Get to know our Advisor Member Christina Fryer, Manager, PMSR at Eagle Bay Financial Services.
1. Where in Canada are you based?
Kelowna, BC
2. Please introduce yourself in a few sentences.
I live with my family in Kelowna, BC, and have spent the past 19 years in the group benefits industry. As a Group Benefits Advisor and Manager of Plan Member Services with Eagle Bay Financial Services, I partner with Indigenous organizations and communities to help create meaningful benefits programs and support members in understanding and accessing their coverage.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, yoga, snowboarding, and spending time with family and friends. I’m also a lifelong learner who enjoys exploring new ideas and opportunities for growth.
3. What is your favourite part of your role?
My favorite part of my role is building meaningful relationships with our clients and supporting their efforts to provide strong physical, mental, and financial wellness benefits for their members and families. I especially enjoy meeting plan sponsors and members in person, helping them understand and access the benefits available to them, and hearing their stories along the way.
I am particularly proud of the work our Plan Member Services team does to support Indigenous organizations and communities. Whether we’re helping members understand their coverage, navigate claims, access mental health resources, or connect with the right supports, it’s incredibly rewarding to know our work helps people feel informed, supported, and cared for throughout different stages of life.
4. What motivated you to join the Smart Health Benefits Association?
I was motivated to join SHBA because its mission closely reflects what I care about in my work—supporting access to benefit coverage that is affordable, sustainable, and fair. Working across diverse communities, I see the real impact that gaps in coverage can have on individuals and families, and I believe change is most effective when advisors, employers, and policymakers can work together.
5. What advocacy or policy issue impacting plan sponsors or plan members matters most to you right now?
The issue that matters most to me is ensuring benefit plans continue to meet the evolving needs of the people they serve. Many organizations are working hard to balance rising costs with the need to provide meaningful support for members and employees.
Flexible benefits play an important role in achieving this. Options such as wellness programs and spending accounts empower individuals to direct support where it is most meaningful to them, recognizing that wellbeing looks different for everyone.
I also believe plan design must continue to evolve alongside changing family structures and financial realities. This includes recognizing that more young adults are relying on family support beyond traditional dependent age limits, while many employees are choosing to remain in the workforce longer and want continued access to meaningful health and life insurance coverage. To remain relevant, benefit plans must adapt to support people at every stage of life.
6. From your perspective, why is it important that plan sponsors and plan members have a direct voice in policy and industry discussions?
I have seen firsthand how valuable the perspectives of both plan sponsors and plan members can be. Their experiences provide insights that go beyond what claims data and industry trends can tell us, helping to ensure benefit policies and programs are practical, culturally relevant, and responsive to the real needs of employees, families, and communities. By having a direct voice in policy and industry discussions, they help shape more meaningful, inclusive, and effective benefit solutions that deliver meaningful support where it is needed most.
7. How do you define success?
To me, success is finding joy in both your work and your personal life. It’s loving what you do, cherishing the people around you, and feeling at peace with how you’ve spent your day.
8. Tell us how you manage work/life balance.
I try to create balance by making time for the people and activities that matter most to me. Work can be busy, but I believe it’s important to step away, spend time with family and friends, get outside, and enjoy hobbies that bring joy and help me reset. For me, balance isn’t about separating work and life completely;it’s about making sure both receive the attention they deserve.
9. If your friends/family/colleagues were to give you an award… What would it be for?
I’d probably receive the ‘One More Chapter’ Award. I love reading and learning, and I’m naturally curious about a little bit of everything. My family often jokes that when I say I’m going to read just one more chapter, it’s usually a very optimistic estimate. Before I know it, hours have gone by. Whether it’s a book, a new idea, or a new skill, I’m always eager to keep learning and see what’s next.
10. If someone were to make a documentary about you… What would be the title?
“Side Quests and Fun Facts”
SHBA Member Spotlights are a Get-to-Know Profile that features the passionate industry advisors that are contributing their expertise, shaping priorities, and playing a direct role in advancing meaningful change.