Burk Humphrey long-time member of pension and benefits group
When Burk Humphrey was growing up, he wanted to be a real estate developer. But when he finished his degree in 1981, interest rates were high and the real estate industry had ground to a halt.
Luckily, an ad in the newspaper for an account executive position in the group pension division at Confed-eration Life caught his eye.
"I never looked back," he says. "Clearly the guy who hired me took a chance because I didn’t have background in investments or the pension industry. But I guess it worked out okay."
Humphrey has also worked at Prudential Insurance and BMO Nesbitt Burns and is now a client relationship executive, group retirement services, at Sun Life Financial in Langley, B.C. But his newest position is chair of the national board of directors at the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (CPBI), a group devoted to continuing education, networking and information-sharing opportunities in which Humphrey has been involved as a member, regional chair or national vice-chair since 1994.
"Personally, the pensions and benefits industry has been very good to me. I believe that people should volunteer and give back in their community, in the business they're in, so I've been doing that now for a number of years. It's a chance to have an impact and an influence on a national organization."
The CPBI has been busy of late, undergoing considerable changes that include moving the head office to Montreal, internal governance and renegotiating contracts.
The board is also working on its relationship with the regions, he says, "to make sure they know what's going on, because that was part of the problem before. Things were happening at the national level and the regions looked at each other and said, 'Who are these guys, what do they do and why do we need them?' Now, things are definitely on track."
Growing the membership of 2,800 is still a challenge. The Pacific, Quebec and Atlantic regions are strong, but Ontario is still disappointing, he says.
"With the number of head office and pension and benefit practitioners in Ontario, we should have way more members than we actually do. I’m convinced the reason why people are not members of CPBI or don’t come to our programs and conferences is because they don’t know who we are."
Another big focus is Forum 2008, the CPBI's new national conference happening in Toronto in May 2008.
"We wanted to make sure it was something different from what we’ve done in the past, a little bit higher level, providing that opportunity for people to get together and talk about what’s important to them."
Through it all, Humphrey has devoted time to volunteer work and his teenage kids. And he probably will work long after 65, he says. "Right now I’m having too much fun."
Sarah Dobson is editor of Canadian Payroll Reporter, a sister publication to Canadian HR Reporter. For more information, visit www.hrreporter.com/ccbr.
Luckily, an ad in the newspaper for an account executive position in the group pension division at Confed-eration Life caught his eye.
"I never looked back," he says. "Clearly the guy who hired me took a chance because I didn’t have background in investments or the pension industry. But I guess it worked out okay."
Humphrey has also worked at Prudential Insurance and BMO Nesbitt Burns and is now a client relationship executive, group retirement services, at Sun Life Financial in Langley, B.C. But his newest position is chair of the national board of directors at the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (CPBI), a group devoted to continuing education, networking and information-sharing opportunities in which Humphrey has been involved as a member, regional chair or national vice-chair since 1994.
"Personally, the pensions and benefits industry has been very good to me. I believe that people should volunteer and give back in their community, in the business they're in, so I've been doing that now for a number of years. It's a chance to have an impact and an influence on a national organization."
The CPBI has been busy of late, undergoing considerable changes that include moving the head office to Montreal, internal governance and renegotiating contracts.
The board is also working on its relationship with the regions, he says, "to make sure they know what's going on, because that was part of the problem before. Things were happening at the national level and the regions looked at each other and said, 'Who are these guys, what do they do and why do we need them?' Now, things are definitely on track."
Growing the membership of 2,800 is still a challenge. The Pacific, Quebec and Atlantic regions are strong, but Ontario is still disappointing, he says.
"With the number of head office and pension and benefit practitioners in Ontario, we should have way more members than we actually do. I’m convinced the reason why people are not members of CPBI or don’t come to our programs and conferences is because they don’t know who we are."
Another big focus is Forum 2008, the CPBI's new national conference happening in Toronto in May 2008.
"We wanted to make sure it was something different from what we’ve done in the past, a little bit higher level, providing that opportunity for people to get together and talk about what’s important to them."
Through it all, Humphrey has devoted time to volunteer work and his teenage kids. And he probably will work long after 65, he says. "Right now I’m having too much fun."
Sarah Dobson is editor of Canadian Payroll Reporter, a sister publication to Canadian HR Reporter. For more information, visit www.hrreporter.com/ccbr.
