Profile
“I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
Shannon Rohan always aspired to work in a sector where she could create meaningful change, and it was by “following the power” that she landed in capital markets.
“From there, it really was a journey of chance and opportunities,” Rohan says of the professional path that led to her current role as chief strategy officer at the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE).
Over the course of nearly two decades at SHARE, Rohan has played a central role in expanding the responsible investment movement in Canada — a trend mirrored and illustrated by the growth of SHARE itself during her tenure, from just seven employees in 2006 to nearly 40 today.
It’s not just SHARE’s headcount that has grown during Rohan’s tenure. She has also overseen the expansion of the organization’s client network from primarily religious investors, trade unions, and foundations, to the full range of asset-owner groups, including Indigenous trusts, universities, and pension funds.
Rohan says one of SHARE’s most important contributions to the responsible investment movement has been showing those diverse clients what they have in common — and how they can work together to effect meaningful change.
“SHARE’s notion of co-operation, ‘The Power of Many’ — we were talking about that long before it was common practice,” Rohan says. “I think we’ve been trailblazers in that regard.”
Despite the progress, there have been challenges. One of the biggest that Rohan deals with day-to-day is helping asset-owner boards and staff wade through the mountains of environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related data to home in on decision-useful information.
“Our deep familiarity and experience of working with asset owners is critical to that process. It’s much different than working with corporate boards or investment managers,” she says.
Rohan’s approach evolved under a quiet, patient, and humble leader in Peter Chapman, SHARE’s now-retired former executive director and senior advisor. In retrospect, she notes that Chapman often had the answer she sought, but helped her discover it on her own rather than revealing it directly.
“That kind of leadership takes patience, humility, and empathy,” she says of Chapman’s approach.
“And while I haven’t mastered it, I do aspire to bring those qualities into my own leadership style. The times I feel most satisfied in my work are when I see SHARE team members solving problems together and being recognized and celebrated for the amazing intellect they bring to their work.”
Benefits and Pensions Monitor has named Rohan to its 2024 Hot List as a tribute to her influence in the institutional investment space, and her conviction to stay the course in the face of apparent setbacks.
That ability to keep an eye on the “North Star” is evident in Rohan’s approach to the politically charged environment around climate change, where pessimism and even hopelessness can dominate the conversation.
“What I try to do is provide people with data points to demonstrate that the transition is underway and there are positive tipping points that investors can drive toward, including the uptake of climate solutions and certain technologies such as the growth in renewable energy,” she says.
That philosophy may be a contrast to the doomsaying found on social media, but Rohan is far from naive about the challenges faced by both investors and society as a whole.
“It’s not optimism, necessarily, but pragmatism,” she says. “There are important and manageable steps that pension funds of all sizes can take today to address climate-related risks and opportunities.”
In the past year, some of Rohan’s most important work involved supporting pension fund boards, investment committees, and their staff to navigate meaningful, responsible investment action, particularly around climate.
In reflecting on the long-term impact of her work — and SHARE’s — Rohan expects that more pension funds will lend their weight to the global effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. She also expects those funds to become better equipped to engage constructively with their asset managers and advance meaningful responsible investment practices across asset classes.
As she looks to the future, Rohan says her work will increasingly be about helping pension funds and other institutional investors recognize the connection between creating a more sustainable, inclusive economy and their ability to deliver long-term value to beneficiaries.
“Helping investors recognize that connectivity is a major motivator for me and for SHARE. And I think the folks we work with also recognize that connectivity more and more,” she says.
“We’ve done our part in making the case, and climate change is of course an undeniable reality. But investors — like all of us — have the power to respond.”
Suite 440, 789 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC
206 701 6656
srohan@share.ca
linkedin.com/in/rohanshannon
share.ca
Shannon Rohan
Chief Strategy Officer
Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)
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“To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
2002–2004
2004–2005
2006–2007
2008–2019
2019–present
Government Affairs and Policy Analyst, Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (Ottawa)
2002–
2004
Program Coordinator, African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (Johannesburg)
2004–
2005
Program Officer, SHARE
2006–
2007
Director of Responsible Investment, SHARE
2008–
2019
2019–present: Chief Strategy Officer, SHARE
2019: The Logic names SHARE one of Canada’s 10 most innovative non-profits
2020: Responsible Investment Association Market Education Award for Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative
2019–
present
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
How does he distinguish himself among fellow brokers?
“I believe all brokers are working very hard in a difficult market,” he says. “However, I have demonstrated continued growth, advocacy and performance on my client’s behalf, which is now recognised [for 10 consecutive years] in the Elite Broker awards.”
In 1990, Dixon got started with FAI, working in claims and as a team leader. From the late 1990s up until 2003, he worked at FAI and Suncorp in underwriting and as an area manager at VACC, CGU (South East Queensland). From 2003 to 2012, he got into broking and eventually started Dixon Insurance in 2013. Since then, he’s accumulated numerous acccolades, including Elite Broker, Diversity and Equity, and Fast Broker awards.
During the pandemic, Dixon challenged insurers over the Quarantine Act application to insurance wordings. His argument was that the Quarantine Act does not apply as an exclusion, as the Biosecurity Act was invoked by the Morrison Government, and this was not a subsequent amendment to the Quarantine Act. The test case in the Appeals court was won for Dixon’s client with a unanimous five-judge verdict.
He remains focused on transport, manufacturing, motor trade, engineering and large farm clients.
What are his plans for the future?
On a business level, “more of the same. I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes.”
On a personal level, Dixon invests significant time, effort and funds, along with his GT3, to support many charities through his passion for motorsport. From participating in and sponsoring the Thunderbolt Run (which provides tens of thousands of dollars in support for Beyond Blue and Prostate Cancer), to organising and running the Track Knights for Amira charity night where 28 Exotic Supercars raised funds through passenger laps in wet conditions, Dixon states “this is our time to give back to the community and those in need. My friendships and association with those seeking to do the same, allows us to contribute to those less fortunate and raise funds and awareness”.
He adds: “To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need.”