CVCA New Member Profile: Leslie Consulting Group
Welcome to CVCA Central’s Member Profiles series! Here we highlight the innovative and impactful organizations that are a part of Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) community. Each profile offers a glimpse into the characteristics driving these organizations.
Today, we are excited to profile, a long-standing member of the CVCA, Leslie Consulting Group.
Tell us about Leslie Consulting Group
Employee-owned and independently operated, Leslie Consulting Group is an elite and well-respected Canadian benefits and retirement consulting firm. Our industry strength and expertise provide us with the leverage to negotiate preferred financial arrangements for our clients. Our consultants ensure that carriers continue to provide ongoing value and partnership.
We have built a team of 45 employees across the country who are passionate about enhancing the employee benefits experience through education, customized solutions and pro-active management of the program.
We deliver a tailored service level that larger consulting firms often overlook and that smaller firms do not have the bench strength to provide.
Key facts:
- 850+ clients across Canada
- Protecting 65,000+ Canadians
- Head office located in Toronto, with additional offices in Guelph, Simcoe-Muskoka, Winnipeg & Calgary.
What Sets Leslie Consulting Group Apart?
Our industry strength gives us access to exceptional solutions. We customize our programs to make them meaningful and sustainable, meeting employers’ needs at any stage of development while accounting for diverse multi-generational workforces.
We have an exceptional culture with low turnover, and this extends to clients. Most of our team are long-tenured employees. We have the highest caliber talent in the industry, bringing unmatched expertise and experience to the table. When it comes to employees benefits, unusual situations frequently occur. There are few scenarios that we have not seen and even fewer problems we have not solved.
Clients describe us as an extension of their HR teams. They know we are their first point of contact for any service or financial-related items, and we have an established process to respond rapidly.
We align our long-term interests with our clients, resulting in a phenomenally high client retention rate (97%).
Who are the key people at Leslie Consulting Group?
Aneesa Toor, VP of Group Benefits, Leslie Consulting Group.
Aneesa has over 20 years of progressive experience in Group Benefits working with a major insurance carrier for 4 years and the last 16 years in a consulting capacity. In a consulting capacity, Ms. Toor has used her knowledge of the inner workings of the insurance carrier’s processes to negotiate and make recommendations in the best interest of Leslie Consulting Group clients and with a focus on group insurance and group retirement plans. Aneesa also has extensive experience working with groups in Mergers & Acquisitions situations as well as developing innovative solutions for private equity firms and their portfolio companies.
Daniel Henry, President, Leslie Consulting Group.
Daniel joined Leslie Consulting Group in 2022, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in the employee benefits and group retirement industry. Daniel has held leadership roles at several national insurance companies including Great-West Life, Sun Life & Desjardins. He is recognized for his extensive industry knowledge, innovative business development strategies both locally & nationally, and for providing clients with unparalleled value.
What is the Leslie Group’s Experience in M&A?
Our company is involved in several M&A and due diligence projects with private equity firms, their portfolio companies, and prospective clients. Our extensive due diligence track record extends to identifying risks in target companies for private equity firms and mergers & acquisitions.
Where an opportunity exists to work directly with the portfolio companies, our team becomes heavily involved in the day-to-day management of all benefit and group retirement programs to ensure sustainability while leveraging economies of scale to minimize expenses.
As part of our growth strategy, we have recently closed our fourth acquisition in the group benefits space and look forward to our continued expansion across the country.
What Are Some of Leslie Consulting Group’s Recent Achievements?
We have recently expanded our physical presence in Western Canada with a strategic partnership based out of Calgary. We look forward to continued growth as we expand our offerings into the prairies, British Columbia and Eastern Canada.
What is Leslie Consulting Group Excited About?
Daniel:
We are a leading National consulting firm that strives for excellence and is constantly evolving with the changes in our industry (this is not an easy task!). I am thrilled about our most recent acquisition of Vital Partners Inc. in Calgary. This new partnership accelerates our growth in Western Canada, and we plan to acquire other like-minded firms across the nation.
We pride ourselves on offering best-in-class service and truly enhancing our clients’ employee benefits experience. Our ongoing strategic initiative to further define our brand is a priority. In the age of social media, we are proud to provide valuable, educational content to the HR, payroll & benefits community. Making use of the latest technology is a key factor in providing unprecedented client service experience in today’s ever-changing market.
Having worked with numerous other consulting firms and on the insurance carrier side for the majority of my career, I am genuinely impressed by the caliber of work and creativity that our team brings to the table.
Aneesa:
I am excited about finding solutions for my clients to ensure that their benefits programs align with their total compensation strategies. In particular, since the pandemic, many employers are looking for innovative benefits offerings to better support their employees and their unique needs. nIt is exciting to be work with clients to develop these programs.
