The Vice-President, People & Governance, is responsible for providing executive leadership for Specialty Life Insurance's people strategy, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, payroll, organizational effectiveness, governance framework, compliance programs, legal administration, privacy obligations, regulatory affairs, Internal Audits, Advisor Licensing, Advisor Contract Administration, quality assurance functions, advisor licensing administration, advisor contracting processes, and Canadian legal and regulatory activities.
This role serves as a key strategic partner to the President & COO and executive leadership team, ensuring the organization maintains a high-performing workforce, a robust and inclusive culture, effective governance practices, and a robust regulatory and compliance environment.
The Vice-President acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on organizational design, culture, workforce strategy, regulatory compliance, governance matters, enterprise risk considerations, and organizational change.
Key Responsibilities Develop and execute enterprise people strategies aligned with business objectives, growth plans, and organizational priorities.
Provide executive leadership for all Human Resources activities through the Director, Human Resources.
Provide executive leadership, through the Director of Human Resources, to ensure all employee relations matters, workplace investigations, complaints, disciplinary actions, and employment terminations are managed consistently, fairly, and in compliance with all legislative and organizational requirements.
Act as the Company's primary HR advisor during employment-related disputes, regulatory investigations, audits, and litigation.
Partner with business leaders to develop workforce plans, succession strategies, organizational design initiatives, and leadership development programs.
Develop executive dashboards, KPIs and Board reporting on workforce, governance, compliance, operational performance and risk.
Lead initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, and workforce productivity.
Champion a progressive, inclusive, and high-performing culture that promotes accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous learning, and employee/advisor well-being.
Provide executive oversight of Talent Acquisition, Recruitment, HR Operations, Learning & Development, Leadership Development, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Succession Planning, Organizational Development and Employee Engagement.
Develop workforce planning strategies and recruitment programs that strengthen employer branding, reduce time-to-fill and improve quality of hire.
Lead executive recruitment, succession planning, leadership coaching and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
Oversee employee engagement surveys, recognition, retention, wellness and DEI initiatives.
Monitor workforce analytics including turnover, engagement, productivity, absenteeism and retention.
Ensure the organization's roadmap includes competitive compensation, benefits, performance management, and talent development programs.
Lead enterprise change management initiatives associated with organizational growth, transformation, and operational improvement.
Monitor workforce metrics and organizational health indicators and provide strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
Talent Acquisition & Recruitment
Create and oversee a strategic recruitment and selection plan across Canada.
Manage recruitment pipeline.
Ensure 100% of new hires receive required tools and documentation on day one.
Establish and monitor diversity and equal opportunity goals.
Payroll & Compensation
Provide executive oversight of end-to-end payroll ensuring accuracy, timeliness and compliance.
Ensure compliance with CRA, CPP, EI, income tax, ROEs, T4s, statutory remittances and payroll legislation.
Oversee payroll governance, audits, reconciliations and internal controls.
Lead executive compensation, salary administration, bonus programs, commission structures,



benefits and total rewards.
Manage vendor relationships for payroll, HRIS and benefit providers.
Corporate Services
Provide executive oversight of facilities, reception, procurement, travel, office administration, business continuity, physical security, emergency preparedness, vendor management and workplace safety.
Lead office expansions, lease negotiations, renovations and capital projects.
Governance, Compliance, Audit & Regulatory Oversight
Provide executive leadership for the Canadian Compliance, Privacy, Licensing, Quality Assurance, and Governance functions.
Develop and maintain enterprise governance frameworks, policies, controls and compliance programs.
Develop, coordinate, conduct and oversee all internal audits including HR, payroll, operational, governance, compliance, licensing, privacy, quality assurance and employment audits.
Lead all external audits, carrier audits, regulatory examinations and government investigations.
Establish strategic direction, operating standards, policies, controls, and performance metrics for governance-related functions.
Ensure compliance with applicable insurance regulations, privacy legislation, employment legislation, contractual obligations, and corporate policies.
Oversee compliance monitoring, investigations, complaint escalation processes, corrective action programs, and regulatory reporting activities.
Guide the development, implementation, and maintenance of company-wide governance policies, procedures, and control frameworks.
Monitor regulatory developments and assess potential impacts on organizational operations, policies, and practices.
Serve as executive lead for audits conducted by FSRA, insurance carriers, CRA, FINTRAC, Privacy Commissioners, Human Rights Commissions, Departments of Insurance and other regulatory bodies.
Develop annual enterprise audit plans and enterprise risk assessments.
Oversee compliance monitoring, market conduct reviews, licensing audits, quality assurance reviews and regulatory reporting.
Oversee advisor licensing administration and related regulatory compliance activities across all Canadian jurisdictions.
Ensure advisor onboarding, contracting, licensing, continuing education tracking, and regulatory filing processes are administered effectively and consistently.
Oversee advisor contract administration, maintenance, interpretation, and governance processes.
Partner with Business Development leadership to ensure advisor recruiting, onboarding, contracting, licensing, and conduct management processes are aligned and effective.
Monitor advisor compliance trends, licensing risks, and regulatory obligations and implement corrective actions where required.
Privacy, Quality Assurance & Risk Management
Oversee privacy governance frameworks, privacy incident management, data protection practices, and privacy-related compliance activities.
Collaborate with Technology partners, Finance & Operations, Marketing, Business Development and other business functions to embed privacy and governance considerations into business processes.
Provide executive leadership for Quality Assurance programs supporting advisor conduct, customer interactions, operational controls, and regulatory compliance.
Oversee internal audit coordination, compliance reviews, monitoring activities, and remediation programs.
Conduct enterprise governance and compliance risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies.
Ensure appropriate oversight of complaint handling processes, investigation activities, and root-cause analysis initiatives.
Legal & Corporate Affairs Coordination




Oversee Canadian legal administration activities and manage relationships with external legal counsel.
Coordinate legal review of contracts, commercial agreements, regulatory matters, complaints, investigations, vendors, and other legal issues requiring external expertise.
Oversee administration and renewal of corporate insurance programs, including Errors & Omissions coverage and related risk-transfer arrangements.
Support executive leadership in managing legal, contractual, governance, and reputational risks.
Support Board governance, corporate records, resolutions and statutory filings.
Oversee corporate insurance programs including D&O;, E&O; and cyber insurance.
Provide strategic guidance on governance implications of business initiatives, partnerships, and organizational decisions.
Serve as a member of the executive leadership team and contribute to enterprise strategy development and execution.
Support Board and Committee governance activities as required.
Develop and report key governance, compliance, workforce, culture, and risk metrics to executive leadership and the Board.
Promote ethical decision-making, strong corporate governance practices, and a culture of integrity throughout the organization.
Allocate resources effectively across People and Governance functions to support organizational priorities.
Lead, mentor, and develop leaders and employees across the People & Governance portfolio.
Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Law, Public Administration, Commerce, or related field.
Advanced degree, CHRL, CHRE, CIPP, CRM, ICD designation, legal training, or other relevant professional credentials considered an asset.
Minimum of 10–15 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources, Governance, Compliance, Risk Management, Legal Administration, or related fields.
Experience within insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industries.
Demonstrated experience leading multiple corporate functions and influencing executive-level decision-making.
Strong knowledge of employment legislation, governance practices, privacy requirements, regulatory compliance frameworks, and organizational effectiveness principles.
Experience interacting with regulators, auditors, legal counsel, and executive governance bodies.
Strong strategic planning, leadership, communication, and change management capabilities.
Exceptional judgment, integrity, discretion, and relationship management skills.
Strategic Leadership - Aligns people, governance, compliance, and organizational priorities to support sustainable business performance and long-term growth.
Organizational Effectiveness - Builds organizational capability through workforce planning, talent strategies, leadership development, and culture initiatives.
Governance & Regulatory Compliance - Maintains strong governance frameworks and ensures adherence to regulatory, legal, contractual, and ethical requirements.
Risk Management - Identifies, assesses, and mitigates organizational risks while promoting sound decision-making and effective controls.
Culture & Employee Engagement - Shapes a modern, inclusive, and high-performing culture that supports employee engagement, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Privacy & Quality Assurance - Ensures privacy obligations, quality standards, and monitoring programs are effectively designed and executed.
Leadership & Talent Development - Develops leaders and teams through coaching, succession planning, performance management, and professional development.
Analytical - Uses workforce, compliance, governance, and operational data to identify trends and support strategic decision-making.
Communication - Builds trust and credibility through transparent, thoughtful communication with employees, leaders, regulators, auditors, legal advisors, and external stakeholders.
Adaptability & Flexibility - Leads effectively through organizational change, regulatory developments, business growth, and evolving workforce needs.

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📌 Vice-President, People & Governance (Manitoba)
🏢 Specialty Life Insurance
📍 Manitoba