October 10, 2024
Dario Battista—President, IBAO
Getting involved with charitable organizations, local communities or your profession presents incredible opportunity to learn. During my time on IBAO’s Board of Directors, I’ve gained a broader appreciation of our industry, the interplay between its many stakeholders, and the importance that brokers have a seat at the table.
As brokers, we represent most consumers in Ontario, giving us a unique and valuable viewpoint in the ecosystem—a perspective that can be easily overlooked if not for a collective voice. As brokers, our voice matters. The IBAO is our platform to share it.
Over the years, brokers have changed and innovated to adapt to the evolving marketplace. As consumer expectations change, regulations expand, and consolidation trends amongst insurers and brokers continue, tomorrow’s successful brokerages will look different than yesterday’s. Being a great broker is table stakes—what will make brokerages shine is their ability to innovate, evolve and change.
What will drive the success of these modern brokerages is leadership. In the past, brokerage owners ran their businesses hands-on, often while working in the business. But brokerages need to create new business models to keep up with a changing landscape. This takes time and resources. Whether it’s consolidation, specialization or other avenues, brokerages are becoming increasingly complex organizations. We can’t afford any lapse in attention and must not take the future for granted.
The IBAO is our community to learn and share ideas. It’s our collective platform to collaborate with industry and regulators. Distribution is evolving. And with that comes continued pressure on brokers.
The IBAO is helping shape that future, but it requires members to step up to continue its success. I encourage all of you, particularly our next generation of leaders, to get involved with a committee, attend a Queen’s Park Day, join your local Affiliate or IBAO’s Board of Directors. These are great opportunities to broaden your perspective, develop your professional skillset and give back to your industry by helping guide its future.
I look forward to connecting with many of you at IBAOcon and hearing the new challenges and solutions you’ve discovered. It’s this connection and collaboration that makes all of us stronger.
It’s truly been an honour to be your Board President—thank you for that opportunity.