The leading credit unions in North America Desjardins Group had its Anuual General Meeting last week in Montreal where a number of innovations were announced.
Located mostly in Quebec as well as in Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick, it is a federation of 376 local Caisses populaires Desjardins, which serve 5.8 million members.
Between 2008 and 2010, total assets at Desjardins Group grew over 15% from C$151.9 billion (when it ranked sixth in Canada and first in Quebec among financial institutions ahead of the National Bank of Canada) to over $175 billion in 2010.
Addressing a strong group of about 1200 delegates Monique F. Leroux, Desjardins Group’s Chair of the Board said that “While remaining what we are—a cooperative financial group with strong cooperative values—we have chosen to be more innovative so we can meet the needs of our members and clients in future.
One notable mention is the Ajusto program offered by Desjardins Insurance. The Ajusto has a smartphone app that replaces the device that clients previously installed in their cars. This latest offering makes Desjardins the first Canadian insurer and one of the very first in the world to have a telematics insurance program with a 100 % mobile solution.
Another innovation is the 360d service outlet close to the Université de Montréal campus. This combines the best of technology and customer service to offer young people a unique experience in a warm, relaxed environment where everything is organized around their needs.
Desjardins’ aim is that its members and clients will benefit from initiatives fuelled by the spirit of innovation. And with the upcoming launch of the Desjardins innovation lab, experts, partners and dedicated employees will be able to work on designing prototypes and exploring the most advanced technology, in a multidisciplinary, stimulating and high-performing space for collaboration and cooperation.
Desjardins views technology as a tool that allows it to provide members with even better service, every day. It’s a whole digital ecosystem , a whole culture of cooperative innovation that it aims to offer its members.