- Words by Tess van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

When Laura Bolster started working at an insurance office in her hometown at just 19 years old, she never expected it would lead to a successful, decades-long career in the insurance industry害羞草研究所攍et alone an opportunity to lead one of Vancouver Island害羞草研究所檚 top firms.

害羞草研究所淚 was right out of high school in Powell River and I had no post-secondary education,害羞草研究所� says Laura, the partner, president and COO of . 害羞草研究所淚 worked there for a couple of years and then I decided to come to the big city of Victoria. Megson FitzPatrick hired me and I got all the education I needed here. But if someone had said, 害羞草研究所榶ou害羞草研究所檙e going to be here when you害羞草研究所檙e 53, and you害羞草研究所檒l be president and a shareholder,害羞草研究所� I wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have believed them. It害羞草研究所檚 crazy to reflect sometimes!害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really such an inspiring story,害羞草研究所� adds Luke Mills, Megson FitzPatrick partner, risk advisor and commercial account executive. 害羞草研究所淚 think for the team to see you walking around every day, as a shining example of what you can achieve, it害羞草研究所檚 just amazing.害羞草研究所�

Luke also never planned on a career in the insurance industry, despite working for his mother害羞草研究所檚 insurance brokerage in Toronto.

害羞草研究所淚 worked there for a little bit in the early 害羞草研究所�90s and didn害羞草研究所檛 think insurance was for me,害羞草研究所� the 52-year-old father of two explains. 害羞草研究所淚 was casting around, trying to decide what to do, and I kind of ran off to the Caribbean, to Dominica, and opened a restaurant. And against all odds, it actually worked.害羞草研究所�

But after five years, Luke says, he and his wife needed a change and moved back to Canada.

害羞草研究所淓veryone thought we would go back to Toronto, but we hopped in the car and drove to Victoria.害羞草研究所�

Luke害羞草研究所檚 mother had met David FitzPatrick, one of the founders of Megson FitzPatrick, and was impressed. Luke was also impressed when he met David, but the company didn害羞草研究所檛 have any openings.

害羞草研究所淚 just got such a good vibe and David was very generous with his time, so I got licensed. I had some other job offers elsewhere but, ultimately, I waited,害羞草研究所� Luke explains. 害羞草研究所淭his was where I wanted to work and it害羞草研究所檚 been one of the best decisions I害羞草研究所檝e ever made.害羞草研究所�

Culture has been a big part of that, and Luke and Laura say working for a growing and evolving company has also kept things interesting.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 been lots of change, so I think that害羞草研究所檚 what害羞草研究所檚 kind of kept it exciting for me,害羞草研究所� says Laura, who took over as president just two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

害羞草研究所淲e had to completely change how we conducted business, and she害羞草研究所檚 led us through what害羞草研究所檚 probably the most dynamic growth the company害羞草研究所檚 ever seen害羞草研究所攚hich is quite something,害羞草研究所� Luke adds. 害羞草研究所淭he steady hand that Laura had, and her extensive knowledge, really made a difference.害羞草研究所�

Sending everyone home and pivoting to remote work in the early days of the pandemic also opened up new opportunities for the company, and has helped with staff retention and recruitment.

害羞草研究所淚t really just opened up our eyes to what is doable, and we害羞草研究所檝e taken a lot of the good that came out of COVID-19 and put it into our day-to-day business practices,害羞草研究所� Laura explains. 害羞草研究所淏efore, when someone asked to work from home, I said, 害羞草研究所楴o. We害羞草研究所檙e a retail organization, we害羞草研究所檙e open to the public, and you have to come in every day.害羞草研究所� And now it害羞草研究所檚 just completely different.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e just didn害羞草研究所檛 conceive of the fact that you can do your job elsewhere, and if someone left the community, we had to part ways,害羞草研究所� Luke says. 害羞草研究所淣ow, we have employees across Canada in PEI, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. We害羞草研究所檝e been able to attract new, experienced people who want that flexibility; we害羞草研究所檝e been able to keep people who moved away, and we害羞草研究所檝e actually had a lot of people come back who had left us before COVID-19.害羞草研究所�

Fostering a strong culture while teams were fragmented was one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic period. And now, with about 45 of Megson FitzPatrick害羞草研究所檚 100-plus employees either permanently remote or working in a hybrid model, finding ways to keep people connected is one of Laura害羞草研究所檚 top priorities.

害羞草研究所淔or me, culture is everything,害羞草研究所� Laura says. 害羞草研究所淏uilding a hardworking and fun culture keeps people engaged and makes people happier. It makes us all want to perform and do well every day.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淥ur industry, like [many industries], is going through a very challenging labour market and what sets you apart害羞草研究所攊f people are being compensated appropriately害羞草研究所攊s culture,害羞草研究所� Luke adds. 害羞草研究所淲e learned from our founders, who had an open-door policy, and we want people to know that they害羞草研究所檙e heard and that their feedback is important.害羞草研究所�

Megson FitzPatrick also has an employee share-ownership program and close to 30 team members, including Luke and Laura, are now shareholders.

害羞草研究所淎s our founders were retiring a few years ago, this was a big goal for us in our succession plan. So we partnered with Rogers Insurance out of Calgary as they had a complete share-ownership program in place,害羞草研究所� Luke explains.

Last fall, Rogers merged with CapriCMW, forming a new company called Acera Insurance, and Megson FitzPatrick is now part of this.

害羞草研究所淐apriCMW was also an employee-owned Canadian company, so that was really exciting for us as we害羞草研究所檙e still heavily into being an independent,害羞草研究所� Laura says. 害羞草研究所淭he plan is to do some co-branding (Megson and Acera) because those in our group of companies have strong local brands,害羞草研究所� Laura says. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been on Vancouver Island for 50-plus years, so we want to be really cognizant of the brand recognition.害羞草研究所�

The merger also helps Megson FitzPatrick diversify outside of the BC South Coast, where the earthquake risk is high.

害羞草研究所淭hey say every year we don害羞草研究所檛 have an earthquake, we害羞草研究所檙e probably closer to one and it害羞草研究所檚 not just Victoria and the Lower Mainland that are exposed, but Seattle all the way down to Portland, so the risk becomes enormous,害羞草研究所� Luke explains. 害羞草研究所淎ctuaries are saying the financial exposure to potentially a single event is incredible, so they have to go buy insurance害羞草研究所攚hich is called reinsurance害羞草研究所攁nd what we害羞草研究所檙e experiencing now is that the reinsurance market has really pulled back because they害羞草研究所檙e worried they害羞草研究所檙e overexposed.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 just one of the challenges insurance companies are facing. But after more than 30 years in the industry, Laura has learned that change is the only constant.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been a great ride and Megson FitzPatrick is a great organization,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 super grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me over the years.害羞草研究所�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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