How Lucy Lukic Puts Relationships at the Heart of Insurance
Insurance is an old industry, but a highly complex one, fraught with regulations and ever-changing market conditions. Lucy Lukic knows this better than most, as she has spent more than two decades working in Canada’s notoriously competitive insurance and financial services industry. Based out of the industrial city of Hamilton, Ontario, she is presently an Insurance Advisor with iA Private Wealth Insurance. There, she has made a name for herself as an extremely capable advisor, proficient in policies and plans, and one of those rare insurance pros who digs deep with her clients, getting to know all about their families, their situations in life, and their hopes and dreams.
Before working with iA Private Wealth, Lucy held leadership roles at several other leading firms, including Burgeonvest Bick Securities, Burgeonvest Insurance Corp, yourCFO Advisory Group, Hub Financial, and CIBC Financial Planning.
In this interview, Lucy Lukic shares insights from her tenure in the insurance game, her perspective on the evolving industry landscape, and how her “people-first” philosophy has guided her career and cemented her as one of Hamilton’s most trusted insurance officials.
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Q: What initially drew you to the financial services and insurance industry?
LUCY LUKIC: Insurance is an important line of work. Just think of how many people depend on it when something goes unexpectedly wrong in their lives! Car accidents, medical problems, natural disasters… when those kinds of unfortunate events happen, the insurance coverage you’ve chosen becomes very important very quickly. And who gives individuals and families guidance about that coverage? An insurance advisor. That’s a roundabout way of saying that I was drawn to the profession because of the immense potential it has to make people’s lives better. Ever since I was young, I have always known I wanted to use my career to help others. Becoming an insurance advisor was the true realization of that goal.
Q: What qualities do you believe set you apart as an advisor in the competitive insurance marketplace?
LUCY LUKIC: Once again, to me, it’s all about helping people. I think what sets me apart is my ability to connect with my clients on a genuine level, not as an insurance agent and their client, but as two ordinary people. I take the time to understand their concerns, their goals, and the future they envision for themselves and their families. I’m a big believer in what I call a people-first approach. In this business, it’s easy to get immersed in all the actuarial tables and the spreadsheets and forget that there’s a living, breathing person behind all of those numbers.
Q: You mentioned your “people-first” approach. How are you able to maintain that while balancing concerns like business growth and industry demands?
LUCY LUKIC: First of all, these are not mutually exclusive concepts. For instance, I happen to believe that taking a people-first approach and encouraging business growth go hand-in-hand. When you genuinely care about your clients and do what’s best for them, they trust you. That trust leads to long-term relationships, referrals, and ultimately, a stronger business. The key is to never lose sight of why you got into this profession in the first place. If you focus on helping people make informed and beneficial decisions, success will follow. As for the demands of the industry, those will be present no matter what sort of mindset you adopt. It’sjust something that we all have to deal with.
Q: Are there any emergent developments in the insurance sector you‘re excited about or perhaps even just keeping your eye on?
LUCY LUKIC: Absolutely. Thanks in large part to new technological advancements, the insurance industry is evolving rapidly. I’m particularly interested in how tech is reshaping the way we serve clients. Digital platforms and artificial intelligence are making policy comparisons and risk assessments much more precise, which allows advisors like me to provide even better recommendations. Another trend I’m watching is the growing focus on customizable insurance products—people want coverage that adapts to their specific needs, rather than a one-size-fits-all, which is perfectly understandable. From their point of view, I would want that, too. I’m excited to be able to provide new options that better cater to the needs of each individual.
Q: Finally, is there any particular piece of advice you’d like to relate to those in our readership contemplating a career as an insurance advisor?
LUCY LUKIC: If you’re thinking about becoming an insurance advisor, the best advice I can give you is to focus on building real relationships. This job isn’t exactly about selling policies – rather, it’s about getting to know people, understanding their worries, and helping them feel secure about the future. There are those in this profession who, if asked, would say that insurance is all about risk management, and sure, that’s a big part of it. But to me, at its core, it’s really about peace of mind. People want to know that if something goes wrong, they’ll be okay. As I said before, if you go into this career with a real commitment to helping others, your own professional success will come naturally.