By Gladys Caron

Flashback to fall 2015. Guy Parent has been the RCCAQ's general manager for two years and wants to get a better understanding of members' realities "on the ground.” To that end, he puts together (with the help of operations director Catherine Rioux) a tour enabling them to visit as many firms as possible over the next few months. “We were very enthusiastic at the idea of setting off on this tour," says Catherine. "We're in continuous contact with our members, but going out to meet them in person gives a whole new dimension to our relationship.”

In fulfilling its mission to defend brokers' interests, the RCCAQ must maintain close ties with its members while understanding their needs. According to Guy, the regional tour is essential: “It gives us an opportunity to rub shoulders with RCCAQ members and to discuss the issues they're facing and how the RCCAQ can do an even better job at contributing to their development.”

7,214 kilometres covered in total!

Known for their high energy levels and for being 100% dedicated to the RCCAQ, Guy and Catherine organized their itinerary so they would be able to meet with the greatest number of firms as efficiently as possible. That meant planning the schedule in detail in order to get the most out of each day. “Everything was carefully timed,” notes Catherine. “The distances between the firms we were visiting were calculated and optimized with a view to maximizing efficiency. Of course, that doesn't mean that the unexpected didn't happen, such as our breakdown in Quebec City. But in general, we stuck to the schedule!" Some 60 meetings were held in the Eastern Townships, Montérégie, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec City, Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean, Laval and Montreal regions.

The most intense part of the tour came in April 2016, with three days of meetings scheduled on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Guy and Catherine met with seven firms in Quebec City on the Wednesday and the Thursday, which is quite reasonable. But on the Friday, they visited five firms and had to travel over 500 km to do so: starting out from Quebec City, they visited Beauceville, St-Georges-de-Beauce, Sainte-Justine de Bellechasse, Thetford Mines and Asbestos, before returning to Montreal.

May 30 was another action-packed day, with visits to firms in Laval, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Granby, Saint-Césaire and then back to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu before heading home to Montreal that evening!

A number of you followed Guy and Catherine's travels across Quebec via the RCCAQ's Facebook page, where various photos were posted, some accompanied by anecdotes and adventures worthy of a travelogue. Be sure to ask them to discuss the details the next time they visit your firm; you're sure to be entertained! Meanwhile, here are a few photos as a memento.

Gingras Assurances in Chicoutimi - Dany Gingras, Catherine Rioux and Chantale Séguin	PMA Assurances in Trois-Rivières – Catherine Rioux and Jean-François Desmarais
Assurancia Tardif Group in Thetford Mines - François Gagné and Guy Parent

 Very worthwhile

Even though some aspects were exhausting, Guy and Catherine are very pleased to have completed the tour. “Traveling around the province and meeting with business leaders in their communities was very worthwhile,” says Guy. “We gained lots of insight into the many different situations that brokers are facing. And it is essential that we at the RCCAQ be aware of that.”

Guy adds, “When I joined the RCCAQ, I was attracted by brokers' entrepreneurial spirit. After our tour, I feel even more excited by my mandate. Brokers are a devoted bunch. They feel passionately about their work and their clients. In some villages where there are no financial institutions, there may still be an insurance firm that knows each of its clients and provides exceptional service!”

The tour also provided an opportunity to confirm the major issues facing brokerage firms, including the next generation of leadership and fierce competition from deep-pocketed national players.

The remaining regions, such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Outaouais and Lanaudière, will be visited in spring 2017. Catherine is waiting for Guy to recharge his batteries after the tour and the convention before scheduling the next destinations!