Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East, Toronto
The event will feature an update on the Company’s growth strategy, including a deep dive on U.S. operations and key objectives of the Canadian businesses.
Denis Ricard has been President and Chief Executive Officer of iA Financial Group since September 2018. He is an engaged leader who values the development of people in a learning, socially responsible organization.
He is responsible for strategic planning and ensuring the company’s sustainable growth, taking into account the interests of shareholders, clients, employees and the communities in which the company operates. He is recognized as an experienced team builder, passionate about new challenges and dedicated to iA Financial Group’s long-term goals.
Mr. Ricard began his career at iA Financial Group in 1985, after completing his degree in actuarial science at Université Laval. Over the years, he has assumed positions of increasing responsibility, from actuarial to business development to corporate management. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and of the Society of Actuaries (FSA).
Denis Ricard has been actively involved in the community for many years. He currently serves on the campaign cabinet of Fondation CERVO, which supports care for mental health issues and research in neuroscience. He is also a member of the campaign cabinet for the Fondation IUCPQ whose primary mission is the health of people with cardiovascular, respiratory and obesity-related diseases. He also serves as honourary chair for various charitable events and campaigns, including the Musée des sciences and the Musée de la civilisation Foundation in Québec City.
Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer Canadian Operations
Pierre Miron
Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer Canadian Operations
Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer Canadian Operations of iA Financial Group, Pierre Miron is a strong leader with a proven track record who brings vast experience to his role. Pierre oversees all Canadian lines of business. He is fully committed to achieving iA Financial Group’s ambitious growth targets. Pierre has more than 40 years of experience in finance and information technology sectors, he is also highly regarded for his vision in planning and executing major digital transformations programs. When he joined iA Financial Group, he set the target for the Group’s digital ambition and led and transformed the IT sector. Subsequently he co-led with Denis Ricard, President and CEO, the execution of the organization’s transformation to maximize the economic benefits of the technological investments emanating from the digital transformation program. In addition, he was responsible for investment operations, which he skillfully managed thanks to his vast experience in the field. Over the course of his career, he has held various management positions, including at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), CGI, National Bank Financial and the National Bank of Canada. Before joining our organization as Executive Vice-President, Operations & Information Technology, he was responsible for investment operations and information technology at the CDPQ for more than 9 years. As a member of the CDPQ Executive Committee, he was called upon to lead several multidisciplinary teams that were instrumental in making the organization more agile, efficient and closely aligned with the rapid evolution of its fields of activity. In addition to his responsibilities, his final mandate was to lead the CDPQ’s globalization of investment activities program. Pierre currently serves as an active member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forces AVENIR. He is also a member of Sherweb’s advisory board. He has also, for many years, supported several charitable organizations and shared his experience as a speaker at charity events.
Executive Vice-President, CFO and Chief Actuary
Éric Jobin
Executive Vice-President, CFO and Chief Actuary
Éric Jobin has been iA Financial Group’s Executive Vice-President, CFO and Chief Actuary since August 2023. Previously, he held the position of Executive Vice-President, Operational Efficiency. He continues to oversee Operational Efficiency in his new role as well.
Mr. Jobin began his career at iA Financial Group in 1999 in Corporate Actuarial Services. Thereafter, he took on many challenges which led him to the role of Vice-President, Corporate Actuarial Services in 2015 and then Vice-President, Actuarial and Finance, Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions in 2017, and Executive Vice-President, Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions in 2020. He also served as president of the iA Financial Group Employee Pension Committee.
Éric Jobin has a degree in actuarial science from Université Laval and has FSA and FCIA designations. He also has a certificate in leadership and management skills from Concordia University.
Executive Vice-President, Individual Insurance, Savings and Retirement
Renée Laflamme
Executive Vice-President, Individual Insurance, Savings and Retirement
Renée Laflamme is Executive Vice-President, Individual Insurance, Savings and Retirement at iA Financial Group. She manages this sector’s operations and activities across Canada. She is responsible for the growth strategy for the individual Insurance, savings and retirement, as well as all distribution, underwriting, product development, marketing and administration activities. She is also responsible for leading the operations of PPI Management, and is a member of the company’s executive committee.Ms. Laflamme has a Bachelor of Administration from Laval University and is a chartered accountant and chartered financial analyst. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Fellow CPA. In 2022, Ms. Laflamme won the Finance et Investissement Top Leader Award for Quebec in the “Leaders/Executives in the Financial Industry” category. In 2023, Renée was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) in the “Executive Leaders” category. She also supports a number of philanthropic organizations, including Centraide Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches, where she has been a member of the major donations committee for several years.
Executive Vice-President, Wealth Management
Stephan Bourbonnais
Executive Vice-President, Wealth Management
Stephan Bourbonnais has been the Executive Vice-President, Wealth Management since January 2023. In this role, he oversees the strategic growth plans of four dynamic subsidiaries: iA Clarington Investments, iA Private Wealth, Investia Financial Services and iA Capital Markets.
A seasoned and proven leader with more than 25 years of financial sector experience, Stephan joined iA Private Wealth as President and Chief Executive Officer in February 2021.
Prior to joining iA, Stephan was Senior Vice-President and Regional Director, Eastern Canada, at a large wealth management firm. In this role, he led all high-net-worth business lines, overseeing investment advisors, portfolio managers, private bankers and the wealth planning team across Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Stephan also served on the firm’s national and management committees for Quebec and was Chair of its Inclusion and Diversity Committee in Quebec.
Stephan has held senior executive positions at a number of major financial institutions. His breadth of experience covers private banking, insurance, brokerage services, product and investment management, and wealth planning. Stephan earned a bachelor’s degree in international business from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and an MBA from HEC Montreal.
Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer US Operations
Sean O'Brien
Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer US Operations
With nearly 30 years’ experience in building, leading and growing businesses, Sean O’Brien joined iA Wealth Management in May 2020. He has held the position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer US Operations since May 29, 2024.
He previously held a number of senior positions with iA Financial Group, most recently Executive Vice-President, Wealth Management and Executive Vice-President, Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions. He has also headed the Dealer Services sector in Canada.
Before joining iA Financial Group, Mr. O’Brien was Chief Operating Officer of Ontario-based CTL Corp., the largest privately owned consumer vehicle financing company in Canada (acquired in 2015 by iA Financial Group). Prior to that, Mr. O’Brien spent over 15 years in progressively senior roles at a major Canadian financial institution.
Sean O’Brien is a strong entrepreneur who has developed a true passion for growing businesses. His entrepreneurial passion is complemented by a pragmatic and disciplined approach to managing day-to-day operations, costs and capital allocation. He believes that you should run a business like you own it. His innate business acumen and vast experience make him a major player in Canada’s financial industry. Mr. O’Brien is also on the board of the Cancer Research Society.
President, IA American Life and American-Amicable Group of Companies
Joe Dunlap
President, IA American Life and American-Amicable Group of Companies
Joe Dunlap has been President of IA American Life Insurance Company since December, 2014. He is an experienced leader with a history of successful execution of business objectives.
He is responsible for leading and managing IA American’s operation in the U.S. life insurance space. He is recognized as a detail-oriented executive committed to the long term success of the company. He is known as an experienced team builder and is passionate about leading by example.
Mr. Dunlap began his career at American Amicable Life Insurance Company in 1978, after completing his degree in Finance from Sam Houston State University. During that time he has occupied a variety of management positions within the company, serving as EVP and Chief Operating Officer for 11 years prior to his promotion to President in 2014. He holds the designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) from the American College of Financial Services.
Joe Dunlap has been active in the community and has worked to establish the company as a good corporate citizen. He currently serves as a board member for the Waco Chamber of Commerce as well as the Waco Industrial Foundation. He also serves as a member of the Waco City Council’s Public Improvement District No. 1, which focuses on the civic improvement of the downtown Waco area.
President and Chief Operating Officer, eFinancial EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Fidelity Life
Melissa Balsan
President and Chief Operating Officer, eFinancial EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Fidelity Life
Melissa Balsan oversees several aspects of Vericity, serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of eFinancial and Chief Marketing Officer Vericity. She joined Vericity in 2023 and is responsible for strategic planning, sales, marketing, operations, and financial performance at eFinancial. Melissa is accountable for Vericity’s strategic growth agenda, driving direct-to-consumer customer acquisition through fully online sales, remote agent sales, and a hybrid of both.
A digital native, Ms. Balsan has more than 25 years of experience in digital, direct response marketing. Prior to Vericity, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at GoHealth, a Medicare focused health insurance agency, where she oversaw all customer acquisition and call center sales experience. Prior to GoHealth, Melissa was the Chief Marketing Officer at Endurance Warranty, a DTC distributor and administrator of mechanical breakdown protection products. She also held roles at Perdoceo Education Corporation and CareerBuilder, and has successfully launched new technology to enable online sales and service for several businesses.
Melissa been actively involved in U.S. charities, including raising money for cancer research and clinical trials at Memorial-Sloan Kettering in New York City and volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository for over 10 years. She is a fierce advocate for human rights and deeply committed to animal rescue in her local community.
President of iA American Warranty Group
John Laudenslager
President of iA American Warranty Group
John Laudenslager has been President of iA American Warranty Group since January 2025. He is an engaged and hands-on leader who values people, structure and accountability in a thriving work environment.
John is responsible for overseeing the operational model of iAAWG with a focus on sustainable growth, employee development and growth and contributing to iA corporate long term shareholder value.
John has deep experience in implementing and building a collaborative and productive workplace environment. He embraces challenging situations and enjoys watching people, partners and companies grow.
John began his career in the retail automotive business working his way through many dealership roles. He became General Manager at 27 and progressed to multi-dealership responsibility over the next 8 years. Over the last 23 years, John has been on the Insurance and Dealer Services side of the business, most recently as the President of Assurant Global Automotive.
John has a passion for mentoring young adults, is committed to a healthy life, and has recently served on the Board of an automotive company.
Vice-President, Investor Relations, Sustainability and Public Affairs
Caroline Drouin
Vice-President, Investor Relations, Sustainability and Public Affairs
Caroline Drouin holds the position of Vice-President, Investor Relations, Sustainability and Public Affairs since July 2024. In this role, Caroline is responsible for managing relations with investors, as well as with the various players in the financial markets. She is also responsible for the company’s public affairs, sustainability and philanthropy programs.
Caroline Drouin holds a Bachelor in Actuarial Science from Université Laval and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and Canadian Institute of Actuaries. She joined iA Financial Group in 2018, where she has since held various management positions.