Insurance brokerage evolves their brand and their co-op program as part of plan for growth
By: Krista Henry (she/her)
Mitchell & Whale is one of Canada’s top growing companies according to the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine. The company is counting on co-op students to bring some game-changing ideas to help with their future growth.
The digital insurance brokerage aims to become a top 20 national brokerage by 2030. Co-op students will play a vital role in their growth. Mitchell & Whale, which will be rebranding as Mitch, is expanding all areas of their business.
“We’re rapidly growing and thought this is the perfect time to start investing in a co-op program,” says Jenna Minchella (she/her), manager, people & culture at Mitchell & Whale.
“We are looking to bring on bright new talent in many areas of the business.” The organization’s first University of Waterloo co-op student, Jack Tee (he/him), started this Winter as a data analyst. Tee is a Business Administration and Mathematics major.
“We’re seeing the benefits of having a co-op student on board. It’s been a great learning experience for us and Jack is really enjoying it. He’s feeling like he’s able to contribute a lot which is awesome,” Minchella adds.
Jenna Minchella (she/her)
Manager, people & culture at Mitchell & Whale
Jack Tee (he/him)
Business Administration and Mathematics major
At Mitchell & Whale, Tee expands his skills by working on several projects. As a data analyst he works with the finance and sales teams as well as with different business leaders on a variety of initiatives.
“In one of his projects he’s specifically providing and supporting the team with forecasting data, creating a foundation for financial modeling,” says Minchella. “He’s analyzing data and providing recommendations, he’s a really great addition to our team!”
The brokerage is looking to hire co-op students for a variety of other roles that are not specific to insurance such as human resources and marketing roles to help with their new website.
The shift to a remote work environment during the global pandemic has helped the organization’s recruitment of students. Located in Whitby Ontario, the brokerage can now recruit students from across Canada to fill their talent pipeline.
“We’re looking for people with the right attitude who are eager to learn. Students that want to bring new ideas to life and really make a difference,” she says. “We are amazing at problem solving and work closely as a team. We need people that are open and collaborative.”
The value of co-op
As a fast-growing brokerage Mitchell & Whale has seen the value of co-op students on several levels. They are aiming to grow talent that can become “insurance experts.” This includes finding talent willing to continuously learn in areas such as customer service, sales, finance and more.
“We are happy we have jumped in as an organization, spending the time in going through the process and recruiting from the University of Waterloo. We already see the value of having co-op students on board. It provides them with real world experience, while we provide an opportunity for students to shape our future.”
“Investing in students is critical. It is not about having them come in and take part in a project but for them to see the big picture and the value of what they are providing.”
Mitchell & Whale is looking forward to seeing what great ideas come out of their future co-op hires.