Interviewer: Natasha, how and why did you get started in this industry?
Natasha: I originally wanted to be a labour and employment lawyer, which is what attracted me to my firm, given its reputation as a management side firm. During my first summer, I got the opportunity to assist on a couple different pension and benefit related matters and found the area very interest. When I went back for my final year of law school, I changed some courses to increasingly focus on pension law in particular and when I was an articling student, I repeatedly asked to assist members of the firm’s Pension, Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group. Thankfully, I must have done alright, because I was hired as an associated to practice exclusively within the Pension, Benefits and Executive Compensation group and the rest, as they say, is history.
Interviewer: Can you tell us about yourself and your role at Hicks Morley Natasha?
Natasha: II am a pension and benefits lawyer and practice in all aspects of this area of law. I am a Partner at Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP, which is a law firm specializing in all aspects of human resources law, including pension, benefits, and compensation.
Interviewer: We would love to know how long have you been involved with CPBI and what do you enjoy most about your involvement with CPBI?
Natasha: Very early on in my career I was invited to speak at different CPBI education events, including the former Fundamentals program and at events hosted by the Ontario Region’s Ottawa Chapter. Eventually, I was asked to assist with the 2010 Ontario Regional Conference in Ottawa and shortly after that I applied for a position on the Ontario Regional Council. I became a member of Regional Council in 2011 and was eventually honoured to become the Chair in 2018. I love many things about CPBI, but my favourite remains the opportunity that CPBI provides to give back to the industry through the participation in education sessions, whether it is as part of the planning team, a speaker or as an attendee contributing to the discussions.
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Interviewer: What is one of the most exciting things that you see going on in the group benefits industry right now?
Natasha: One of the things that is most exciting is the constant evolution of this area of law, in both the private and public sectors. Nothing stays the same for very long, and certainly that has only been exacerbated by COVID. Pension and benefits is also an area that touches almost everyone’s lives and it is an area that many employers care deeply about. I enjoy being able to assist employers with their day-to-day problems but also with larger scale projects from time to time, knowing the impact these issues can have on employers and employees.
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Interviewer: Can you tell us more of your thoughts and insight on the industry Natasha? Natasha: I anticipate that the rate of evolution, disruption and change will continue to accelerate. I’m particularly interested in watching how the shift to work-from-home and video conferencing will impact the communication of pension and benefits matters to employees. This is a space where there has been massive change in the past two years, but I think it has also opened eyes to opportunities for different modes of communications. Hopefully the laws will continue to evolve as well to help further embrace electronic communications by employers and plan administrators. |