investments.metlife.com
Year established: 1868
Company type: financial services
Employees: 950+
Expertise: fixed income, private credit, real estate, small and small-mid cap equities, asset-based finance, pension solutions, sustainable investing, portfolio management, risk management, institutional asset management
Parent company: MetLife, Inc.
Key people: Michel Khalaf (CEO); John McCallion (head of MIM); Brian Funk (president); Timothy Rabe, Geert Henckens, and Kerry O’Brien (global heads); Kathryn Vorisek (senior managing director)
Financing status: corporation
MetLife is a leading US-based provider of insurance, annuities, and employee benefits, with a strong presence in over 40 countries. Its investment arm, MetLife Investment Management, serves institutional investors and draws on more than 150 years of experience. MIM manages $624 billion in assets as of June 2025, focusing on fixed income, private credit, and real estate.
MetLife began its story in 1863, during a time of great uncertainty in America. The company first operated as the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company, offering coverage to Civil War soldiers and sailors.
After a few challenging years, the business shifted its focus to life insurance, which led to the creation of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1868. By 1880, it was signing up hundreds of new policies each day, showing its growing influence in the industry.
As the years passed, the company did not stay confined to the US. It expanded its reach to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm became known for more than just insurance.
It supported public health campaigns, provided basic care through visiting nurse services, and invested in agriculture and infrastructure. These activities expanded its involvement in public health and community development.
MetLife Investment Management emerged as a key part of the company’s growth. MIM brought deep experience in fixed income, private credit, real estate, and equities to institutional investors.
Drawing on MetLife’s long history of stability and careful risk management, MIM built tailored investment solutions for clients. By 2024, MIM had become a top global manager, originating $21 billion in private credit transactions and leading in infrastructure debt investments.
In 2025, the firm made a move to strengthen its investment arm. The company acquired portfolio management teams from Mesirow, bringing in about 20 experienced specialists.
This deal added high-yield, bank loan, and small-cap equity expertise to MIM’s offerings. The acquisition showed its commitment to growing its in-house talent and expanding its investment capabilities for institutional clients.
MetLife Investment Management has broad expertise in institutional investment products. Its offerings include:
MetLife Investment Management is also known for its experience in building tailored portfolio solutions and for its accessible, accountable, and collaborative approach. The firm’s long history and broad resources help clients pursue strong, risk-adjusted returns across changing markets.
MetLife states that its culture centers on valuing all perspectives and supporting employee growth. The firm’s core values include:
According to the company, the work environment is built on teamwork and access to resources for success. To support this, the firm provides its staff with:
MetLife provides career growth tools, manager check-ins, and access to a learning experience platform. Workforce and leadership workshops support ongoing development. The company states it is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all employment laws.
Michel A. Khalaf is CEO and president of MetLife, leading the company’s global operations and strategy. Before this, Khalaf served as CEO for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia after MetLife acquired Alico from AIG. He later managed the EMEA region and US businesses, launching new strategies to drive growth and value.
MetLife Investment Management’s senior leadership team works closely with the CEO to guide MIM's operations:
This leadership team brings global experience and a strong focus on institutional investing. Their combined expertise supports MetLife Investment Management’s mission to deliver tailored solutions for clients worldwide.
MetLife Investment Management is helping pension plan sponsors manage market swings by sharing strategies for derisking and asset allocation. The firm’s experts guide clients on shifting from equities to bonds and private credit, aiming to balance risk and improve returns. This approach supports clients as they prepare for future changes and helps MIM stay relevant in a changing market.
In 2025, MetLife Investment Management released an impact report highlighting how its Global Bond Fund financed projects across 169 countries. The report showed that the firm supported environmental and social initiatives, including clean energy, water treatment, and affordable housing, while delivering competitive returns. This work positions MIM as a leader in responsible investing and supports its long-term commitment to global sustainability.
As life and annuity insurers emerge battered from 2008 and the first quarter this year, there appear to be some hints of recovery amid the wreckage, according to a report from A.M. Best Co.
Fixed annuities continued to outsell their variable counterparts in the first quarter, according to data from LIMRA International Inc. of Windsor, Conn.
Chief executive Ramani Ayer today told employees in an internal memorandum that the insurance juggernaut, which has limped its way through dismal financial results and devastating investment losses, has decided to hold on to both units.
Stable-value funds are the safest investment option available to 401(k) plan participants, but recent problems at two funds illustrate why sponsors should exercise caution in selecting them, according to observers.
In order to keep the individual annuity market alive amid economic turmoil, insurance companies will need to readjust their product risk, distribution and cost structures for the product, according to a report from Conning Research & Consulting.
MetLife Inc. has backed out of the Department of the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, saying its strong balance sheet shows it doesn’t need federal aid.
Although life insurers may be able to get a federal lifeline through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, it remains to be seen whether the money would be enough to help carriers survive mounting losses and decreased financial flexibility.
Lincoln National Corp., which paid off a $500 million debt just yesterday, today said it is considering whether to sell assets in an effort to bolster its insurance businesses.
MetLife Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive C. Robert Henrikson received compensation of $12.4 million in 2008, down 13 percent from the previous year, according to an Associated Press calculation of figures disclosed in a regulatory filing Tuesday.
Sales of fixed annuities climbed to $107 billion last year, up 60% from 2007, according to the Beacon Research Fixed Annuity Premium Study.
Standard and Poor’s yesterday announced ratings downgrades for 10 major life insurers, including Genworth Financial Inc., Lincoln National Corp. and MetLife Inc.
Insurers have begun bidding for American Life Insurance Co., the life insurance unit of American International Group Inc.
Private-equity investors appear to be leading the pack of likely buyers for the three broker-dealers in the AIG Advisor Group, which houses 6,571 representatives, according to a number of industry sources.
