President’s Message
Dear Affiliate Members,
It is with great pleasure that I represent our members and assume the role of President of the OIBA. I
wish to thank the current Board of Directors and new Directors for their ongoing commitment and
dedication to promoting the broker channel. I am honoured to stand beside such great team members
who make the tireless hours of volunteering enjoyable and worthwhile.
Could things get any more challenging? As an industry, we have stood proud as an “essential” service
during these unprecedented times. Our businesses have had to shift very quickly how ‐ and in some
cases where ‐ we work in order to serve our customers. Similarly, your association was blindsided and
stopped it in its tracks just as our biggest annual event was to take place. But we persevered.
Our mission statement has never been more important than it is currently:
To ensure the prominence of our members and the long term success of the Independent Broker
Channel through networking opportunities, information sharing, political advocacy and involvement
in local community initiatives.
As a result, we continue to look at new ways to deliver innovative offerings and value. For starters, this
year’s AGM will be delivered virtually and we hope this will allow more of you to join us.
Our strategic planning meeting this year took a different focus: How do we evolve, stay visible and
relevant within our communities while staying true to our mission? It is not going to be easy but it’s
sure going to be interesting. As Brokers, we have faced challenges in the past and we continue to rise
above them all. Together we can ensure that current challenges are just another blip on the radar.
There has never been a better time to be a member and I thank you for your support, and I welcome
your feedback, experience and collaborative suggestions. I hope you will see the year ahead with as
much opportunity and promise as I do. It should be a great ride.
Best regards,
Jenny Desroches, BA, CIP, CAIB
President
President
