We are learning about David Frank, Employee Benefits Specialist at Bell Financial and Vice-Chair of the Mental Health & Wellness Working Group at SHBA.
1. Where in Canada are you based?
Toronto, Ontario
2. Please introduce yourself in a few sentences.
I’m an employee benefits and group retirement advisor to select small to medium sized organizations. Our firm prides itself in its intimate, hands on approach to service (if “white glove” service didn’t sound so pretentious we’d say that’s what we provide). We especially enjoy servicing the needs of the not-for-profit community, which shares our caring, people-first culture.
3. What is your favourite part of your role?
I’m a people-person, first, last and always. I love working with both management and employees to educate and offer solutions to problems.
4. What motivated you to join the Smart Health Benefits Association?
I felt that participating in the SHBA would help keep me to be informed about issues that can impact my clients, and to be a part in advocating on their behalf.
5. What advocacy or policy issue impacting plan sponsors or plan members matters most to you right now?
For many years I have regarded mental health awareness and services as priorities for plan sponsors. Anything to do with furthering the goals of expanding access to quality care in this are is important to me.
6. From your perspective, why is it important that plan sponsors and plan members have a direct voice in policy and industry discussions?
If something is happening to me, I would want to have a say in it. Plain and simple.
7. How do you define success?
Other than playing tennis like Roger Federer? Success to me is enjoying the work I do, and that means interacting directly with my clients. Many of them have become friends over the years. Is there a higher form of compliment than that?
8. Tell us how you manage work/life balance.
As long as my body cooperates, I try to play tennis four to five times a week. I also do not work weekends. My clients don’t want to hear from me on a Sunday afternoon, and they accept that I don’t want to hear from them either. Boundaries are the key to a relationship based on mutual respect.
9. What books/resources do you recommend that every industry advisor should check out?
I’m not a good person to ask on this subject since I’m not a fan of self-help books. I would instead recommend fiction or non-fiction books authored by Canadians; we have a rich pool of talent that we should support and celebrate.
10. If your friends/family/colleagues were to give you an award… What would it be for?
Modesty and humility. Definitely.
11. If someone were to make a documentary about you… What would be the title?
“He Served His Clients Well… A Tennis Ball, Not So Much”
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