Vice-President, Distribution

A subsidiary of iA Financial Group for more than 50 years, iA Auto and Home strives to offer general insurance products that meet the exact needs of its clients. Its employees are talented, passionate and personify trust, openness, respect, energy and cooperation. They are the reason for iAAH's success.

Purpose of role

Would you like to put your innovative vision to work in a context of digital transformation and a multichannel offering? Are you well-versed in customer contact centre best practices and able to maximize efficiency for this growing area of our sector? We have just the position for you!

Reporting to the President and Chief Operating Officer of iAAH, you will be responsible for setting the strategies for iAAH, iA Avantages, CAA and brokerage, along with their sales, underwriting, customer service, collections, administration and external partner activities (Career Agents network, CAA, Dealer Services and brokerages) to ensure growth and profitability. You will establish, deploy and evolve the vision and direction of the various distribution channels in line with the company's strategies. You will be responsible for defining objectives, in collaboration with the various partners, and ensuring that they are met. 

You will be responsible for putting in place a management system that ensures effective control of activities and quality of services. You will also oversee risk management for your sector and compliance with relevant legislation.

The agency consists of a team of approximatively 450 employees.

Your main responsibilities

• Have a clear vision of the issues facing the industry and leverage your leadership abilities to prioritize these issues, ensuring that the company's vision and business direction is equipped to address them in line with industry best practices.
• Establish, deploy and evolve the vision and directions for distribution channels in line with corporate strategy.
• Develop appropriate operational strategies to deliver quality service to customers to achieve business and growth objectives and ensure strategy implementation.   
• Ensure the development and execution of tactical plans to develop customer traffic and loyalty to achieve the organization's short- and medium-term objectives in collaboration with the marketing manager.
• Be accountable for the growth and profitability of your sector, and ensure that objectives are met by working with the global client experience function to activate organic growth opportunities, and by incorporating suitable tools for analyzing and communicating results.
• Maintain and develop relationships with business partners (Career Agents network, CAA, Dealer Services and brokerages) and participate in the negotiation of related agreements.
• Contribute to the development of the company's and sector’s strategies to promote business development, growth and profitability efficiently across the various distribution channels.
• Identify the optimal operating model based on the needs of partners and the customers they serve, and evolve the model by anticipating client needs and ensuring they are met.
• Supervise underwriting, collection and administration operations for all distribution channels.
• Promote development and synergy within the management team you support by communicating the vision, directions and strategies to achieve growth and high-quality service objectives, while ensuring sound cost management.
• Develop, monitor and upgrade performance indicators for both processes and people to support decision-making.
• Be responsible for your value chain, promoting continuous process improvement to achieve objectives and ensure optimal capacity management.
• Ensure the management of risk for the sector along with compliance with the laws and regulations governing sector activities.
• Coordinate and monitor the annual budgeting process for the sector.
• Create a work climate that encourages people to excel and be fully engaged.

Qualifications and skills

• You have 15 years of relevant experience at a financial institution, preferably in property and casualty insurance, including 10 years in a customer contact centre management position.
• You have a bachelor's degree or higher in finance, administration, actuarial science, law or a related field.
• Solid understanding of the market, the competition and industry issues
• Solid knowledge of property and casualty insurance company operations as well as customer contact centres
• Proven experience in increasing revenues and leveraging winning partnership strategies
• Ability to build strong relationships with business partners
• Skilled at conceptualizing and communicating business strategies
• Strong ability to formulate clear mandates, provide realistic resources and realign to ensure consistency
• Ability to manage and motivate a sales and customer service team
• Ability to lead transformation, inspired by industry best practices
• Excellent English and French language skills, both oral and written, due to regular interaction with English and French speaking colleagues or internal and external partners across Canada
• Ability to confer and negotiate with various stakeholders
• Sense of responsibility and self-reliance