Executive Outlook 2022: Tina Osen, Hub International Canada

Tina Osen, President, Hub International Canada

One major lesson we have learned is to expect the unexpected. Nothing is a constant and we must be nimble and prepared to pivot quickly. We also learned that transparent, authentic communication with employees, even if it means you don’t have all the answers, is powerful and that empathy is becoming an essential skillset for leaders when dealing with their teams.

We will see a continued shift to flexible work environments, but with that there will be a need for our business to think about how we attract, develop and continue to retain our talent. We will need to pivot our business model. We will continue to engage our current employees in ways that are meaningful, that provide opportunity for them to build relationships with their colleagues and connect them to the organization even if everyone is not always in the office. We will need to cast a wide recruitment net and invest heavily in the training and development of our teams, with real opportunities for them to learn and understand about the possibilities for career progression. We also need to invest in our leadership and support them in building capabilities to work in these hybrid environments.

We will see continued acceleration of digital transformation and the utilization of AI to support data-driven solutions. We will need to automate the things that don’t matter and focus our energy on the things that do. Customers don’t fit in a single box – we are seeing a lean to transactional, or alternatively customers wanting true consultative services. We need to adapt our business model to meet our customers where and how they want to transact with us. We will see the industry focus on environmental, social and governance initiatives – particularly diversity, equity and inclusion, and work to proactively manage the impact of climate risk.

See all the 2022 Outlooks here.