Why did you choose to become a property and casualty insurance broker?
My career choice was more or less a foregone conclusion. My father was a broker with PMT ROY and, when I was young, I used to spend half a day every year with him at work. I have very warm memories of the experience because all the employees were nice to me and my father’s work seemed interesting. I therefore decided to study financial and insurance services at a general and vocational college, the Cégep de Sainte-Foy. After graduating in 2006, I followed in my dad's footsteps and started working at PMT ROY. From the start, I learned a lot from my more experienced colleagues through a system of mentoring. I greatly appreciated this mutual support and knowledge transfer within the team. I worked in personal insurance for 12 years before switching to business insurance a few months ago.
What do you enjoy the most in your new role?
At PMT ROY, there are many opportunities for career advancement. I wanted a new challenge and had the opportunity to change jobs. I work with brokers on the road who took the time to share their knowledge with me. As in personal insurance, what I enjoy the most is the contact with people. The broker’s role is more to give clients good advice rather than to simply sell an insurance policy. Our goal is to find the best products that meet their needs. We build a business relationship based on trust.
What are the benefits of working at PMT ROY?
The company is big enough to be state-of-the-art and well-equipped, but sufficiently close-knit that everybody knows each other. We feel close to our managers and bosses, and they take the time to make sure we’re all fine. The human side is very important. Even during this pandemic, they’ve done everything possible to avoid layoffs. They even rearranged the workload so that everybody was kept on. There is a real family spirit in the company.
What qualities do you need to be a good insurance broker?
Besides knowing the field, there are several essential qualities to being a good insurance broker. For a start, you have to be curious and not be reluctant to ask many questions to learn about the industry as well as the various realities of your clients. You also need to keep on top of what’s happening in the industry and be up on trends and new products. Since teamwork is crucial, you also have to want to work with others because your colleagues’ strengths often complement each other’s. That’s what makes a team strong.
What is the greatest source of pride in your work?
I was recently very proud to receive the company’s Vital award that recognizes the merit of individual PMT ROY employees. These awards are named in honour of the company’s founder, Vital Roy. Receiving the award increases my sense of belonging to a big family even more! But on a daily basis my greatest source of pride is making a difference in people’s lives. I will never forget a call I received late one Friday afternoon. One of my clients was calling to say that her house had just burned down. At that moment my work became much more meaningful. I understood that my role went well beyond just advising clients about the most suitable insurance products and included being at their side through trials and difficulties. In other words, my job is primarily about helping people.
Are you inspired by Marie-Christine Morin’s story? Would you like to join the big PMT ROY family? Check out the positions listed in the Career section on our website! Who knows, a career with PMT ROY may be in your future!