Scott Perkin exceeds expectations as ACPM president.

For Scott Perkin, pensions are more than just a source of income for retirees. He views them as a source of ongoing advocacy on many issues affecting the retirement income security of Canadians coast to coast.

Perkin is the president of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM). He says the volunteer position has served as an asset in his role as director of plan policy and corporate privacy officer for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. “Funding, governance and many other issues that the ACPM gets involved in are issues that I need to understand for my day job,” he explains. “I get a lot of continuing education in my role with the ACPM, so it works out quite nicely.”

Although professional development and networking were the main reasons that Perkin got involved with the ACPM 10 years ago, the organization has since taken on more meaning for him. Perkin is serving his fifth term as president of the ACPM and is passionate about the work the ACPM does and advocates for—which is the very reason he was nominated.

“He’s got a passion for the pension industry and pensions in Canada. I am very impressed with the amount of work he has done for the ACPM,” says Andrew Harrison, chair, advocacy and government relations committee, with the ACPM. “He is almost tireless in terms of the volunteer time he puts in.”

Perkin’s responsibilities include chairing the board of directors, and overseeing the work of the national advocacy and government relations, and strategic communications committees. “I actually participate on the advocacy committee, and I make sure the board is aware of what the two national committees are working on,” he says. Perkin also works closely with the ACPM’s chief executive officer and national office staff while building relationships between the organization and stakeholders in the industry.

The Benefits Canada Awards

This year, with various panels across the country examining pension legislation, Perkin’s role took on a whole new dimension. He took part in each of the ACPM pension review task forces to ensure that the recommendations being submitted on behalf of the organization to the Alberta/B.C. Joint Expert Panel on Pension Standards, the Ontario Expert Commission on Pensions and the Pension Review Panel of Nova Scotia were in line with the ACPM’s views. Once each of the submissions was completed, Perkin presented them to the panels in person. “He is a very worthy recipient of this [award]; he just goes above and beyond,” says Harrison. “It’s an amazing commitment for someone who isn’t getting paid to do it.”

Perkin admits that the past year has been a busy one but says he wasn’t alone in his efforts. “It took up a lot of time for many other ACPM volunteers as well,” he says. “Any volunteer work that people do is because they have a passion for it. I owe this award to all those ACPM volunteers who share my passion for the work that we are doing as an organization.”

But pensions aren’t Perkin’s only passion in life. His main passion is spending time with his wife, Joanne, and his sons, Ryan and Josh. With them, he enjoys travelling, cottaging in the summer, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. He also likes golfing with family and friends as time permits. Whether he’s focused on pension advocacy or on his family, Perkin’s commitment is equally tireless.

April Scott-Clarke is assistant editor of Benefits Canada. april.scottclarke@rci.rogers.com

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© Copyright 2008 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the November 2008 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.