Headquarters:

Regina, SK

Year founded:

1962

Number of employees:

Phone:

306 751 8300

Email:

sheppinfo@shepp.ca

Website:

shepp.ca

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/saskatchewan-healthcare-employees'-pension-plan-shepp

“We prioritise embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative problem solving and continuous improvement to enhance our premium funding solutions and provide exceptional value to our clients”

Brett Bastow, IQumulate Premium FundinG

Alison McKay

Chief Executive Officer

Cheldon Angus

Chief People and Technology Officer

Janet Julé

Chief Investment Officer

Leadership

Alison McKay joined SHEPP in 2008 and has been its CEO since 2014. She leads a team of professionals who administer the largest defined benefit pension plan in Saskatchewan, providing retirement income security for the province’s healthcare workers. Devoted to promoting pension adequacy and eager to support meaningful discussions about public sector pension policy, she participates in the broader national scene as the co-chair of the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council and is a member of multiple national pension boards. McKay is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has a bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and administration from the University of Regina.

Chief Executive Officer

Alison McKay

Cheldon Angus is SHEPP’s chief people and technology officer, overseeing the organization’s information technology, human resources, and enterprise risk functions. The majority of his 23-year career has been at SHEPP, focusing on enhancing privacy, security, enterprise risk, and business continuity initiatives. He is passionate about the synergy between people and technology, recognizing their evolving interdependence as crucial to organizational success. Holding a bachelor’s degree in computer science, an MBA (hons) from the University of Regina, and the Institute of Corporate Directors designation from the Rotman School of Management, Angus is a Certified Project Management Professional and Certified Business Continuity Professional.

Chief People and Technology Officer

Cheldon Angus

Janet Julé serves as SHEPP’s chief investment officer, overseeing investment strategy, leading the internal investment team, and managing the plan’s globally diversified portfolio. Prior to joining SHEPP in 2015, she was a partner with Aon Hewitt with over 20 years of investment consulting experience, working with diverse boards in both the private and public sectors. Previously, Julé provided investment analysis and advice as a director with Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan, a holding company for the province’s crowns and other investments. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Professional Accountant designations, as well as the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Chief Investment Officer

Janet Julé

BRETT BASTOW, IQUMULATE PREMIUM FUNDINGs

Leadership

“Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available”

GRAEME GORDON, IQUMULATE PREMIUM FUNDING

BRETT BASTOW, IQUMULATE PREMIUM FUNDING

Leadership

Dale Markewich

Chief Financial Officer

Dale Markewich is SHEPP’s chief financial officer, leading the organization’s finance, actuarial consulting services, corporate services, and investment administration functions. He joined the SHEPP senior leadership team in 2013, bringing with him more than 26 years of experience in finance, accounting, and public administration, including over two years as a member of the board of trustees for SHEPP. Markewich holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Regina, as well as CPA, CA, CMA, and ICD.D designations. He is an active member of the ACPM Prairie Regional Council and the ACPM Pension Plan Accounting Subcommittee.

Chief Financial Officer

Dale Markewich

Allison Nystrom

Chief Governance and Strategy Officer

Allison Nystrom has been with SHEPP since 2013 and was appointed to the role of chief governance and strategy officer in 2023. She leads the plan’s governance, communications, strategic planning, and project management functions and acts as secretary to the board of trustees, championing good governance and liaising with the plan’s key stakeholder groups. Nystrom has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Regina and the Governance Professionals of Canada designation.

Chief Governance and Strategy Officer

Allison Nystrom

Stevens & Associates Lawyers is a leading and trusted employment law firm based in Sydney known for delivering high-quality legal expertise in the area of employment law and industrial relations across Australia, alongside a proven track record of effectively and swiftly resolving a variety of workplace law issues. In the past year, the firm’s growth has been notable. It has: • experienced a 213% growth in the number of client matters, increasing from 149 client matters in the 2022 financial year to 390 client matters in the 2023 financial year • improved its online visibility, leading to over 50 online enquiries each month and a conversion rate of client leads of up to 40% • significantly expanded the breadth and type of matters that it advises on day to day, which has increased the firm’s skillsets, diversity and resilience • expanded its community outreach by collaborating with local Sydney venues for client seminars and continuing active participation in a Sydney small/family business group Stevens & Associates Lawyers has adapted to digital trends by implementing an effective strategy with SEO and web design, resulting in a structural shift that has seen increased representation of employees where the firm previously mainly advised employers. The firm’s recognition as a “Fast Firm” attests to its momentum in the employment law space.

“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started”

Wayne Tower, IQumulate Premium Funding

Paula Potter

Chief Operating Officer

Thierry Pascal

Head of Credit and Legal

Cemal Akgul

Head of Risk and Collections

Stephen McMillan

Commercial Manager

As SHEPP’s chief operating officer, Paula Potter leads the organization’s largest business division, and with the support of her team, she is dedicated to providing exceptional service to the plan’s 50 employers and over 63,000 members. With her passion for the pension and benefits sector, she has devoted the last 20 years to SHEPP and its predecessor, the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations Retirement Plan. Holding the distinction of a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist as well as a graduate certificate in executive coaching, Potter additionally serves as a regional council chair for the Association of Canadian Pension Management.

Chief Operating Officer

Paula Potter

Thierry Pascal has over 13 years of experience in business and corporate banking in various financial/credit analytical and relationship management roles with the NAB and CBA. After a career break to undertake postgraduate studies, he joined GE Capital as a senior risk analyst in premium funding in 2010. Following the divestment of the premium funding business to the Macquarie Group in 2015, he joined Macquarie Premium Funding and was promoted to credit risk manager, where he led the credit underwriting team. Following the re-branding to IQumulate Premium Funding, Pascal was recently promoted to head of credit and legal, a role that sees him manage the credit underwriting team as well as oversee IQumulate’s in-house legal function. Pascal holds undergraduate and postgraduate tertiary qualifications in accounting and law.

Head of Credit and Legal

Thierry Pascal

Cemal Akgul sees the head of risk and collections role as pivotal in guiding and influencing business decisions. He has more than 15 years of experience across financial and government services, most recently with the NDIS, where he was the leading consultant driving the Risk Management process’ nationwide. Prior to that, he served various roles at BMW Finance across the United States, Hong Kong, Germany and Australia. During Akgul’s tenure at BMW Finance, he predominately worked in risk management, guiding the organisation through seismic changes between 2016 and 2018. In his time prior, he was based out of New York, leading BMW Finance’s American subsidiary's market risk and data analytics teams between 2011 and 2016. Akgul values a balanced approach to business, encourages a positive work culture and is passionate about teaching and guiding the business and individuals at IQumulate.

Head of Risk and Collections

Cemal Akgul

Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

One culmination of these efforts has been the real-world, needs-based IQEdge solution. A one-stop online quoting tool designed for both the Australian and New Zealand markets, IQEdge delivers quotes in under 60 seconds. Plus, the solution offers quote comparison and quote versioning capabilities, enabling users to review vital historical and financial data in a single page view. IQEdge can streamline and automate application processing, underwriting document verification and payment collection, cutting the need for manual labour and minimising processing errors. A digital “self-service” platform, IQEdge, reduces the need for customer and administrative support. Meanwhile, borrowers can access their accounts, make payments and manage their policies independently and through sales and support teams, which are always available for further assistance. “We’ve created a quality platform that simplifies the quoting process yet amplifies the customer experience,” says Gordon. “It’s a real game changer.” IQumulate offers an online digital quoting tool to clients. The best-in-market solution enables IQumulate to tailor funding offerings to brokers that align with their prefered distribution channel.

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Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business

Medal

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business

What does IQumulate have in mind for the future? “IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur. “Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, with the potential to allow IQumulate to capture a larger market share, whilst continuing to deliver service excellence to clients.” “As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead. “We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”

https://iqumulate.com/

IQumulate invests in education and people, which are vital to attracting new business and talent to the company. “We have long tenures for several of our key staff, including some in leadership positions, and this sound working knowledge of our business, practices and industry provides great insights and a wealth of experience to offer our clients,” says Bastow. “Our new head of sales, Graeme Gordon, formerly manager for New Zealand, joins us in Australia to drive our sales strategy and lead our team to successful outcomes for our clients and our business. We look forward to great things ahead with Graeme as he continues to be active and present in the New Zealand market as well as building sound working relationships and new connections in Australia.” Clients can also expect a lot from working with IQumulate. “Through active engagement with our trusted broker network, IQumulate provides relevant information, education and training content,” says Graeme Gordon, head of sales. “Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available and how IQumulate can spread the cost of insurance and help borrowers get the right level of insurance cover to free up their cash flow for other expenses or business growth opportunities. Premium funding is often considered a tool for those who simply cannot afford to pay their premiums in full. While this is certainly a significant driver for many, it is also successfully used by profitable companies who use premium funding to manage their cash flows more wisely or better manage their liquidity.”

What does IQumulate have in mind for the future? “IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur. “Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, creating a competitive advantage with the potential to allow IQumulate to command premium pricing or capture a larger market share. “As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead. “We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”

Claire Watson

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

Claire Watson

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Proving that the firm’s methods are effective, they are on course for $150m in GWP in FY24 and plan to increase their staff count to 100. Selecting team members is a detailed process that ensures everyone integrates and adopts the internal culture. “As a younger team, we are inspired to grow the next generation of insurance professionals, and this sometimes means that we will onboard team members with less than two years of insurance experience. We view cultural fit as being equally important to insurance experience,” says Brady. “To manage this, we have invested heavily in the onboarding process, including a mix of external education resources and time spent across different departments in their first weeks at the company. We are also in the build phase of some exciting technology advancements that will leverage AI and machine learning to assist with training and overall knowledge and compliance.” Along with Brady, fellow directors Joshua Scutts and Douglas Strong have been part of the business since its beginning and prioritise:

the development of additional technology to further automate the more mundane and time-intensive processes building out a compliance system using AI that will significantly reduce exposure to compliance and regulatory issues rolling out of a new series of marketing strategies to strengthen retention and bring in new clients

“Our brokers understand their clients’ business needs and pair them with the right product and appropriate level of cover for any foreseeable risk or contingency”

Cynthia Yap, Dynamic Insurance Services

“Our brokers are encouraged to ‘specialise’ in a market niche because it allows them to negotiate an insurance scheme with the underwriters for the most competitive insurance premiums”

Cynthia Yap, Dynamic Insurance Services

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Established in 1962, the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan (SHEPP) has grown into the largest defined benefit pension plan in the province and the only industry-wide pension plan serving the healthcare sector, one of Saskatchewan’s largest and most valued workforces. SHEPP is a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan with 50 participating employers and over 63,000 members either receiving or entitled to a lifetime pension benefit under the plan. Today, one in every 15 people employed in Saskatchewan is a SHEPP member, supporting the health and well-being of communities across the province.

•

constant energy and focus towards improving the service offering to clients venturing into new territory with technology creating a solid foundation of knowledge and compliance that will secure success over the long haul

Underlining this commitment is the company’s internal motto, “It’s only the beginning,” which still rings true after almost seven years in operation. Brady explains how Shielded has widened its scope. “The brokerage doesn’t target any specific client base,” he says. “When we started the business, we were very focused on specific lines of business, but as the brand has grown with all sorts of enquiries, we have become diversified across many industries.” And Brady also shares his view on why success will be an ongoing process for the firm. “We adapt to the demand for how consumers want to interact with our industry, and we’re a passionate and energetic group of young insurance professionals bringing new ideas,” he says.

Dynamic Insurance Services is also continuing to boost its growth with initiatives such as:

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a 12-month branding and marketing campaign investment in digital assets and content that can support the marketing efforts of brokers strengthening their stable specialised insurance schemes to offer even better value for money for clients

Ms Yap says, “We have a supportive work environment with an emphasis on mentorship and wellbeing. This is especially helpful for female insurance professionals, who often have to balance professional goals with family duties. We actively encourage brokers to break new ground by establishing market niches and insurance schemes that best leverage their experience and contacts.”

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