Mario Provencher

Key accomplishments

Ø  Set a brand new Quebec Property and Casualty claims operation, followed within 2 years by heading overall P&C Quebec operations, including Underwriting and Administration. Succeeds in repatriating in Quebec key underwriting decision making and turned around the financial results from a high loss to a high profit situation, with sales reaching 25M$ and a staff of around 75 brought back to 40.

Ø  Head as well the start-up of Life Underwriting and Money Quebec areas, altogether with the mandate to initiate the repatriation of additional head office functions in Montreal.

Ø  Contributed, as the Quebec officer, to the sale of the P&C Company, following acquisition by another institution. Carried out as well the mandate of building a Life and Money regional head office in Quebec. The regional head office was up and running 4 months after, serving over 300K clients, through 600 agents. Staff reached eventually 75 to scale back at around 50. Following an acquisition, undertook the integration of the retail clients of that major Canadian-based institution.

Ø  Took over a Head office money operation serving around 350K clients, through 250 General agents and 15 000 brokers. It included Savings and Retirement products, as well as Death claims. At first introduced solid management principles, covering resource and operations. Next, initiated systematic measurements of service, quality and productivity. Then drove the improvements required. Service levels were brought up in all operations from roughly 90% in 5 to 10 days to 90%+ in 24 hours.

Ø  Introduced and supported various resource management techniques that lead to very stable service levels throughout the year, despite variations in volume reaching at times up to 500%. And this with low or nil overtime by the staff.

Ø  Introduced and managed financial and non-financial controls in a 40-year old legacy system paying out 800M$ yearly through 1M$ disbursements. Also cleaned up the database of 150K clients, identifying errors, problems and untouched accounts spanning over 30 years. This system is now fully controlled and monitored.

Ø  Re-organized a Life New Business operation, responsible for issuing 22 000 policies annually, with very high visibility. First introduced the appropriate management principles and developed the required information. Building the infrastructure leading the Company to a forecasted 30% efficiency gain and a stabilized service level.

Ø  Implemented a major re-organization covering all Life services and Claims, blending 3 former departments, following a substantial strategic corporate shift. The attained objective was to stabilize and better service levels, quality and efficiency, while upgrading operational and financial controls, despite important staffing reductions.