Tyler Ogilvie, (pictured) vice president for international benefits at Penmore Financial Group based in Calgary, Canada speaks to Health & Protection about the importance of adding value, learning from his mother, why he loves Reykjavík and finding divine truth in Will of Whispers by Tomb Mold.
How long have you been in the international health and benefits advice industry and why did you start working in it?
I have been doing strictly international benefits for almost a decade. I joined the international benefits team at Penmore nine years ago and haven’t looked back.
How long have you been with your present firm and which markets (geographically, industry, people) does your company do business in?
I have been with Penmore Benefits for nine years – we support clients across Canada with their globally mobile workforce.
We support clients in a variety of industries including manufacturing, technology, finance and engineering, but due to the number of international projects we support many firms in the mining and oil and gas industries.
What is the biggest factor affecting the international health and benefits space for you and your firm?
The market for international benefits in Canada is small and with GBG’s dissolution and MetLife leaving the market it has only gotten smaller.
We are fortunate to have a number of options still but more competition helps to ensure our clients are getting exactly what they need at the best price.
Where do you see the future of IPMI in Canada?
There will always be a healthy need for IPMI in Canada because of the prevalence of mining and oil and gas.
I think as the product market shrinks there will be opportunities for new providers with more specialised products to enter the market and try to carve out some niche books of business – particularly for non-traditional expat assignments like individual contractors or rotational workers.
Who has been your most important mentor throughout your career?
I have been very fortunate to work with my mother, Janice Ogilvie, for the past nine years at Penmore.
She has been an institution in the Canadian IPMI space in Canada for almost three decades – there is really no one better to learn from.
She is also an amazing mother and grandmother to my three daughters so I couldn’t ask for more.
What advice would you give people thinking about working in the international health and benefits sector?
There is so much to learn, and each client and country presents new and interesting challenges – don’t ever think you have solved it – just be excited to continue to learn and grow.
What has been your greatest success at work?
We have many clients that have been with us for more than 10 years – I think that speaks volumes about the great work our team does.
What are your top three priorities for the next year?
- Keep adding value to our current clients – this is always number one.
- As a Navacord partner, we want to continue to find ways to bring our unique skills to other clients of the Navacord family.
- Continue to build relationships with our broker friends and partners around the world – this is truly a global business, and it is exciting building a network of likeminded brokers you can rely on.
What is one personal skill that most people do not know about?
The skill to not compare yourself to others.
Comparison is the thief of joy – as true in work as it is in your personal life. Everyone is guilty of this but it is always a skill to work on.
What mantra do you live by?
“Maybe so, maybe not. We will see.” Admittedly this is stolen from an episode of Bluey, the number one show in our house.
It always helps me not to get too low on the losses or too high on the wins – life always finds ways of surprising you.
If you could work in any location in the world, what would it be?
Reykjavík – I loved my trip to Iceland years ago. The weather, landscape, and people all connected to me in a special way.
What song would you regard as your theme tune?
The hardest question. Will of Whispers by Tomb Mold – they are the best band going – and a Canadian treasure.
