Date: May 5, 2023 Location: Remote - Canada, CA Nova Scotia, CA New Brunswick, CA Newfoundland & Labrador, CA Saskatchewan, CA Alberta, CA Quebec, CA Manitoba, CA Ontario, CA Yukon, CA British Columbia, CA Prince Edward Island, CA Company: Wawanesa Insurance
Job ID: 6440 Working Business Language: English
We?re proud to give our employees the flexibility to choose how and where they want to work. In this role, you can decide whether your preference is to work from home (remote), work from the office or a hybrid of time spent at both. You may work from any of the following locations: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador and/or the Yukon.
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada?s largest mutual insurers, with over $4 billion in annual revenue and assets of $12 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with executive offices in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa General, which offers property and casualty insurance in California and Oregon; Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada; and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than two million members in Canada and the United States. Wawanesa actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities where it operates, donating well above internationally recognized benchmarks for excellence in corporate philanthropy. Learn more at wawanesa.com
We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

This role is accountable for leading effective corporate strategy design and facilitating alignment and execution of the company?s short-term and long-term goals. Providing expert stewardship, this role will be responsible for enterprise strategic planning, innovation and research, while building an effective strategy framework across functional and business teams to lead enterprise-wide programs that accelerate Wawanesa?s ability to achieve and realize strategic objectives.
Job Responsibilities

• Lead the corporate strategic planning and development process, providing thought leadership, quantitative and qualitative analysis, recommendations, and materials preparation for senior leadership and the Board on key strategic and financial decisions.
• Provide fact-based thought leadership on key strategic and financial decisions, partnering with Finance and across all business functions to integrate strategic planning with enterprise budgeting and planning.
• Establish sound governance and develop key performance indicator system to facilitate realization of strategic objectives and monitor the effectiveness of the strategy framework and its impact on business performance.
• Establish Corporate Development Strategy to leverage opportunities for appropriate growth and innovation to achieve strategic objectives.
• Build an Innovation and Research Centre of Expertise (COE) to foster an innovation mindset in the organization and actively seek ways to enhance the capability and performance of the organization.
• Lead market research and benchmarking to determine emerging issues and trends, and analyze the impact and implications of those trends on various business lines / functional roadmaps
• Partner with business leaders to understand long term objectives, utilizing a disciplined approach to identify future strategic direction by translating research into strategy development and generating new ideas for product and market opportunities
• Present complex business cases and actionable recommendations to senior leadership based on insights on a variety of relevant industry, competitive, product, markets, regulatory and environmental factors. Facilitate follow up research and investigation to answer questions and refine recommendations
• Design and lead executive problem-solving sessions, workshops, and interviews with cross-functional / business line working team members and subject matter experts
• Create an effective work environment by developing a common vision, setting clear objectives, expecting teamwork, recognizing outstanding performance, and maintaining open communications
• Lead a talented Strategy and Innovation team and nurture strong executive relationships across the organization.
• Prepare materials for Board of Director and other executive updates that reflect effective story-telling and narrative to support decision making and strategic oversight.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive, practical and relevant leadership experience in corporate strategy.
• Bachelor?s Degree in Business; MBA preferred and/or industry designation.
• Experience working with and collaborating across functional teams, facilitating various technical and business stakeholders including C-Suite, and delivering powerful presentations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to establish relationships at all levels
• Strategic mindset with the ability to think broadly, plan strategically and execute cross-functionally
• Proven experience leading programs/projects and delivering against commitments and timelines.
• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to influence and gain respect, credibility and confidence from others
• Ability to make excellent and well justified decisions in complex and high-pressure situations
• Ability to develop and implement comprehensive plans and solutions that bridge complex issues that span across time
• Strong business and financial acumen with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to recognize and identify critical issues, and make recommendations
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively convey ideas in a persuasive and eloquent manner
• Strong Knowledge and experience in the financial services industry
• Completion of CIP designation would be considered an asset.

#LI-REMOTE Wawanesa is proud to be one of Manitoba's Top Employers for 2023 recognizing that we are an exceptional place to work!

Wawanesa provides its employees with a respectful, challenging and rewarding environment where they can maximize their potential while contributing to the company?s goals. Our full-time permanent employees are provided with highly competitive compensation packages (salaries, generous vacation allowance, leave top up, annual bonus plan, premium free benefits and a pension plan). Wawanesa provides a stable environment for its employees in today?s challenging markets.

Wawanesa is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse workforce that is equitable and inclusive for all. Wawanesa provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual?s protected status: race/ethnicity, colour, religion, creed, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family or marital status, pregnancy/childbirth or related conditions, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, or any other protected status. Accommodations are available upon request throughout all aspects of the selection process. Candidates requiring accommodations may contact, in confidence, jobs@wawanesa.com. If you are interested in this exciting, challenging position with Wawanesa, apply today with your Resume.

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