In this installment of our series highlighting TELUS Health team members, meet Elisa Backler, Senior Consultant for TELUS Health Retirement and Benefits Solutions.
Elisa and her team support plan members' financial wellbeing by delivering pension benefits and essential retirement information.
Q: Elisa, can you share a little more about what your role as a Senior Consultant for Retirement and Benefits Solutions looks like?
A: My role involves overseeing the team’s mandates and projects, ensuring they deliver accurate pension benefits to plan members and comply with legal requirements, while meeting deadlines. As a people manager, another aspect of my role is to provide leadership, mentorship and support to each team member so that they can develop their skills, grow in their roles, and navigate complex pension issues. I also work as the liaison between our pension benefits team and the Call Centre department to help coach them in providing better service to our client’s plan members.
Q: The multiple facets of your role certainly sound very interesting and rewarding. Could you tell us what inspired you to join TELUS Health? And how long have you been a part of the team?
A: I joined TELUS Health through one of its predecessor organizations, Morneau Sobecco, 24 years ago. I met their exuberant team at a job fair, where their passion for personal growth and team spirit left a lasting impression on me. They were also accepting of all backgrounds, and not just those who studied actuarial math. The team welcomed my enthusiasm, and I was very excited to be offered the chance to make a meaningful impact on people’s financial security and retirement. Throughout the years, there has been change to the company’s name, but the commitment to core values and to the clients have remained the same.
Q: It’s rewarding to know you are making an impact with a company whose values align with your own. What would you say your favourite part of your role is?
A: What I value most about working at TELUS Health is the opportunity to make a real impact through mentoring, coaching and collaborating with my team. It’s so rewarding to be part of this group of brilliant minds who have such strong work ethics, a drive to learn and openness to different ideas. We work together through challenges, and share insights on how best to improve our processes. Watching my team grow professionally and personally is incredibly rewarding. Seeing my people succeed with confidence makes me proud to have contributed to their growth. I also find genuine fulfillment in helping clients solve complex issues, especially when it means making retirement planning clearer and more accessible for plan members. Building connections - whether with team members, clients, or plan members - brings purpose to my work and drives me to continue supporting others in meaningful ways.
Q: Our colleagues and collaboration certainly makes our work rewarding. Could you tell us about your career progression?
A: My career progression has been shaped by many different experiences and challenges. Joining the mentorship program as a mentor was invaluable, as it taught me how to communicate effectively with different types of people and to be mindful of their experiences and points of views. Regardless of the circumstances, whether an employee struggled or was a superstar, I focused on keeping them motivated and aligned with their growth.
Also, working with many clients over the years allowed me to learn the different team dynamics and how to adapt to change along with the specific client needs. One of my biggest challenges came while pregnant with my second child, when my manager granted me the role of leading a new team for a client whose contract was in negotiations. I was honored with such a responsibility, and starting from scratch, I committed to understanding the client’s needs fully and dedicated myself to support my team and tackle all facets of the work. I stayed true to my goals in ensuring the wellbeing of my team were met, all while managing client expectations. I focused on rebuilding trust and creating connections within my team and the client, ultimately winning them back, and leading to a new contract and a promotion to a Consultant.
Q: That sounds incredibly fulfilling to be mentored and to also be able to give back as a mentor yourself. How do you feel your role benefits the health of individuals?
A: Working in Retirement and Benefits Solutions, I have the opportunity to help improve the financial health and wellbeing of our plan members and make a meaningful impact by making retirement planning clearer. Financial wellbeing can often be an overlooked component of overall health, so I'm glad that my role and my team play a key part in fostering healthier workplaces through the work that we do.
Q: How do TELUS’ values resonate with you, and support your personal health and wellbeing?
A: TELUS’ core values align closely with my own, with a strong emphasis on developing people, recognizing excellence and investing in their growth. Their commitment to community and a healthy work-life balance are some of the key values that resonate with me the most.
Q: Finally, Elisa, what’s one “fun fact” you’d like us to know about you?
A: In my spare time I’m often hanging out with my husband and our daughters playing tennis, soccer, and skiing, and recently, spending lots of time with our new puppy, an 18 month old Boxer. Fun fact - I come from a musical family and enjoy playing the guitar.
Learn about the many aspects of Elisa’s role, career, and experience at TELUS Health as we speak to her in our upcoming webinar “Growing your retirement and benefits administration career” on November 27 at 12 PM ET. Register here.