Isabelle Blackburn – A Woman of Action
As a woman of action, Isabelle quickly found her way to the stock market before joining the public sector, where she spent nearly 20 years as a senior manager at the Department of Finance. She excelled in this environment where challenges were myriad, and one of her leading motivations was to help society: “In the public sector, where we administer hundreds of billions of dollars, a single successful transaction can mean everything for a hospital or another institution, because even at the decimal level the impact is colossal!”
In fact, it was the human factor, the focus on community and accessibility that first brought her to iA Financial Group. “When I first arrived, I was amazed to see the President eating lunch at the cafeteria along with everyone else. In this friendly atmosphere, I was spontaneously introduced to so many people in the company,” mentions Isabelle.
Since November 2020, she has been attending to the future of iA Auto and Home Insurance (iAAH) and Prysm. With this iA affiliate, which is in direct contact with clients, the human touch is even more essential. “I work with extraordinary people who have a deep desire to serve our clients well. This winter, faced with episodes of intense showers and wind, all our teams rallied to promptly respond to a deluge of claims, even during the holidays. In a context of labour shortages and supply chain delays, acting quickly for our clients means that repairs will be prompt and that their peace of mind will be restored.”
Her desire to make a difference in the community is also reflected in her involvement with Bénévoles d’expertise (Expert Volunteers), an organization with which she has been involved since 2018 and of which she is currently the Board Chair. “iA, along with United Way/Centraide, is one of the founders of this organization, and since its values matched my own, I decided to get involved. Many organization directors come from a community background and greatly appreciate the assistance that a number of professionals provide in areas with which they are less familiar. And as expert volunteers, we also learn a lot!”
For Isabelle, continuing education is fundamental. In this vein, she has taken advantage of opportunities for internal mobility in order to discover the breadth of iA Financial Group. In doing so, she became Vice-President of Internal Audit, then moved on to the national operations of our Dealer Services sector.
She is highly motivated by the growth of iAAH, which celebrated its 50th year on May 10, 2023. The digital transformation currently underway will allow our auto and home insurance subsidiary to be even more attentive to our clients, according to the mode of interaction of their choice. For the group as a whole, having this finger on our clients’ pulse has the potential to lead to major progress for all business segments, even bringing them to new heights.
And Isabelle knows a thing or two about heights! With a passion for intense mountain hikes, she summits dozens of peaks each year, and her tendency to constantly outdo herself motivates her to reach the top a bit faster each time. A mountain, just like a mathematical equation or a new sector to develop, conceals an intoxicating complexity, which she even describes as music to her ears. And she’ll always be willing and able to shed light on those mysteries, all along the way.