Louis-Philippe Pouliot – The active, accessible leader
Louis-Philippe has never been one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, it was his desire for mental stimulation and an intellectual challenge that led him to the demanding discipline of actuarial sciences. Beyond testing his neurons, the insurance industry has proven to be an abundant source of motivation for Louis-Philippe, especially in instances such as a memorable internship at Met Life that brought him to New York City.
“An insurer’s mission, especially for those at iA, is based on protecting individuals and families, which makes it a true social vocation. That’s why, in our work, we always have our raison d’être in mind: we strive to help our clients feel confident and secure about their future—for the good of all, for the good of the community.”
A competitive spirit in the service of growth
Since 2008, Louis-Philippe has been pursuing the dream initiated by our founders, but with the extensive resources of the major financial group we’ve become.
“In the group sector, we’ve invested heavily in modernization—because it’s worth it,” emphasizes Louis-Philippe. “We want to take a larger share of the market, competing with the biggest players to become one of the top three insurers in the field, both in insurance and savings. Actually, that’s one of the objectives of our 2030 plan.”
A certain competitive spirit is required when aiming to take the lead—and Louis-Philippe has that in spades. While working in Actuarial Services, he mainly satisfied this competitive bent off the job, through sports.
“Pushing myself to the limit in triathlons used to help me come back to my work refreshed and clear-headed. Now, the responsibility of developing a business segment is where I get the adrenalin rush I once found competing. Today, our competitors are in my sights and I’m taking them on to get ahead. That said, I’m still exercising, still burning calories every week!”
Louis-Philippe loves to stay active: these days, along with his wife—who also works at iA—and two children, he’s especially keen on mountain biking with his club in Quebec City or on regular trips to Vermont.
“My kids are 7 and 10, so we can all ride in age-based groups now, and then spend some quality family time afterwards!”
Child welfare is also something Louis-Philippe holds close to his heart. He recently participated in the Leucan Shaved Head Challenge, which raises money for children with cancer.
Thinking in terms of harmony
Louis-Philippe is a big advocate of harmony between the professional and personal. “Underpinning the word ‘balance’ is often this predefined weighting of the various parts of our lives, which are mistakenly placed in opposition to each other—work and family, for example. I prefer to think in terms of harmony, which suggests the coexistence of various spheres that nourish one another.”
As someone who frequently travels between our Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto offices, Louis-Philippe is happy with the benefits provided by the WFA model, which offers him a certain degree of flexibility.
“I also love working at the physical office, where I can fully immerse myself in concrete situations, see the direct reality of client interactions and deepen my understanding of our customer service teams. These are excellent, dedicated teams who’ve helped us make great strides in recent years.”
An accessible person
Louis-Philippe couldn’t be more pleased with the progress of his sector in the midst of modernization. “With Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions, volume can be variable. We have, however, had a lot of predictability the past two years, and clients who contact our Customer Service have been waiting far less time online. This allows us to take even better care of our teams and focus on other goals.”
While he’s climbed many rungs of the corporate ladder and has consistently pursued new challenges, from Quebec to Arizona, Louis-Philippe—a true team player—remains accessible.
“I like to incorporate a touch of humour here and there, or even take a friendly approach to help alleviate some of the pressure.”
And while it’s all well and good to sympathize and empathize with our colleagues, it takes more to get projects off the ground and moving forward. Learning to trust and assert yourself is key, and this can be a challenge for managers. But Louis-Philippe has managed thanks to his personal approach and genuine interest in others—the very same grounds on which our industry was built.