Member presentation and their challenges
Desjardins, the leading cooperative financial group in North America, is headquartered in Quebec and well-established in Ontario. With nearly 8 million customers and a workforce of 56,000, Desjardins primarily serves individuals with a wide range of banking and insurance services. As our first Canadian member, Desjardins joined Qorus in 2009 and has maintained a seat on the Qorus Board of Directors since 2014, currently held by Dominic Larivée, Vice-President of Marketing for Personal Services, Wealth Management, and Life and Health Insurance.
As any other financial institution that wishes to provide the best quality service, Desjardins also encounters some challenges, as the evolving financial landscape demands continuous improvement in acquisition costs for non-life insurance, effective strategies for collecting and utilizing customer data, and the transformation of its marketing function to remain competitive and responsive to customer needs.
Solutions implemented
Despite geographical distances, Desjardins actively participates in Qorus activities. Dominic Larivée and François-Yves Caya, Director of Marketing Planning and Customer Strategy, maintain regular contact with Qorus and frequently submit various requests. These include inquiries about acquisition costs in non-life insurance, best practices for collecting and using customer data, and transforming the marketing function.
To address Desjardins' specific challenges, Qorus implemented several tailored solutions:
Customer data management: In response to Desjardins' request regarding best practices for customer data collection and usage, Qorus organized three Member-to-Member (M2M) meetings. These meetings facilitated discussions between Desjardins decision-makers and their counterparts at Nedbank (South Africa), Caixabank (Spain), and Banco do Brasil.
Expert insights: To reinforce the knowledge gained from these exchanges, Qorus expert Meaghan Johnson delivered an in-house briefing on "Data Customer Behavior and Analytics" to Desjardins' marketing managers.
Online services engagement: Recognizing the importance of widespread usage of Qorus' online services, an online meeting was held to demonstrate associative services. This meeting gathered around twenty participants from Desjardins' banking and insurance departments.
Active participation in Qorus Communities: Numerous Desjardins managers have joined Qorus' online communities, such as Digital Reinvention, Mobility, ESG, and SME, reflecting their deep involvement in Qorus activities.
Results achieved
Desjardins' proactive engagement with Qorus has led to significant results:
Enhanced knowledge and practices: The M2M meetings and expert briefings provided Desjardins with valuable insights and best practices in customer data management, contributing to more effective strategies and operations.
Widespread utilization of Qorus services: The online demonstration session increased the utilization of Qorus' online services across various departments within Desjardins, ensuring that more employees benefit from the resources available.
Recognition of expertise: Qorus has highlighted Desjardins' innovations and expertise through interviews with key decision-makers, such as Mathieu Staniulis, Sylvain Morel, Gildas Poissonnier, Dominic Larivée, and Jean-Yves Bourgeois. This recognition underscores Desjardins' leadership and contributions to the financial sector.
Collaboration next steps
Looking forward, Qorus will continue to support Desjardins in its innovation journey:
Ongoing expert briefings: We will maintain the provision of tailored in-house briefings to address emerging challenges and opportunities, ensuring that Desjardins stays at the forefront of industry trends.
Enhanced peer-to-peer learning: Qorus will facilitate more M2M meetings and community engagements to foster peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, enabling Desjardins to continuously refine its strategies and practices.
Showcasing success and leadership: Qorus will continue to highlight Desjardins' achievements and innovations, promoting their leadership and setting benchmarks for other institutions in the financial industry.
Through these ongoing efforts, Desjardins is well-positioned to enhance its innovation capabilities, drive growth, and maintain its leadership in North America's financial sector.
