GUELPH, ON, Nov. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Co-operators today announced the appointment of Harry Pickett as its new interim Executive Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, effective December 6, 2021, for a period of 18 months.

Pickett will be responsible for the overall strategy, planning, development and execution of the organization's information technology (IT) function. He will develop the skills and capabilities of the IT team to support strategic plans, creating operational efficiencies and competitive differentiation.

"Harry's long tenure of IT executive leadership – including leading complex transformation strategies within the financial services sector – uniquely equips him to take on this key role," says Rob Wesseling, President and CEO. "Our organization has embarked on a significant business transformation, with technology at the forefront; the future state of technology will be a key driver in scaling the business and allowing Co-operators to better serve our clients and communities. I'm pleased to welcome Harry to our Co-operators senior management team."

An accomplished IT executive, Pickett has over 30 years of diverse experience within the financial service and retail sectors, as well as with global consulting firms. He was recently Global CIO of Aimia, where he was responsible for all aspects of Aimia's IT transformation, including IT strategy, architecture/infrastructure, application development, security and procurement. Prior to this, Pickett held senior executive positions at a variety of companies including Symcor, Manulife, CIBC and BMO.

"I'm excited to be joining Co-operators and believe in their mission and community-centred values," says Pickett. "Co-operators is in the midst of a large digital transformation. I look forward to working with a dynamic executive team and highly skilled employees as we advance the organization's industry-leading IT capabilities, in support of this important transformation work."

About Co-operators
Co-operators is a leading Canadian financial services co-operative, offering multi-line insurance and investment products, services, and personalized advice to help Canadians build their financial strength and security. The company has more than $61.5 billion in assets under administration. Co-operators has been providing trusted guidance to Canadians for the past 76 years. The organization is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. Achieving carbon neutral equivalency in 2020, the organization is committed to net-zero emissions in its operations and investments by 2040, and 2050, respectively. Co-operators is also ranked as a Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizen in Canada and is listed among the Best Employers in Canada by Kincentric. For more information, please visit: www.cooperators.ca.  

SOURCE The Co-operators Group Limited