In the first in a series of interviews with CEOs from ICMIF member organisations, Rob Wesseling, President and CEO of Co-operators (Canada) and Chair of ICMIF, shares his perspectives on the power of purpose-driven organisations and the significance of cooperative identity. He discusses the key themes of financial security, resilience, and impact investing, highlighting Co-operators’ commitment to serving the needs of individual Canadians and communities. As the Chair of ICMIF, Wesseling also shares his vision for the future of the Federation and its role in driving global resilience efforts.

Like many ICMIF members, Co-operators says it is a purpose-led organisation. Is that a key component of the current business strategy and what does it mean for your organisation? Does being a cooperative help Co-operators authenticate its purpose-led strategy and how is that demonstrated in how the organisation does business?

Co-operators has always been purpose-led, it’s what we’ve been about since our inception just after the end of the Second World War. Today, we say that we exist to enable the financial security of Canadians and Canadian communities. In terms of where we are…