Defining Trisura’s Culture

Turn on a TV or pick up a newspaper today and you’ll see countless accusations, denials, lies and growing cynicism. It’s increasingly difficult to tell the difference between real and fake because the world is becoming more complicated and hostile. It seems to me that many good old fashioned societal values have eroded considerably.

It makes me think about Trisura and what we stand for, and of the core values which define our culture. We use terms like caring about your needs, listening to your point of view, being supportive and sharing our expertise. Trisura is a relationship company, focused on building partnerships with our brokers. We realize you trust us with your business. Our team works hard at earning that trust. It strikes me that we are on the right track because I believe that relationships and partnerships are more important than ever before. Our industry remains a people business.

Community

I was reminded of this last week when we hosted our seventh, and largest, softball tourney in Toronto. We were thrilled to share the day with 185 brokers from 17 different brokerages. From what I saw, everyone had a great day of camaraderie, friendship and a little healthy competition. But we were also there to live another of our core values: giving back to our community. With thanksgiving just around the corner, we asked all participants to donate food items or cash to a local food bank, with great success. Our selected charity for the day was once again Children’s Wish; Canada’s foremost wish granting agency which delivers the most heartfelt wishes of kids with life threatening or life altering conditions.

Real People

This year was all the more special because we were intent on raising sufficient funds to deliver on 2 wishes, including one for Katie Grant, the 11 year old daughter of Richard Grant of our Toronto office, and his wife Allison. In January of 2017, Katie suffered from a significant brain bleed caused by an arteriovenous malformation (or AVM). Katie went into a coma and required emergency lifesaving surgery at McMaster Children’s hospital. While this surgery, and subsequent ones, were successful, Katie then spent the next seven months in hospital and has continued with her rehabilitation through to today. Katie has had to learn to do everything we take for granted over again, including how to walk, talk and eat. Due to her remarkable courage and spirit, she is now back at school. This journey was an incredibly difficult one for Katie and her entire family and we are grateful to be part of her wish. Katie and her parents were recently informed she has qualified for a wish from Children’s Wish, and she is now deciding on what she wants to do most. Thank you for helping make Katie’s wish come true.

Goosebumps

The day made me feel wonderful. Together we raised over $20,000 and we were able to deliver on Katie’s still to be determined wish as well as a wish for another child. Seeing over 200 people from the brokerage community and Trisura sharing a day and giving back to the community gave me goosebumps. It reminded me that relationships and partnerships are vitally important, and that even the fiercest of competitors can come together for a good cause. That is what’s truly important, and I wish the world would take note. Our core values define us as an organization and as a team. They help guide us and ground us in an increasingly complex, difficult and hostile world. And they help us keep it real. Have a very happy and healthy thanksgiving and all the very best to you and your family.