Rising high in Newport Center, Pacific Life’s space-age headquarters has been a defining feature of Newport Beach for over 50 years.

In 1969, Pacific Life purchased 10 acres of land from the Irvine Company for $3.5 million (nearly $30 million in 2024) and opened the doors to its new headquarters in 1973. Designed by visionary architect William Pereira, who also helped plan The Irvine Ranch and UC Irvine, the internationally acclaimed Newport Beach office is the size of five football fields, with 238,000 square feet, and features a futuristic design. 

When the new office opened, it served as a recruiting tool. Denise Kelly, a portfolio manager for real estate investments, recalled shopping at Fashion Island in 1972 when she noticed “a unique, odd-shaped building going up across the street” and was compelled to investigate. She filled out an application and ultimately worked for the company for more than 25 years.

Today Pacific Life employees can be found walking the Newport Center loop, dining and shopping at Fashion Island and taking care of personal errands (doctor appointments, financial planning, etc.) at nearby businesses. Out-of-town employees and visitors routinely comment on the beautiful accommodations and convenient location.

Pacific Life recently completed a renovation of the Newport Beach headquarters. The new, destination-worthy workspace incorporates modern, innovative materials that foster wellness. The layout supports collaboration, balancing connection opportunities with focused work to maximize productivity. The work space’s design improvements showcase Pacific Life’s prioritization of curating culture and relationship-building while increasing engagement, flexibility and choices for employees.

“We are proud to have an excellent, long-standing relationship as close business partners with Irvine Company.”

Pacific Life SVP of Brand Management and Corporate Affairs Tennyson Oyler

Pacific Life has an “excellent, long-standing relationship” with Irvine Company. Over the years as Pacific Life’s space needs have increased, it has used other Irvine Company buildings to support this growth. “We are proud to have an excellent, long-standing relationship as close business partners with Irvine Company,” says Tennyson Oyler, senior vice president of brand management and corporate affairs. “We are in regular contact, share resources and are proud to be close business partners.”  

Pacific Life remains committed to the Newport Beach community through extensive philanthropic work, strong community partnerships and regular events at its offices.

Oyler continued, “We’re invested in our community for the long term and are continuing our longstanding and proud commitment to Newport Beach and Orange County.”