For the first time in the history of Finance et Investissement (FI), the jury for the Top des leaders de l’industrie financière — formerly known as the Top 25 ranking — has chosen two Financial Personalities of the Year.
Those winners, announced at a digital ceremony held Thursday, are Jean-François Chalifoux, president and CEO of Beneva, the insurance mutual resulting from the merger of SSQ Assurance and La Capitale; and Jean St-Gelais, chair of the board with Beneva.
The jury praised the vision, openness, daring and will of these two leaders, who created the largest mutual insurance company in Canada on July 2, 2020.
“We salute this important achievement,” the jury members stated. “The new entity, which will keep its head office in Quebec, will be able to compete with other large pan-Canadian groups. They achieved this merger while continuing to have excellent results.”
The evolution of the Top des leaders program
FI changed the name of the Top 25 ranking to the Top des leaders de l’industrie financière in order to better reflect the evolving nature of the Quebec financial industry.
FI’s program is divided into five categories, and the Financial Personalities of the Year are selected from among the winners in each of the categories. They were:
- Life and health insurers: Jean-François Chalifoux and Jean St-Gelais
- National financial services institutions: Nadine Renaud-Tinker, president, Quebec Headquarters, RBC Royal Bank
- Full-service brokerages: Stéphan Bourbonnais, senior vice-president and region head, Eastern Canada, TD Private Wealth Management (a role he held until earlier this month)
- Multidisciplinary firms: Robert Frances, president and CEO of PEAK Financial Group
- Independent management companies: Jean-Philippe Lemay, president and chief operating officer of Fiera Capital
FI’s site has full details of the Top des leaders de l’industrie financière, including the recipients of three special awards for this year. FI is Investment Executive’s French-language sister publication.