The Ontario Broker - August 2019 - 43

BLOWING INTO SASKATCHEWAN
WITH DEREK LOTHIAN, CEO, INSURANCE BROKERS ASSOCIATION OF SASKATCHEWAN

WHILE THE IMPRESSION OF A
TRADITIONAL INSURANCE BROKER
HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS,
WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED WITH THE
TALENT ENTERING THE CHANNEL
FOR THE FIRST TIME?

My wife tells me I'm not very observant, so I
probably shouldn't chalk up anything I've seen
in the last 12 months as a trend. That said,
anecdotally, there does seem to be a changing of
the guard. Even at our annual convention-I've
now been around for two-the average age
of attendees seems to have dropped by half a
decade. That's also mirrored in the composition
of our board and in the strong engagement we've
seen in new initiatives like the Saskatchewan
Summit of Young Insurance Professionals, which
has been at capacity for its first two iterations.
Brokerage leadership definitely seems to be
getting younger, and I think that will have some
spillover to the general brokerage workforce.
IF THERE'S ONE THING YOU'D TELL
SOMEONE CONSIDERING TAKING
THE LEAP INTO INSURANCE, WHAT
WOULD IT BE?

I joined IBAS in 2017 after spending 13 years in
manufacturing. If at any point during that time
you would have told me I'd eventually be working
in insurance, I don't know if I would have laughed
or cried. However, the reality I've discovered
since immersing myself in the industry is much
different than the preconceived notion I once
held. Insurance offers almost unparalleled
versatility in terms of the applicability of skill
sets-you can have a marketing degree, HR
diploma or come from the school of hard knocks
and have an amply rewarding career. You can find
highly flexible and enjoyable work environments.
And you can have a real, meaningful impact on
peoples' lives and in your communities. It's hard
to beat.

WWW.IBAO.ORG

BEING ONE OF THE YOUNGER
CEOS IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS,
WHAT UNIQUE QUALITIES DO YOU
BRING TO THE ROLE?

I've actually been working in or around
associations since 2011, when I was 23-and
fortunately I've had the opportunity to learn from
some of the best.
The truth is that I am seldom, if ever, the
smartest person in any room. But I do believe my
redeeming quality is being able to identify and
surround myself with people far better than I, and
then activating those people toward a common
goal. That is really the value of associations in the
first place-coming together to learn from one
another and speak with a single, unified voice.

DOES IBAS HAVE ANY NEW
INITIATIVES ON BROKER
DEVELOPMENT?

This fall we're very excited to be launching
the Saskatchewan Insurance Workforce
Development Coalition-and yes, we need
to come up with a shorter name. That aside,
this group will bring together more than a
dozen stakeholders representing the broker
community, carriers, training institutions,
adjusters, chambers of commerce and other
entities to collaborate around two primary
areas of cooperation: to promote insurance as a
rewarding, modern, first-choice career pathway;
and to better integrate insurance knowledge into
financial literacy education. This initiative won't
be a silver bullet, but I think it's a very positive
first step in shifting culture.

Our industry is going
through an intensive time
of disruption and change.
While some may view it
as a detriment, being able
to approach issues as an
industry outsider has
given me somewhat of an
advantage. I can ask stupid
questions (I'm good at that),
draw from the expertise of
others without preconception
and try new and out-ofthe-box ideas because quite
frankly I don't know any
better.
Fresh perspective, though,
only works when you put in
the effort to learn the details,
and thankfully our members
have been patient with me as
I get up-to-speed.

43

AUGUST 2019
http://WWW.IBAO.ORG
The Ontario Broker - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - August 2019
