FCIP Shines Spotlight on Dynamic Industry

FCIP candidate Qui Trieu is seeking ways for Canada’s dynamic p&c industry to tap into Millennials’ creativity.

In doing so, he is “super-excited” to apply what he has learned in the Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) program to help his company recruit a new generation of young talent.

Trieu is in the final stretch of the Insurance Institute’s facilitated online FCIP program, finishing up his final course, Integrative Learning for the P&C Insurance Sector. His final research project is looking at recruiting, engaging and retaining Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000).

“One of the big components of my research project is Millennials entering the workforce,” said Trieu, manager of personal insurance at Perth Insurance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Economical Insurance. “They have a very different outlook compared to Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), who are slowly leaving the workforce.”

What are Millennials asking of their Canadian property and casualty insurance employers?

They want a balanced work-life blend, Trieu said. “You have to give people the autonomy to want to be able to work but also focus on their personal lives as well.”

Also, they appreciate opportunities to do innovative, creative problem-solving in the workplace. The breadth and dynamism of p&c industry, highlighted in the FCIP program, can accommodate Millennials, he said.

“The biggest takeaway of the FCIP program is just to see the whole industry in a different light,” he said. “After having gone through all of these six online FCIP courses, especially the last one (Integrative Learning for the P&C Insurance Sector), you see the p&c industry is pretty dynamic. It’s as big as you want it to be, it’s as dynamic as you want it to be, and this program will give you as much as you want to put into it.”

He particularly liked the fifth FCIP course, F550 Emerging Issues: Implications for the P&C Leader.

“What I liked about F550 is that it encouraged a lot of dialogue on emerging issues every week,” he said. “One big part of the course is that the facilitator will post questions online, and you have to answer them and then reflect on your classmates’ responses. I found myself learning about a lot of different emerging issues from my classmates about which I would not have known otherwise. That was a really good eye-opener.”

For Trieu, getting into the insurance business itself was an eye-opening experience. He said he got into the insurance industry “completely by accident.” He left university with an education in financial accounting and applied for an underwriting trainee position with Perth Insurance in 2008.

Trieu completed his Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation in a year and a half while he was quickly progressing through junior and intermediate roles at Perth. He became the company’s team leader of underwriting in 2010 and manager of personal insurance in January 2015.

Trieu said the FCIP’s leadership course inspired his research on attracting Millennials to the industry. He took the FCIP’s leadership course just prior to assuming his managerial role at Perth. “With respect to the leadership course, it was just about thinking outside the box and how to lead and develop a strong workforce,” he said.

His advice for prospective FCIPs?

“If you want to move forward with your career, then it will definitely be a boost, for sure, without a doubt,” he said. “I think with the additional designation, you really become part of a select group of individuals who have actually done it. I think it also shows to other people with whom you are communicating that you know what you are talking about. You are invested in the industry and you’ve succeeded.”

Find out more about the FCIP program, and to hear other FCIP grads talk about their experiences in the program.

The Institute is currently accepting applications for admission into the FCIP program. You must be admitted to the FCIP program first before you can begin registering for courses.

The next FCIP course registration period begins on June 1, 2016 for classes beginning on September 6.