Unlocking Leadership Potential

As part of a set of articles for The Actuary about coaching principles, I spoke with Geneviève Gauvin, FSA, FCIA, about coaching and its role in connecting teams and developing leaders, among other topics.

Gauvin is a partner and wealth management business leader at Mercer in Montréal, Québec. She is responsible for overseeing the team that delivers asset management and pension actuarial consulting services for the province of Québec and manages the Montreal office, focusing on business development and increasing internal and external collaboration.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are among her priorities as a leader and are included in her approach to client management. This advocacy has played a significant role in promoting diversity and inclusion within teams. She also advocates for using large language models (LLMs), encouraging innovation and increasing LLM awareness to the benefit of teams while fostering and creating more fulfilling jobs.

Here, she discusses using her years of actuarial experience and certification as a professional coach from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching to help individuals grow in their careers.

What’s your “day job,” and how does coaching fit into it?

As the Québec wealth business leader at Mercer in Montréal, I’m responsible for overseeing the team that delivers asset management and pension actuarial consulting services for the province of Québec. I interact with clients, business partners, juniors and seasoned professionals every day.

I believe that a team performs at its best when its members feel connected and can learn from each other. This requires a safe and nonjudgmental space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and challenging ideas. Each person brings their own unique perspective, opinions and stories. In our profession filled with astonishingly smart individuals, I can tell you that behavior is a choice. This is where coaching becomes valuable.

Coaching is helpful in both formal and informal situations to bring out the best in everyone. This personalized attention fosters self-awareness and encourages people to approach situations with curiosity and an open mind, promoting growth and development.

Personally, I use coaching skills in business development and by assisting colleagues in navigating interpersonal relationships. Even seasoned colleagues need a nonjudgmental, safe space to reflect on what’s important to them in that moment.

My coaching mindset also helps me stay calm in difficult situations—not that these ever arise in the workplace or with clients …

What first drew you to coaching?

When I applied for this role at Mercer, I wanted to step up my game in a certain skill set, so I reached out to a trusted former colleague who now specializes in coaching women in leadership roles. It was an unparalleled connection that exceeded all my expectations and helped me as I began developing leaders.

After each session, I was amazed and flabbergasted. I felt empowered, more open-minded and even lighter. Each conversation brought me to another level, changing my mindset and perspective on situations. I was growing, had more energy and was less judgmental.

I instinctively asked about my coach’s training journey (I was literally writing down all his questions and interventions; they were so thoughtful!) He mentioned he wished he had started this 20 years ago, and here I was, 20 years younger. Inspired, I jumped into the same training and started coaching, too. It turned out to be a practical and experiential journey. I now use coaching skills in business development every day, and it has had a profound impact on my self-awareness and leadership abilities. Each coaching conversation challenges my core beliefs, values, openness and goals in a silent yet powerful way.

I wish I would have done this 20 years ago.

What is your coaching philosophy? How does a typical coaching relationship work?

In our fast-paced environment, we don’t allow ourselves to reflect on what’s important for us in the present moment. This is why a coaching relationship, whether formal or informal, is so valuable. It allows us to dedicate time to thinking out loud, a well-deserved moment of focus.

In my coaching, the focus is on the individual, not the situation being discussed. It’s about uncovering thoughts, feelings and actions that are important. No advice is given; the premise is that everyone has the answer to their own questions—my role is to ask open-ended questions, acknowledge and validate, celebrate progress, and reflect on what was heard, in a safe, nonjudgmental space. Easier said than done.

In contrast, a mentor relationship typically focuses on professional skills and goals and is based on the mentor’s experience and expertise. They provide insights, direct advice and direction. I may share personal experiences, but only if relevant and with the consent of the individual. The emphasis is on the insights gained from those experiences. Again, easier said than done.

In your leadership role at Mercer, you deal with change management on an ongoing basis. What do change management and coaching have in common?

Coaching is a powerful tool that can be used to support individuals through a change management process.

One coach can’t do it alone, and I believe coaching skills should be incorporated into training curriculum for people managers, with a focus on “practicing” the skills. Asking open-ended questions is a key skill in coaching, but it is not always easy to do, especially in the heat of the moment.

All of these questions can help individuals gain clarity and guide their teams through change with the right mindset and energy:

• What is it about the situation that is bothering you?
• What is a win-win outcome in this situation?
• What does your intuition tell you?
• What’s an alternative way of looking at it?

Something relatively new that can help people managers prepare for difficult conversations is the use of LLMs, which can provide a framework to address specific issues. But they don’t replace support from HR. LLMs can stop procrastination and help more analytical people managers who struggle in some areas of human interactions, whether it’s in a change management context or not.

In terms of change management and leadership in general, I believe we need to leverage everyone’s “superpower.” Most of us are still searching for our own, and by helping others unlock theirs, coaches can inspire and push people forward with curiosity and enthusiasm, without judgment.

This stuff should be taught way before university and should be mandatory. We’d have way more actuaries with unlocked superpowers. Imagine that: We might just have found a way to beat artificial intelligence (AI)!

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.

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