Michael Banfield
Assistant vice-president of retirement platform development, Manulife Investment Management
“It’s time to obsess about customers, think big, get it done together, own it, do the right thing and share your humanity.”
Brady Aarssen
Vice-president of distribution strategy, Canada Life
“Our industry experienced a tipping point around 2015. Since then, the rate of change in product innovation, distribution, technology and adoption has accelerated at an unprecedented speed.”
Éric Trudel
Executive vice-president and lead, group insurance, Beneva
"We act to create meaningful change, equip people with tools to prevent and manage anxiety, and develop innovative research programs to understand how we can bring Canadians more peace of mind."
Andrea Sambati
President and Chief Executive Officer, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.
"We are actively preparing for a future in which real time data, empowered customers and artificial intelligence will dramatically influence healthcare and accelerate macro innovations."
Michael Roszak
Chief Operating Officer, Express Scripts Canada
“As digital health and wellness tools continue to expand, we can have a broader reach and improve patient health outcomes, adherence and safety.”
Jeff Boutilier
General Manager, Pharmacy, and Chief Clinical Officer, Express Scripts Canada
“More than 30 new rare disease treatments are on the horizon. That’s great from a treatment standpoint, but these treatments come with extremely high prices that will continue to put a lot of pressure on private drug plan spend.”
Charles Lewis and Sanjay Cherian
Telus Health
“When interactions between patients and healthcare professionals, insurers and pharmacists are supported by a whole data set, they can help further improve the patient’s overall health journey.”
Dr. Lewis Levy
Chief Medical Officer, Teladoc Health
“Because of COVID-19, virtual care has become a primary resource to support physical and mental health. We’ve seen an increased awareness of virtual care and, with that, increased comfort as more and more people try it out.”
Christine Griffin
Chief Product Officer, Express Scripts Canada
“Good leaders aren’t simply empowered to make decisions due to their position. Good leaders understand that every decision matters and has an impact on employees, clients and partners.”
Mark Rolnick and Ken Cahill
Shoppers Drug Mart, SilverCloud Health Inc
“Simply increasing the dollar amount of mental health benefits only helps address the cost barrier. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help move the needle on stigma or access.”
Karen Kesteris
Chief Product Officer, Express Scripts Canada
“My focus is providing products and services that allow our clients—insurance carriers and third-party administrators—to grow their business.”
Jeff May, Sayeh Radpay, Mark Foerster
HumanisRx, Munich RE
“Medmonitor has the potential to improve employee health and productivity, and also prevent or shorten disability claims.”
Magda Vogel
CIO, Express Scripts Canada
“Adopting an agile mindset means that the technology, processes and people we put in place deliver results that are in line with our clients’ business goals.”
Dr. Dorian Lo
President, Express Scripts Canada
“We take proven strategies from around the world and tailor them for the Canadian market to deliver made-in-Canada solutions.”
David Charbonneau and Josée Dixon
Desjardins Insurance
“Co-creating with our clients is something we take pride in. We listen to our plan sponsors and, with their guidance and feedback, we fine-tune initiatives to respond to their members’ concerns and needs.”
Angelo Tsebelis and Dr. Peter Blecher
Starseed Medicinal Inc.
“Our mandate is to differentiate ourselves by focusing on the safe and responsible use of cannabis in the workplace. We will strive to have medical cannabis become a paid benefit, so we can help break the devastating cycle of opiate use and abuse.”
Francesco Di Marco, PhD
Vice President and General Manager, Amgen Canada Inc.
“We understand the issues that are relevant to our private payers and their customers, including, but not limited to, cost. By recognizing how medicines impact working-age individuals and their families, we can support private payers in making informed, evidence-based decisions that are tailored and relevant to the specific needs of their customers.”
Julie Gaudry
Senior Director, Group Insurance, RBC Insurance
“Plan sponsors have to think about changing demographics and changing expectations as they consider solutions for employees, and insurers need to support them with appropriate group benefit offerings.”
Brock Judiesch
National Director, Global Health Benefits, Cigna Life Insurance Company of Canada
“Equipping people with proper international health care from a specialty carrier significantly reduces the possibility that an assignment terminates early due to an illness or injury.”
Nathalie Rivest
Product Director for Pharmaceutical Benefits, Desjardins Insurance
“We have to take an optimal approach to health management by looking at the full spectrum of factors that are putting financial pressure on drug plans.”
Lori Casselman
Assistant Vice President, Integrated Health Solutions, Sun Life Financial
“Creating a strong foundation to ensure the sustainability and evolution of benefits plans begins with creating a culture of engagement and health management.”
Atul Goela
Director, Pharmaceutical Benefits, Sun Life Financial
It is great to see advancement in medical sciences offering innovative drug treatment choices for diseases where there were no options in the past or new drug treatments that now are curative; however, from a drug plan management perspective, how do we manage the costs to ensure sustainability?”
John Carinci
Head, Group & Business Markets, RBC Insurance
“There's a growing focus on linking technology with initiatives related to employee wellness. Our primary focus is to leverage these emerging trends to ensure our offering directly aligns with evolving client expectations.”
Colleen Hutchings, MA, CDMP
Director, Organizational Health, Practice Excellence & Innovation Sun Life Financial
“Plan sponsors want a deeper partnership with their insurer and health providers. They want access to the expertise to help identify risks and develop strategies for improvement in their organization.”
Michael Biskey
President, Express Scripts Canada
“Hope isn’t a strategy to keep benefits plans affordable—I keep saying that to people. Companies need to introduce innovative solutions to sustain their benefits plans.”
Marie-Hélène Pelletier, MBA, PhD, RPsych
Director Workplace Mental Health, Group Benefits, Sun Life Financial
“It’s a fact that one in five canadians suffers from a mental health issue every year, but normal human biases lead us to believe that none of us will be that "one."”
Jill Wagman
Managing Principal, Eckler Ltd.
“We're now working much more as partners with our clients in the face of adversity to help them solve their problems and, ultimately, meet their objectives.”
Susan Cranston
Assistant Vice-President, Marketing Promotions & Communications, Group Benefits & Retirement Solutions, Manulife Financial
“Success comes from authentic experiences: being real for people and providing relevant and transparent exchanges builds trust, community and engagement.”
