Vice President, Group Markets Distribution

Company: Cooperators

Department: Group Insurance

Employment Type: Regular Full-Time

Work Model: Hybrid

Language: This role operates in English.

The Opportunity

We are a leading Canadian financial services co-operative committed to being a catalyst for a sustainable and resilient society and our team is essential to deliver on this strategy. That’s why we prioritize our people, to ensure we provide a strong culture and development opportunities which enables our team to thrive and to live our purpose. The best part is that you will work with people that care passionately about you, our clients, and our communities.

As the Vice President of Group Markets Distribution, you will provide strategic leadership to drive business growth and success in the Canadian Life Insurance market. This role offers an exciting opportunity to develop and implement innovative sales and business development strategies across product lines, including Group Benefits, Group Retirement and Savings, and Individual Third Party distribution. In this key position, you will empower and optimize both nationwide sales distribution teams and the sales support and service teams. Additionally, in collaboration with internal and external partners, the VP of Group Markets will conceptualize and plan for integrating cutting-edge products and new market strategies that will transform our offerings.

How You Will Create Impact

• Develop and implement comprehensive sales and business development strategies for Group Markets, including Group Benefits (GB), Group Retirement, and Individual Third Party/MGA, across diverse product lines.
• Leverage best practices and strategic thinking to create robust value propositions and offerings, focusing on a value-based approach to segmentation and identifying market opportunities.
• Oversee a cohesive integrated team of Group Markets sales representatives across Canada, ensuring effective support for internal and external business partners while managing a national sales support and service function to enhance team coordination and performance.
• Collaborate with internal Group Market insurance manufacturing leaders to establish annual revenue targets, ensuring overall profitability and effective execution of product and service strategies for the group benefits business.
• Foster and maintain strong relationships with client organizations, industry associations, vendor partners, and distribution sources to collaborate and glean insights on marketplace trends and opportunities.
• Transform long-term strategies into actionable short-term goals for Group Markets sales teams, ensuring annual sales projections and plans are effectively developed and assessed to plan.
• Oversee price and contract negotiations with clients, spearhead acquisition activities for new clients, and advocate as the client voice within the organization to drive success.
• Maintain overall accountability for sales revenue across Group Markets’ channels, focusing on enhancing profitability and implementing cost management strategies across regions.
• Ensure the delivery of comprehensive product and sales training programs to clients adhere to corporate standards, to ensure consistent quality and effectiveness.
• Build a high performance distribution team utilizing sales performance management best practices.
• Encourage creativity and innovation in distribution operations, inspiring new ideas and tackling key competitive challenges to enhance growth and profitability.
• Inspire and motivate your leadership team to define and execute strategic objectives through effective coaching and mentoring, identifying and developing leadership talent, and fostering an innovative, collaborative, diverse, and agile culture.
  
  

• You cultivate a client centric culture, drive organizational change and champion innovative thinking.
• You foster sustainable relationships with stakeholders to identify strategies, explore broader solutions and collaboratively resolve contentious issues.
• You build trust with employees and business partners and inspire your team through compelling communication.
• You role model the co-operative values, encourage the development of your leaders and build high performing teams to meet the evolving needs of the organization.
• You are integral in identifying and implementing the long-term vision for the organization and apply a strategic mindset to adjust business priorities based on emerging trends.
  
  

• You have 7+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in the insurance industry, with a focus on Group Markets living benefits distribution, including Group Benefits, Group Retirement, and Individual Third Party/MGA.
• You have completed a degree. Holding or pursuing an MBA or similar is an asset.
• You have expert knowledge of Group insurance sales distribution and support functions, including contributing to developing strategies for sales growth and enablement.
• You are an analytical thinker, apt in leveraging data analytics for decision-making, with the ability to clearly articulate and present complex ideas to senior management, and other stakeholders.
• You are an experienced people leader, well-skilled in leading leaders and teams that have successfully achieved goals and held high engagement.
• Proficiency in English is essential to the main duties in this role, including servicing and communicating primarily with majority non-francophone clients, groups, teams. Drafting complex English documents and preparing daily reports for anglophone leaders. The essential non-French duties are not assignable to adjacent or other team members.
  
  

• You will travel occasionally.
• You will be subject to a background check as a condition of employment, in the event you are the successful candidate.
• As a leader, strict confidentiality is required with respect to sensitive matters and employees’ personal information.
  
  

• Training and development opportunities to grow your career.
• Flexible work options and paid time off to support your personal and family needs.
• A holistic approach to your well-being, with physical and mental health programs and a supportive workplace culture.
• Paid volunteer days to give back to your community.
• In addition to our competitive salary and incentive programs, eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive total rewards package including group retirement savings plans, pension and benefits (e.g., health and wellness, dental, disability and life coverage), mental health support and an employee assistance program.