Top 10 Under 40, 2018: Dina Godinho, Jones DesLauriers Insurance

Who are the brightest young talents in Canadian P&C today? Each year, Canadian Insurance Top Broker magazine (recently acquired by CU) answers that question with its Top 10 Under 40.

Meet the other winners here, and don’t forget to pick your favourites for the Peer-to-Peer Awards.

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Dina Godinho Partner and Account Executive Jones DesLauriers Insurance Mississauga, Ont.

After graduating from college, Dina Godinho knew she had to find a career. Thankfully, a family friend pointed her toward insurance. Twelve years later, she’s the youngest partner at Jones DesLauriers Insurance, based in Mississauga, Ont.

“You can go any direction you choose in this industry—it’s just a matter of finding your passion,” Godinho says. “I started off my career as an account assistant and worked my way through the ranks with guidance from various mentors.”

To help Godinho find her passion, her mentors asked her where she saw herself at different milestones in her career—two years, five years, 10 years in. That helped her focus on three niches: technology, hospitality and D&O.

Focusing on technology was a strategic choice she made early in her career.

“One of the challenges I faced when I started as a producer was having the stigma of being younger in the industry. [With tech companies], I was sitting in front of people who were the same age as me, and there were no stigmas attached to age.”

To build up her clientele, Godinho prioritized becoming a subject matter expert who could have conversations with clients and prospects about the trends, opportunities and risks in their industries.

“Focusing on the client experience, word of mouth spread quickly and referrals were coming faster than I could keep up with,” she says.

But it is Godinho’s focus on exceptional customer service that truly sets her apart.

“My mentor gave me this motto: there are never problems, only solutions. So that’s been my driving factor to be able to provide a great client experience.”

Meet the other winners here, and don’t forget to pick your favourites for the Peer-to-Peer Awards.