iA Financial Group announces addition to boards of directors

iA Financial Group announces addition to boards of directors | Insurance Business Canada

Insurance News

iA Financial Group announces addition to boards of directors

He has over 25 years of experience

Insurance News

By
Mika Pangilinan

iA Financial Group has announced the addition of Martin Gagnon to the boards of directors of iA Financial Corporation and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services.

Gagnon, who is set to assume his role in January, brings over 25 years of experience in banking, asset management, and brokerage firms.

From 2016 to 2023, he served as executive vice president of wealth management and co-president and co-CEO of National Bank Financial (NBF). Prior to this, he held positions of increasing responsibility at the National Bank of Canada and its subsidiaries. His background includes senior roles at renowned institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Laurentian Bank.

Gagnon holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce Finance from Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of British Columbia. Additionally, he has a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Gagnon is set to join iA Financial Corporation’s board now comprises 15 directors, 14 of whom are independent and 47% of whom are women. Simultaneously, the Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services board now boasts 14 directors, 13 of whom are independent and 50% of whom are women.

Last month, iA Financial Group announced that it had entered a deal to acquire Vericity for US$170 million. The deal was characterized as a bid to grow the company’s presence in the US.

“With this acquisition, we are adding scale to our already well-established and successful US individual life insurance business and creating value for our shareholders by building on our core insurance and distribution competencies,” said Mike Stickney, executive vice president, chief growth officer US operations, co-head of acquisitions.

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