Intact director named one of Canada’s most powerful women

Eileen Mercier, a member of the board of directors of Intact Financial Corporation, was named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women this week by the Women’s Executive Network.

Mercier, 70, has been on Intact’s board since 2004.

The 100 winners are “proven achievers who are strong contributors to their organizations, their fields of endeavour and their communities,” says the Women’s Executive Network.

Eileen Mercier, board member, Intact Financial Corp.

WXN announced Thursday its 2018 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award winners.

In addition to Mercier, this year’s Top 100 also include privacy lawyer Éloïse Gratton, a contributor to Canadian Underwriter magazine. Gratton is the national co-leader of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s privacy and data protection practice group.

Mercier has more 40 years of management experience in financial services, communications, oil and forest products, Intact said in a securities filing.

Intact – which owns Intact Insurance, Belair Direct and BrokerLink – is Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer when measured by direct premiums written. Formerly known as ING, Intact acquired AXA Canada in 2011 and U.S.-based commecial insurer OneBeacon in 2017.

A former chief financial officer of Abitibi-Price Inc., Mercier is currently chair of the Board of Payments Canada and chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Intact said earlier this year that it aims to ensure at least 30% of its directors are women.

Four of Intact’s 12 directors are women. In addition to Mercier, Sylvie Paquette, Janet De Silva and Carol Stephenson also sit on Intact’s board.

Paquette is former president and chief operating officer of Desjardins General Insurance Group. De Silva is president and CEO of Toronto Region Board of Trade. Stephenson previously served as dean of the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ont. and as chief executive officer of Lucent Technologies Canada in Markham, Ont.

Women’s Executive Network says it “exists for the advancement, development and recognition of professional women in Canada” and does training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs.