Mathieu Brunet, vice-president of the firm MP2B Assurance, was appointed chair of the RCCAQ’s Board of Directors at the annual general meeting on November 30. Here’s a chance to get to know this 36-year-old entrepreneur and brokerage professional, who’s passionately committed to tackling the various challenges facing insurance brokers.
Holding a bachelor’s in business administration and a risk management certificate, Mathieu Brunet has two girls (Loua, 3, and Sia, 18 months) and comes from a family with multi-generational roots in the insurance sector. Kicking off his career in 2005 as a broker, he held a variety of positions over the past decade at MP2B Inc., originally founded by his father, Pierre-Marc Brunet. After acquiring the company with a group of employees, he became vice-president: “The goal of being an entrepreneur kept me going during my years as a broker. My dream came true in 2016 when we completed the acquisition,” notes Mr. Brunet. He’s also a multi-faceted fellow, whether he’s zipping around Quebec’s slopes on his snowboard or crafting the optimal solutions for his business clients.
Based in Laval, Mr. Brunet has been an RCCAQ Board member since 2016, including serving as first vice-president over the past 12 months. In recent years, he has sat on the Boards of various industry organizations, including the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) and the Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO). Drawing on his passionate interest in new technologies, he currently serves on IBAC’s technology committee, where he is working on a number of “practical high-tech projects aimed at modernizing our industry.”
Amid the current public health crisis, during which consumers have had to adapt swiftly to new online client experience strategies, Mr. Brunet is an advocate of adopting innovative tools to stand apart from the competition. “We all need to make the switch to digital if we want to retain our clients. And we really have to take the fast track,” he emphasizes. “For example, we intend to keep on promoting and rolling out the chatbot project for more brokerage firms. The response so far has been positive, but we want to make sure that everyone is on board, together with their peers!”
The issues raised by difficulties in the commercial insurance sector will continue to be watched closely by the RCCAQ. “We’ve got a "hard market" made even more difficult by the COVID-19 crisis. The RCCAQ will keep on making the authorities aware of these difficulties and the resulting pressures on brokerage firms,” says Mr. Brunet, who specializes in commercial insurance.
Known as a resolute leader and a dynamic go-getter, Mr. Brunet will also be tasked with overseeing the other Board members, who will be monitoring the implementation of the new regulatory framework for brokerage firms, along with efforts to ensure fair consumer treatment. “We’ll be playing a leading role on all these issues,” he explains.
At home in the political and financial worlds, the RCCAQ’s new Board chair maintains that as the health crisis winds down, the economic repercussions will continue to be felt by entrepreneurs. Indeed, brokerage owners will have to “play a proactive leadership role in dealings with insurers to fully meet clients’ needs, in addition to standing in solidarity with their industry peers.” Striking a confident note, he adds: “Brokers will have to work as a team and help each other in this kind of market.”
It looks as if 2021 will be a high-stakes year for a man who isn’t afraid of taking on new challenges and who is looking forward to meeting the brokers he represents. “There was no traditional banquet [at this year’s annual convention], so I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself. I invite all RCCAQ members to use all available digital tools to get in touch. Please look for me on LinkedIn and watch my short getting-to-know you video [French only]. I hope to see everyone online and eventually we’ll get a chance to meet in person!”
