BUSINESS. Former UV Assurance president and CEO Jacques Desbiens was chosen as 36And Drummond Chamber of Commerce and Industry Builder (CCID), which made the announcement on 1is November. It will be officially introduced there on January 30th.
Retired for five years, Jacques Desbiens did not expect to receive this recognition from the CCID. He also admitted that he had long hoped that his name would be found alongside Gilles Soucy, Léo-Paul Therrien, Bernard Lemaire, Noël Sylvain and other personalities who are members of the Business Hall of Fame for whom he cherishes great. admiration.
“For me, there is no better gift to end a career of over 40 years during which I have achieved so much more over the past 23 years as president of UV Assurance. . In turn, I was able to make my contribution to the socio-economic development of Drummondville and its region. This appointment as a Builder was a dream that I had secretly cherished since I saw the wall where the first six Builders were exhibited in 1996 “, indicated Mr. Desbiens.
When contacted by the outgoing president of the CCID, Marc Tremblay, Jacques Desbiens said he retraced his career to confirm that he really deserved this recognition. In the course of his professional life, Mr. Desbiens has held numerous positions in addition to that of CEO of UV Assurance (formerly Union-Vie), he has, only in the year 2000, joined the functions of President of the College Saint-Bernard , Sainte-Croix Hospital and the CCID as well as Union-Vie.
The businessman is also involved with the Regroupement des assuranceurs de personnes à charte du Québec (RACQ), the Canadian Association of Life and Health Insurance Companies (CLHIA), the Club des actuaires de Québec (CAQ), as a lieutenant colonel honorary in the sixth battalion of the Royal 22And regiment and as president of the Fabrique Saint-François d’Assise. As president of the fundraising campaign for the establishment of the Drummondville campus of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Jacques Desbiens raised $ 8 million for the construction of the pavilion.
Jacques Desbiens has an actuarial education at Laval University. He got the position of CEO of Union-Vie by responding to a job offer and, five years after taking up the position, was named chairman of the board. Mr. Desbiens has always paid particular attention to the design of insurance products, the most popular of which has sold more than 100,000 copies.
“Even though it is an individual recognition, I don’t lose sight of the fact that the whole UV Insurance team has something to do with it, especially when it comes to the company’s successes over the years. , which was certainly taken into account for my selection. These results have, by necessity, required a great deal of time and energy. So, I was less present for my wife and children. I want to thank them today for their patience and their support ”, underlined the new CCID Builder during his speech.
Present at this announcement, Jacques Desbiens’ son Alexandre, who is also a City Councilman for District 2 of Drummondville, said he was very proud of his father for granting this recognition.
“My father has had a challenging career. He is very much deserved. He surprised me by talking about the family sacrifices he made. Like everyone else, my father worked, but I never lacked his presence. I think he has managed to fulfill himself well in both professional and family life “, said Alexandre Desbiens at the end of the press conference.
Awesome
Recently appointed as Chairman of the CCID Board of Directors, Tommy Jodoin believes Jacques Desbiens excellently represents the exceptional people that CCID seeks to honor with the help of its Business Hall of Fame.
“There is no mystery. Mr. Desbiens has been an outstanding man in our community for over 40 years. He has had a quiet career. He took Union-Vie to other levels, which made the company a great institution in our community and the headquarters he maintained in Drummondville. He embodied the leadership for the company during his time there. Beyond his purely economic impact, Mr. Desbiens has been a major player in the community and social world through his implications, ”explained Mr. Jodoin.
The latter confirmed that, despite his retirement for five years, the name of Jacques Desbiens was part of a list of potential builders and that he had not been forgotten. During his speech, the latter said, jokingly, that he believed that “his dog was dead”, which caused laughter in the audience. The CCID call, a week before he turns 70And birthday, it was therefore a pleasant surprise for him.
“I am no longer visible in the middle. I was wondering who would think of me because no approach or question had been asked. When you don’t see someone, you can think of the adage “out of sight, out of mind”. This is why I thought it would not happen to me ”, commented Jacques Desbiens, moved by the choice of him.
As a retiree, Jacques Desbiens remains active in a different way. He says he keeps moving to keep his body healthy and to spend a lot of time on his boat during the summer months.
