By Renée Trépanier, CFP
Education and Communications Manager
SISIP Finacial Services, Ottawa
(613)760-3405 Renee.trepanier@sisip.com

What is a SISIP Kick-Off? Well it has nothing to do with football, but it does have some similarities. Once a year SISIP brings together an entire team of players who play various positions within the SISIP field. The team consists of Financial Counsellors, Financial Planners, Insurance Representatives, other SISIP Ottawa Managers, the Vice-Presidents, and the President. Everyone gathered to a specific field in Ottawa on October 22 and 23 for this fast paced game. This year the event had 54 players and four keynote speakers.

Also making the journey to Ottawa, for the first time, was the team of financial specialists from SISIP's newest office in Cold Lake, which officially opened on October 28, 2002.

Kick-Off provided an opportunity for all players to network in an informal way so to promote divisional cooperation. One of the main presentations was indeed the Head Coach's forum, where Mr. Pierre Lemay presented the 2003 Business Plan and entertained requests from all players. His presentation and presence was greatly appreciated by all team players.

We also had the privilege of welcoming Mr. John Geci, the Chief Executive Quarterback of CFPSA as one of our keynote speakers. Mr. Geci reviewed the importance of why we must continue to pull together to provide excellent showmanship on and off the field to CF members and their families. He also reiterated that teamwork with all other team members of CFPSA was of the utmost importance.

In addition to launching the new business year, Kick-Off is also an opportunity to provide training to our team of professionals. For two whirlwind days, the team gathered from morning till early evening to attend various sessions. From compliance, policies, to procedures issues, the training objectives were as diverse as the expertise of the SISIP professionals who provide financial solutions to the military communities.

Year after year, Kick-Off trains more and more players together who all have one common goal: to better serve those who serve. In 2003, it will even be bigger by being duplicated…yes duplicated. Approximately one month after the first Kick-Off, which will bring all the Financial Planners, Financial Counsellors, and Insurance Representatives under the same roof, a second Kick-Off will be launched for the first time to unite all the SISIP Administrative Assistants who will receive joint training and also have an opportunity to network.

As with the Grey Cup, our Kick-Off event this year has certainly entered a new era and is becoming more popular and relevant to the whole team of SISIP professionals who provide financial solutions for today…and tomorrow to the serving and former CF members and their families who are the undisputed winners, year after year.

SISIP Gets New Logo

SISIP has redesigned its logo to represent better all of its products and services, to reflect its national presence, and to integrate better with the CFPSA tri-logo.