Jean-Simon Farrah – The bridge builder

Jean-Simon was immersed in governmental affairs even when he was growing up in the Magdalen Islands and Quebec City, as his father was a long-time member of the provincial, then federal, legislature. As a young university student, he had a brilliant academic career in the humanities in Ottawa, completing his studies with a master’s degree in political science at McGill University in Montreal.

Jean-Simon began his professional life in Ontario, handling government relations for retail giant Canadian Tire. Later, he joined the financial world, as Director of Canadian Government Relations at BMO.

“This was a very formative experience for me, as there was a lot at stake during the pandemic and most government payments went through the banks. We had to maintain frequent communication with Ms. Freeland, the Minister of Finance at the time.”

An area ripe for development

Since June 2022, Jean-Simon has been Head of Government Affairs, a new department that is part of Legal Services, at iA Financial Group, building on several years of in-house experience.

In the past, government relations had been handled by others in a more informal capacity, but with the creation of this department, iA Financial Group has transitioned from a reactive to a proactive mode.

“The idea is to formalize these relationships and to be disciplined in maintaining them,” added the seasoned public relations professional. “We are keen to develop a constant dialogue with the government. This means that we are better equipped on both sides for any laws and regulations that may be introduced in the future. When we can see the train coming, we can better adjust our operations.”

The financial world is a highly regulated environment. Almost every month, new guidelines, regulations and bills are published that may affect our business and how we serve our clients.

Beyond the disciplined and intellectual approach required for the job, however, Jean-Simon also appreciates the human side of working with his colleagues and peers in the industry. “To do this work, we need support, and I am privileged to have a manager like Isabelle Durand, who gives me the flexibility I need to enhance iA’s influence with governments and the industry,” he says. As chair of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) National Government Relations Committee, he also finds the camaraderie of the insurance government relations community an essential tool for promoting our industry’s interests to decision makers.

Other strings to his bow

To temporarily distract himself from the often uncertain economic and political climate, Jean-Simon decompresses with down-to-earth activities like running and squash.

He also likes to travel. Recently, thanks to the work-abroad opportunities offered by our WFA program, he flew to the other end of the Americas.

“I worked for a month from Argentina, and it worked quite well. I love discovering new cultures. It often opens up new perspectives, which are also useful to me professionally!”

It is this spirit of openness that drives him to get involved in his community, particularly in politics, a sphere he obviously knows very well.

Jean-Simon also took a detour into active politics from 2015 to 2018, serving as press secretary for Kathleen Wynne, the then Premier of Ontario, and then working as an advisor in the office of Marie-France Lalonde, Member of Parliament for Orléans. He has fond memories of this time:

“I encourage everyone to get involved in politics, because it affects everything. It’s very stimulating to take part in the democratic process. For me, Kathleen Wynne was a very inspiring person in this respect. She started out by getting actively involved in her community’s school system, then expanded her involvement to a larger scale with broader issues. She wanted to improve her community and got fully invested in making it happen!”

A bright future to build

When you take into account all the provinces, territories and states where iA Financial Group does business, it adds up to many different jurisdictions. These jurisdictions can also fluctuate due to electoral shifts. In this context, building relationships between iA Financial Group and the various levels of government is no easy task. Nevertheless, Jean-Simon remains confident:

“As the saying goes, we’re flying the plane as we’re building it. It’s a slow but progressive process. For now, we are mainly building relationships with the Quebec government, but we intend to develop our relationships with other governments in the near future.”

And no matter which way the political winds are blowing, Jean-Simon will always have his eye on the horizon, to stay the course and drive iA forward in any climate, come what may.