Randy McGlynn was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Benefits Canada’s 2011 Workplace Health & Benefits Awards.

It can easily be said that Randy McGlynn, CEO of the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) based in Waterloo, Ont., has a way with people. One of his many accomplishments over 31 years at OTIP is his commitment to providing services with a personal touch to the plan’s 112,000 members. McGlynn really cares about whether members get timely care and support to get back to work, and he wants to help those who are struggling through the confusion, fear and pain of cancer treatment or mental health issues.

“I hope that one of the things that makes a difference at OTIP is the tone at the top reinforcing our unique service approach,” McGlynn says. “If you put members first, and understand their needs and requirements, then you will create a loyal, long-term clientele. The money follows.”

OTIP is a non-profit, member-focused organization that provides group benefits and individual insurance coverage to Ontario’s education community. When McGlynn joined the organization in 1980, his initial goal was to understand who the members were and the unique challenges they faced. “I thought, if we can remove members’ challenges in managing their personal and family financial risks around income replacement and health insurance issues, then we could add value,” he says, adding that he started by designing a longterm disability (LTD) plan. “The teaching profession typically has higher mental and nervous claims than the general public, so we needed to ensure that services were available to deliver effective claims management and build prevention techniques.” After

LTD, McGlynn applied the same principle to extended health and dental, and then focused on designing wellness products.

McGlynn emphasizes that member services and wellness promotion are the most significant advancements that OTIP has made over the years. “Funding has always been a challenge, and it still is,” he says. “Decision-makers need to see meaningful statistical data that they can relate to in order to allocate resources to provide necessary assistance for members and their families.” As an example, he points to OTIP’s partnership with CAREpath, a cancer assistance program that provides counselling through every phase of a member’s cancer battle. “Cancer has become the third largest disabler for our members, and we recognized that help was needed. It’s had a huge impact.”

While OTIP members appreciate McGlynn’s personal approach to group benefits, the group benefits industry recognizes him for creating a new model for industry-specific solutions to benefits needs. He’s made a huge impact on what it means to be a broker by capitalizing on large-scale broker technology, processes and buying power while still maintaining the personal service and compassion of a small-scale brokerage.

“I’m most proud of the sustainability we’ve created at OTIP as a result of our team method of delivery,” McGlynn says, noting that he plans to retire in 2012 and that the succession process is under way. “This will continue long into the future because we have system processes in place—and, more importantly, the people and relationships in place—to make OTIP a sustainable entity.”

Sonya Felix is a freelance writer based in St. Catharines, Ont. sfelix@cogeco.ca

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