Mark E.

Background

About Mark E.

Upon graduating from York University, with a degree in politics, I set out to find an industry that had remained stagnant over the past few decades. At a time of constant innovation, I looked for sectors that seemed to trail behind, reluctant to accept change. Driven by a desire to stand out and innovate, my hope was that I could challenge conventional thinking and bring forward creative ideas that would benefit an entire sector. It didn't take long for me to focus in on the insurance industry. Through meetings with various industry professionals, friends, and family members, I came to the conclusion that the world of employee benefits has been operating in more or less the same fashion for the better half of the last century. Further, I got the sense that there was some real dissatisfaction with the direction the industry was heading in, and subsequently the major players at the helm. The more people I spoke to, the more clear it became that the leaders had really lost track of the mission at hand: serving the client. This drove me to start looking for companies doing things differently. I interviewed with many insurance companies, third party administrators, and brokerages alike, but they all seemed to operate in a similar fashion. Finally, I stumbled onto an advisory firm, based out of North York that had built a thriving business on identifying the challenges I saw, and providing innovative solutions. I interviewed at Jones DesLauriers, and I can honestly say that within a 30 minute time frame, I learned more about the industry than I had in the previous month of meetings. I instantly connected with the informative, client care centered model that Gallagher implemented. We make sure that clients understand their benefits, and then proactively manage their investment to reduce costs and create efficiencies. I love being able to connect with high level thinkers who see the insurance industry for what it is, and are looking for a 21st century way of doing business.