OMERS
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
MEET
CARM
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When you contact OMERS with your questions, comments and concerns,
the dedicated team who responds has done so with guidance and
leadership from someone who has devoted over 20 years to OMERS. Now
she will come around full circle, announcing her retirement this fall. After
decades dedicated to serving members and retirees, she now gets to enjoy
the OMERS experience as a retired member herself.
Meet Carm, Vice President, Member Services.
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The best workplaces thrive when they have trusted and well-respected leaders, and with a career
spanning more than 3 decades
in the pension industry and nearly 22 years at OMERS, Carm has been pivotal to the evolution of Member
Services. During her
early years on the team (of which there were only 7 representatives at the time), when members would
contact OMERS, the
messages would be redirected to the departments that could answer them. But with her extensive
background in pension policy,
Carm’s goal was to marry the understanding of the Plan with the first point of contact by getting
subject matter experts on the
phone.
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“
The bottom line is we’re here to help and provide the
information you need so you can make decisions for your
future with confidence. We’re there every step of the way
and there are very few organizations that are like that.
”
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Early in her career, Carm had the opportunity to participate in a customer service course from Disney.
The lessons
learned stayed with her, because as she explains, “they are one of the most amazing organizations for
understanding
their clients; hearing and listening to what they want and being proactive in making sure that every
need someone can
possibly think of will be there before they even think about it.”
As someone who has spoken to many retirees and as a soon-to-be retiree herself, Carm knows that the
needs of
retired members are all different and this phase means different things to different people. She’s
excited about what’s
next and “having an adventure that doesn’t have a plan.” Even if the next chapter isn’t planned yet,
one thing is for
sure: she’ll be volunteering. As a mother who spent time in the ICU with her son, and with a daughter
who now acts as
a team lead volunteer for SickKids, that’s where she’ll be spending her time. “When my son was a baby
in the ICU, a
volunteer came and held him just so I could get a coffee and I haven’t forgotten it; and one day I’ll
be doing that. One
day, I will be at SickKids holding those babies because I have to give back. She gave me something
that didn’t cost
anything, but it meant the world to me.”
For the years of dedication, commitment, and heart that has been shared with everyone at OMERS –
members and
employees alike – Carm’s influence will continue with the Member Services team. Thank you, Carm!
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