For this edition of Candid Corner, we met Alan Perriera. He is a business owner, serving as Certified Financial Planner at a multi-product insurance firm namely, “The Co-operators.”
On behalf of Solsnet, I visited him last weekend. It was a bright, sunny day in Mississauga. Before I reached, he just came back after playing his favorite sport, squash.
I found him a very amiable and gregarious person, who is devoted to his organization and of course, family life. With greetings, I began the conversation.
Alan immigrated to Canada ten years ago and has been representing The Co-operators ever since. The Co-operators is a leading Canadian-owned multi-product insurance company with agents in over 600 locations across the country. Their mission statement is “financial security for Canadians and their communities”
Alan has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Commerce and has also obtained his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and Certified Health Insurance Specialist (CHS) designation. He specializes in Life, Critical Illness, Disability, Group and Travel Insurance. He also looks after Home, Auto and Business Insurance.
Outside the office Alan can often be found playing squash at one of Mississauga’s many community centers. He has a passion for music and enjoys practicing different instruments with his daughter. Alan is active in the community and participates in various community events, including the Clarkson Strawberry Festival, the Clarkson Halloween Fun Fest, Bowling for Big Brothers and Sisters of Peel and is on the leadership committee of Business Network International (BNI)
Alan attributes his career choice to his passion for working with people and building long term relationships. That, when coupled with his desire to start and grow a business of his own, made an insurance agency a perfect place to start. A typical workday has Alan meeting with existing or prospective clients, listening to them and helping them build an insurance and financial portfolio that perfectly suits their needs.
Over the last several years, Alan has qualified for the prestigious Executive Builders Club and the Triple Crown Club that recognizes outstanding productivity, quality and service on a national and regional level. He credits his success in a large part to the efforts of his wife – Mona Pereira – who works closely with him and to an awesome office team and corporate management.
When asked what was required to be a successful entrepreneur, Alan replies:
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- bring your passion for the job to the job
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- make integrity part of your business plan
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- stay focused and manage your “highs” and “lows”
One of the challenges that face most business owners is finding the perfect work-life balance. Alan strives to maintain that. He treasures his downtime with his family and admits that his most memorable moment is still the day he met his beautiful wife!
The world is changing rapidly. The internet has revolutionized the way we access information and the way we communicate. Today’s generation will not be able to contemplate a world without the internet. Alan recognizes the need to keep pace with this change. Social media platforms and their relevance to business are also influencing how we conduct business today. All businesses will need to recognize this or they will be left behind.
In closing we asked what it would take to make our society perfect to which he replied “We all need to do what it takes to improve life for ourselves, our family and our community. If we all did that, society would be as good as it gets!”
It was a great esteem to have a decent conversation with him. I rounded off the interview by wishing him and his enterprise progress and prosperity.