Our Team
A team of leaders focused on making a positive impact
Our Leadership Team
To explore the leadership team of Smart Employee Benefits Inc. please click on a person’s name or the arrow icon beside the person’s name.
Mohamad El Chayah, is a high-energy executive with a history of both entrepreneurial and global company experience prior to joining SEB as the President of SEB Administrative Services Inc. in 2017. Previously, he has held various senior leadership positions at several global IT services companies with a primary focus in international markets. Mr. El Chayah brings extensive experience building, growing and transforming strong teams in organizations such as Atos Origin, Hewlett-Packard, and Aon Hewitt where he has maximized revenue, increased operational effectiveness and improved profitability in all his roles.
Strategic, aspirational, and driven by a vision for excellence, Mr. El Chayah possesses a deep knowledge of the IT and Business services market and has a proven track record for developing lucrative business models, go-to-market strategies, innovative products & services, and qualifying business prospects, shaping and developing opportunities. He has extensive negotiation experience in managing and closing large complex deal constructs across both domestic and international markets.
Mr. El Chayah has orchestrated win/win value propositions, closed multiple hundred-million-dollar sales transactions, and helped Fortune 500 companies develop and grow in both mature and emerging markets. Mr. El Chayah’s methodical approach to developing viable and lucrative business cases includes measuring assets, human resources and financial factors among many other factors, and was critical to creating multiple long-term successful business opportunities.
Mr. El Chayah is multi-lingual. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science & Information Technology from the Eastern Mediterranean University as well as a Masters Degree in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology from the University of Waterloo.
Mr. El Chayah is an executive officer and director across all SEB subsidiaries and affiliates. He also serves as a director on the board of the Ontario Shores Foundation.
Tim Beaulieu is responsible for leading the finance function across Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB) and its subsidiaries, with oversight of accounting, compliance, financial reporting, treasury, and corporate financing.
Mr. Beaulieu joined Maplesoft, an SEB company, in 2008 and has played a key role in building and scaling the finance organization through significant growth, multiple ventures, and complex corporate transactions. He brings extensive experience across both private and public company environments, with deep expertise in IFRS and GAAP reporting, capital structuring, equity and debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, and financial and operational restructuring.
He led the financial execution of Maplesoft’s sale to Smart Employee Benefits Inc. and subsequently worked closely with SEB’s Executive Management Team on the restructuring of the SEB-Maplesoft group’s financing arrangements. In 2019, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the SEB Group of Companies and now oversees consolidated financial operations and reporting across the organization, while also supporting strategic and operational initiatives.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Beaulieu was a Manager at BDO Canada, advising clients on assurance and accounting services, business valuation, litigation support, tax planning, due diligence, and corporate finance. He has also served as Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, supporting the organization on a wide range of financial matters.
Mr. Beaulieu is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a member of the CICA, ICAO, and OCAQ. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Université du Québec à Hull and a graduate degree in Accounting from Université du Québec en Outaouais. He is fluently bilingual in French and English.
He serves as an executive officer and director across all SEB subsidiaries and affiliates.
Cathleen is a seasoned finance leader with over fifteen years of experience building and leading high-performing finance organizations within fast-growing, customer-focused companies. She brings deep expertise in financial reporting, planning and analysis, and mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB), Cathleen served as Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, a globally recognized luxury hospitality organization headquartered in Toronto. Earlier in her career, she led international initial public offering audit engagements at SLF LLP and began her professional career in the audit practice at Ernst & Young LLP.
As a member of SEB’s senior leadership team, Cathleen is committed to delivering a best-in-class client experience while supporting the company’s growth, financial strength, and strategic objectives.
Cathleen is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Accounting from McGill University.
Board of Directors
To explore the board of directors of Smart Employee Benefits Inc. please click on a person’s name or the arrow icon beside the person’s name.
Alec leads the overall aspects of Life Insurance, Group Benefits, Creditor Insurance, and Wealth manufacturing and operations for Co-operators Life Insurance Company and CUMIS, including financial management, product development, profitability and insurance operations. He also leads the development of a Third-Party distribution network spanning 3 product lines to deliver a full range of products for Canadians.
Alec has 29 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to his current appointment as EVP and COO of Co-operators Life Insurance Company and CUMIS, Alec was Vice President Individual Insurance and Chief Actuary, Life. In this role he oversaw the Individual Insurance line of business including product development, underwriting, and strategy. From 2011 to 2013 Alec was Director of Pricing and Product Support for Individual Insurance and Wealth Management and VP Individual Insurance for CUMIS from 2005 to 2011.
Alec sits on the board of The Edge Benefits, Co-operators Financial Investment Services and AZGA Services Canada on behalf of the Co-operators Group. He is a Fellow with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries and holds a mathematics degree in actuarial science with a minor in statistics from the University of Waterloo.
Mohamad El Chayah, is a high-energy executive with a history of both entrepreneurial and global company experience prior to joining SEB as the President of SEB Administrative Services Inc. in 2017. Previously, he has held various senior leadership positions at several global IT services companies with a primary focus in international markets. Mr. El Chayah brings extensive experience building, growing and transforming strong teams in organizations such as Atos Origin, Hewlett-Packard, and Aon Hewitt where he has maximized revenue, increased operational effectiveness and improved profitability in all his roles.
Strategic, aspirational, and driven by a vision for excellence, Mr. El Chayah possesses a deep knowledge of the IT and Business services market and has a proven track record for developing lucrative business models, go-to-market strategies, innovative products & services, and qualifying business prospects, shaping and developing opportunities. He has extensive negotiation experience in managing and closing large complex deal constructs across both domestic and international markets.
Mr. El Chayah has orchestrated win/win value propositions, closed multiple hundred-million-dollar sales transactions, and helped Fortune 500 companies develop and grow in both mature and emerging markets. Mr. El Chayah’s methodical approach to developing viable and lucrative business cases includes measuring assets, human resources and financial factors among many other factors, and was critical to creating multiple long-term successful business opportunities.
Mr. El Chayah is multi-lingual. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science & Information Technology from the Eastern Mediterranean University as well as a Masters Degree in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology from the University of Waterloo.
Mr. El Chayah is an executive officer and director across all SEB subsidiaries and affiliates. He also serves as a director on the board of the Ontario Shores Foundation.
A proud advocate of co-operative values, Rob drives Co-operators commitment to building a sustainable, financially secure, and resilient society for Canadians and our communities. He is instrumental in Co-operators evolution from a solely insurance-focused organization to a holistic financial-services provider, spanning multi-line insurance and investment products, services, and personalized advice.
Rob believes that the way to foster Canadians’ financial strength and security is to invest in communities, so they can better withstand and recover from increasingly frequent and severe climate-related events. That’s why he has overseen the investment of more than $2.6 billion – 21% of Co-operators portfolio – in impact investments that intentionally and measurably address Canada’s most-pressing environmental and social challenges. Additionally, he leads flood-resiliency efforts across the country, as a founding director and member of the Partners for Action Advisory Board, and as a board member of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
On the global stage, Rob is the Chair of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), and its charitable foundation. He also shares his unique expertise as a board member of the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund (CCIF), and of Équité Association. And as a member of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) Steering Committee, and the Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) committee.
Rob holds a B.A. with distinction in Theoretical Mathematics and an MSc. of Applied Statistics from the University of Guelph, as well as a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation. He lives with his family in Guelph, Ontario, where he remains a rooted and active member of the local community.
Kathleen joined The Co-operators in late 2017 as SVP, Group General Counsel and Associate Secretary. Kathleen is accountable for the provision of all legal, compliance and records and information management services across the group of companies. Prior to joining The Co-operators, Kathleen was the Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. As lead advisor to the board and executive committee for multiple legal entities, Kathleen was accountable for all legal, regulatory, and compliance issues within Canada. Prior to joining Zurich, Kathleen served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for AIG Insurance Company of Canada. Her insurance industry background also includes time spent with Kingsway Financial, Chubb Insurance, and RBC Insurance. Kathleen’s experience also includes years in private practice where she focused on complex commercial litigation. Kathleen has sat on the board of directors of numerous companies in Canada and the United States.
Kathleen is a strong communicator and business leader with a proven record of building respectful relationships with insurance and securities regulators across North America.
Kathleen obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph and she was called to the Ontario Bar in February 1998. She obtained her law degree (LL. B) from Queens University, School of Law.
On a personal note, some of Kathleen’s passions include baking, cooking, sports, family and youth mental health matters. Kathleen is married to Warren Nicholson and has two sons and two golden retrievers.
Joan leads operations for the Group Benefits business line at Co-operators Life Insurance Company. Her expertise in group benefits has been developed through progressive experience in pricing, valuation, product development, and leadership over the years, providing her with an in-depth understanding of operations, markets, distribution, and performance levers.
Joan has over 25 years of experience in the life insurance industry, including 20 years of management experience working on both business line and corporate management teams. Prior to her current appointment as Vice President Group Benefits Operations, Joan was the AVP Group Insurance Pricing & Valuation and from 2009 to 2017, she held the position of Director of Finance. Joan is a Fellow of both the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries and graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in actuarial mathematics.
Steve is a seasoned leader in strategic innovation with over 30 years of experience across financial services and insurance. He has held executive roles at IBM, TD Bank, Assurant Solutions, and Co-operators, where he drove market expansion and pioneered new business models. Over his career he has served on many insurance and service company Boards and has experience chairing the Board, Audit and Risk, and Compensation Committees.
Steve currently serves as a part-time strategic advisor and Board Director, supporting organizations committed to delivering enhanced solutions to its clients and communities. He holds an MBA from Ivey School of Business and an Institute of Corporate Directors designation from Rotman School of Business.
Jeff leads the enterprise-wide cyber & information security and technology architecture functions for the Co-operators Group. He is responsible for enterprise architecture & strategy which translates business strategy into a technology architecture, defines and governs technology standards, and identifies new trends and opportunities for innovation. He is also responsible for cyber & information security that provides security architecture, governance, and enterprise security programs; prevents, detects, and responds to security breaches and cyber attacks; and manages user identities and access management.
Jeff has experience in many senior leadership and executive roles in technology, including various director, associate vice-president, vice-president, and interim CIO positions. He has been the lead on many technology innovations in his career, across domains including digital, application modernization, cloud, and artificial intelligence.
Jeff serves on several other boards, including Carson Dunlop and Custodia, as well as being a long-serving volunteer board member of Action Read Community Literacy Foundation.
Connor Cressman is Associate Vice-President, Corporate Financial Reporting at Co-operators. Connor is responsible for overseeing and providing leadership to all aspects of the P&C accounting and consolidated external reporting function including financial statements, management discussion and analysis, regulatory returns, and climate reporting for the group of companies as well as leadership for technical accounting matters related to mergers and acquisitions and other ad hoc business transactions. Connor played a key role in the implementation of the consolidation approach to the IFRS 17 initiative for the group of companies.
Connor was a primary contributor in the production of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report for Co-operators group of companies before taking on a larger leadership role in the climate disclosure evolution under new International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2, as well as compliance to new OSFI guideline B-15.
Connor holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting degree from University of Guelph and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Prior to joining The Co-operators, Connor was in the Assurance Practice with PricewaterhouseCoopers.