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Daniel Thibault didn’t give up his passion for communicating when he switched careers to insurance. His communication skills combined with his ability to be a good listener serve him in good stead every day in his work for Courtika with farm operators, not to mention his many volunteer activities. Let’s see what this enthusiast has to say.
How long have you worked in insurance in general and for Courtika in particular?
After studying to be a radio and TV presenter, I worked in sales before starting my own business. One of my friends at the time was the general manager of an insurance company. Every time we met, he used to tease me by saying that he saw me in the insurance field. When I decided to sell my business, his suggestion seemed to have a lot more appeal. Since then, I’ve been working as a farm insurance broker for the past 10 years – the last three with Courtika. I give advice to farmers and really enjoy this role.
With your training in communications and your specialization as a radio and TV presenter, how does this background help you in your insurance work?
My training helped me become a good communicator – someone who can interact well with people, ask them the right questions and listen carefully to their answers so as to understand their needs. In fact, this is one of my strong points. I’m in very close contact with my clients and regularly meet with them because I’m committed to giving them personal service. The human relationship is what it’s all about. Since I have a keen sense of their individual circumstances, I can offer them the insurance products that best match their needs, and then provide better support if they suffer a major loss.
As an SMB insurance specialist, what are your best tips for agricultural start-ups?
When someone has just taken on a farm operation, it’s important to carefully calculate the worth of all its assets in order to get the right amount of insurance protection. Rather than using market or resale value, the assets should be professionally appraised in order to determine the values to be insured and the adequate level of insurance required. Since insurance is geared to protecting assets, I also recommend that it be budgeted as a business expense.
Most of your clients work in the farming sector in the Eastern Townships. What advice would you give them?
It’s all about trust. Farmers should first make sure that their insurance broker has the necessary expertise and experience to understand their particular reality and offer them the best insurance package to protect assets such as buildings, animals, equipment – and even income. That’s why Courtika has several seasoned agricultural insurance specialists like me.
You’re a member of an in-house musical group called The Bad Brokers. Why is this kind of activity important for you and your company?
I formed The Bad Brokers with a few of my colleagues, and I’m the lead singer. For the last two years, we’ve provided musical entertainment at the company’s corporate events, such as the after-work rooftop bashes attended by teams from all of the company’s offices. These occasions are a great way to network and make connections!
You’re also very involved in your community. What motivates you to be so active? Does Courtika support what you do?
It’s important to give back to your community, especially in small towns like Coaticook! That’s why I helped set up a co-op radio station, CIGN FM, and am also involved in the foundation that supports the Coaticook regional county municipality’s health and social services center. For 20 years, I’ve also organized Christmas concerts with the profits going to a Lions Club program for supporting children’s futures. Courtika encourages these initiatives because they dovetail with the company’s corporate values. For example, to make the company known, it doesn’t hesitate to share our fundraising campaigns with all the employees and to financially support what we do in the region.
What are you most proud of in your work as an insurance broker with Courtika?
When I joined Courtika, I replaced a broker who had just retired after 30 years of service. I managed to keep most of his clients, which is quite unusual in this context. I’m particularly proud of having earned the trust of my predecessor’s clients!
Need advice about protecting your farm, hobby farm, land or farm equipment? Contact us for more information about the types of coverage to match your needs!