A Conversation with… Rob Wesseling

Rob Wesseling is Chief Executive of The Co-operators (Canada)

Tell us about your organisation?

The Co-operators is a cooperative financial services organisation in Canada that was founded just after the Second World War by individuals who felt they weren’t getting the right products and services from their insurers. They had a simple purpose: to create a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. Today our purpose is to enable the financial security of Canadians and the communities we serve. We don’t get up every morning to maximise profit – we get up to enable financial security.

How do you do this in practice?

A recent example is a product we launched called Tomorrow Strong. It’s a home insurance product that pays for clients to build back better after damage from a natural disaster. For example, in parts of Canada where hailstorms are common, if an asphalt shingle roof is destroyed, we will help clients install a hail-resistant tile roof. It breaks the cycle of damage and repair. We’re the only organisation in Canada offering this ubiquitously, at no extra cost.

Another example is our investment strategy. Today, 27% of our invested assets are in verified impact investments – more than any financial institution in Canada and any insurer in the world, according to Corporate Knights. These investments generate green energy, create educational and healthcare opportunities, and still outperform other portfolios. It’s proof that doing good business and driving positive impact can go hand in hand.

How does being a mutual enable you to do these things differently?

As a third-tier cooperative, our members are cooperatives themselves – credit unions, farm organisations, and others. We currently have 46 members, and about a quarter of our business is done to and through them. That structure keeps us focused on resilience and long-term community benefit.

What does this look like at an individual level?

There was a forest fire in Canada. Residents had to flee along the only highway out and many left with nothing – no supplies, no cash. We contacted our clients on their cell phones while they were still on the highway. If someone didn’t have money for gas when they got out, we deposited funds into their credit union accounts immediately. After the fire, when the community reopened, there was a line outside our office. And it wasn’t just our clients – people insured elsewhere came in and dropped their paperwork, saying, “I want what my neighbour had.” That’s the cooperative difference.

Why did you choose to get involved in the CM50?

Because cooperatives are owned and governed by communities, and we exist to support those communities. But to grow our impact, we need enabling legislation, regulation, and recognition from governments. So for me, the goal of CM50 is twofold: externally, to raise awareness and catalyse government action; internally, to drive more collaboration and economic partnership among co-ops.

What are your hopes for Doha and the World Social Summit?

I see Doha as a launch pad — an inflection point. If we tell our story effectively, we can create a new level of engagement from governments, which will enable growth and impact. We are the solution to many pressing policy challenges; we just need to be put in the game.

How do cooperatives build a better world? 

We've already built a better world – this isn't the beginning of the job. But the work isn’t finished. Communities are healthier, happier, and more resilient with cooperative opportunities. To put it simply: cooperatives and mutuals build resilience for individuals and communities, and we solve society’s most important challenges. That is why we are so critically important.