By Patrick Bouchard
Dear RCCAQ members:
Over the past few months, the RCCAQ's permanent staff and the Board of Directors have been working on various issues together with a view to moving the insurance brokerage sector forward. Today, I'd like to take a look at three topics that mean a lot to me.
New Junior Broker of Distinction Award
As you probably know from our recent communications, we have launched the nominations process for this year's Junior Broker of Distinction Award.
The award includes various new features. First of all, we are very pleased to present the award in collaboration with L’Association de la Relève en assurance du Québec (LARAQ), a group that works closely with junior insurance brokers. Their support means a lot as young brokers is at the heart of this association’ mission.
We hope this support will lead to more candidates for this prestigious award. There are many talented and promising young professionals in Quebec's insurance brokerage sector, and we hope to be able to sing their praises! That will be a positive step forward, not only for the next generation of insurance professionals, but also because they serve as role models and will help to enhance the standing of our profession.
So I encourage you to submit nominations on behalf of junior brokers (35 years of age or younger) who meet the award criteria. Candidates rarely submit nominations for themselves. That's why it's important for their colleagues to get involved and promote them on their own behalf!
Professional oversight and training: two roles that require independence
We recently provided you with a copy of the letter we sent to Quebec's finance minister, Carlos Leitão, reiterating our view that CHAD's dual role (providing professional oversight as well as training services to its members) is problematic.
In our view, this situation shows a flagrant lack of independence that has led to a series of problems. We have asked the minister to assign responsibility to the AMF for all activities relating to professional oversight of insurance representatives. In our view, such as decision would offer a number of advantages:
- The process of inspecting firms and representatives would be much more efficient. Having a single organization in charge would avoid duplication of resources and differences of interpretation.
- Public protection would be better due to greater simplicity, particularly as regards the complaint handling process.
- Firms' administrative burden would be reduced.
- Taxpayers' financial resources would be used more appropriately.
For all of those reasons, we believe that the AMF should be assigned full responsibility for protecting the public in the insurance sector. Consumers as well as certified insurance representatives all stand to benefit.
To ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear, kindly forward this letter to your MNA. Full details are provided in the email we sent out on September 26.
|
Convention preparations are in full swing!
The RCCAQ's annual convention is scheduled for November 23-24, 2016. We will be offering a winning combination of guest speakers and activities during this event, which will be organized around the theme of "The Client Experience: A Guarantee of Our Success". We are committed to providing a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise on this topic so the convention is sure to offer a wealth of content.
The event will kick off with the Ad Hoc Research survey results. This company interviewed consumers about their expectations regarding brokerage firms. The survey results will shed new light on today's consumers and what they want. I'm convinced that the findings will be useful and relevant to us all, not only individual brokers but firms as well.
You will also have the good fortune to hear Alexandre Taillefer, president and founder of TÉO Taxi, and his business partner and product manager, Patrick Gagné. If there ever was a traditional industry, the taxi industry is it! Mr. Taillefer has brought about a mini-revolution, so this seminar is sure to be inspiring!
We will also be privileged to welcome Éric Stevenson, the AMF's Superintendent of Client Services and Distribution Oversight. Last but not least, you can listen to Jasmin Bergeron and Sean H. Mulcair, who will be suggesting concrete tools to enhance the client experience, along with our traditional insurer/expert panels.
And since we want to have some fun as well, the activities on Wednesday, November 23 will close off with a reception and a gala banquet. The insurers' evening will be held on Thursday, November 24.
I look forward to seeing you at the convention! To consult the full program of activities and to register, please
click here.Patrick Bouchard, CIP
RCCAQ Chairman
