VP, Chief Compliance Officer

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Job ID: 9939

Employment Type: Existing Role

Working Business Language: English. This role is considered a head-office role and will be required to communicate with internal stakeholders across Canada where the primary business language for this role is English.

Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.

At Wawanesa, we offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in‑office (3 days per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Toronto (North York), ON; Kitchener, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Quebec City, QC; Moncton, NB; Dartmouth, NS.

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (“Wawanesa Mutual”), founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 billion (CAD). Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.7 million members in Canada, and we are home to more than 3,300 employees distributed across the Canadian regions and communities where we operate. We give back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. We are also proud to be recognized as one of Manitoba’s Top Employers. To learn more visit wawanesa.com.

We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

The VP, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) provides independent, enterprise-wide oversight of regulatory compliance risk for Wawanesa. As a key leader in the second line of defense, the CCO ensures the effectiveness of the Regulatory Compliance Management Framework and alignment with regulatory obligations, supervisory expectations, and internal governance requirements. The CCO reports functionally to the Risk Committee of the Board and administratively to the Chief Risk & Legal Officer.

This role balances independence with collaboration, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership while providing objective challenge and oversight. The CCO leads a high‑performing team focused on enabling responsible business operations and supporting Wawanesa’s strategic objectives.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of the Compliance Management Framework, including enterprise policies, standards, methodologies, and the Regulatory Compliance Risk Appetite Statement.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise risk management and internal control frameworks, providing independent advice and oversight across all business and functional areas.
• Oversee a risk‑based monitoring and testing program, including thematic reviews, control assessments, and deep dives into areas of elevated regulatory risk.
• Assess control effectiveness and ensure timely, sustainable remediation of compliance gaps.
• Identify, evaluate, and report on compliance risks, emerging issues, and enterprise trends.
• Lead the end‑to‑end lifecycle of regulatory issues management, including root‑cause analysis, remediation, validation, and closure.
• Deliver clear, independent reporting to senior management and the Board on compliance posture, key issues, and trends, with timely escalation of material risks.
• Lead proactive regulatory engagement, including examinations, supervisory communications, and follow‑up actions, ensuring consistency and transparency.
• Oversee regulatory horizon scanning to identify and interpret emerging developments and coordinate enterprise readiness for regulatory change.
• Provide senior‑level compliance guidance while maintaining independence and supporting sound business decision‑making.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in business, law, or a related field; postgraduate degree (e.g., LLM, MBA) preferred.
• Extensive senior leadership experience in compliance, risk management, or oversight within a regulated financial services or similar environment.
• Professional risk or compliance designation (e.g., RIMS, CEPP) preferred.
• Experience working with financial regulators and leading regulatory examinations.
• Proven experience designing and advancing Compliance Management Frameworks, including monitoring, testing, governance, and issues management.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory areas including AML/ATF, privacy, technology and cyber, and third‑party risk.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high‑performing teams.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and business acumen.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to provide independent challenge.

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Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialised persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender‑diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.

We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to jobs@wawanesa.com.

Please note that the recruitment process for this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation.

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