Massey Henry is pleased to support the Albert Motor Association (“AMA”) in the recruitment for a Vice President, Sales and Distribution (“VP”).
About the Albert Motor Association
The Alberta Motor Association (“AMA”) is a non-profit membership organization and a regional affiliate of the Canadian Automobile Association (“CAA”), operating across consumer services, insurance, travel, registries, banking, and related member services.
Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, the AMA is a premier Canadian membership federation, proudly serving
over 1 million members with a strong reputation for trust, community impact, and service excellence. AMA operates independently of the government, though it acts as an authorized agent for provincial registry services.
AMA is
supported by a diverse portfolio of commercial business lines and subsidiaries , including AMA Insurance and Bridgewater Bank. These businesses serve as important financial engines for the broader association, contributing to its long-term resilience, capital stability, and ability to invest in member value.
Having successfully optimized its portfolio and strengthened its financial foundation, AMA is now entering an exciting, high-growth period of strategic expansion.
From its origins providing roadside assistance to motorists, AMA has steadily expanded its offerings to include driver education, school safety patrols, insurance, personal and business registry services, travel services, one of the largest loyalty programs in Canada, and banking services through Bridgewater Bank.
AMA at a Glance
- Founded in 1920 , celebrating 100 years in 2026
- Approximately $181 million CAD in annual revenue
- 1,500 to 2,000+ employees across its corporate offices and province-wide registry, travel, and automotive centres
- Operations contained within Alberta , with physical AMA centres and fleet networks spanning major hubs like Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, and Fort McMurray.
Primary Business Lines
- Automotive & Mobility : Roadside assistance, driver education, and fleet services.
- Insurance : Auto, home, life, and travel insurance products (underwritten by AMA Insurance Company).
- Travel Services : Full-service travel agency bookings, luggage sales, and international driving permits.
- Registry Services : Vehicle registration, corporate registries, driver licensing, and vital statistics on behalf of the Alberta Government.
- Rewards & Advocacy : Member discount partner programs and provincial traffic/road safety advocacy.
People & Culture
At AMA, treating colleagues with the care and consideration of family is a core commitment. This is why cultural alignment is so critical. Team members genuinely invest in one another, maintaining an environment of mutual respect and high familiarity.
The team is entirely dedicated to protecting what matters most to members. This shared mission ensures that even during healthy debate, there is a fundamental understanding that everyone is working toward the same objective. This psychological safety empowers individuals to push boundaries, innovate, and take calculated risks, even when navigating difficult or complex decisions. AMA promotes a culture that navigates challenges collectively, celebrates achievements together, and values camaraderie as the foundation of its success.
Growth is driven by mutual accountability, recognizing that peak performance is always the result of collaboration. The organization is committed to stewarding its people and its assets to consistently deliver for members, anchoring every operation in its core values:
1. Integrity
2. Respect
3. Excellence
4. Innovation
5. Stewardship
6. Open and Honest Communication
7. Collaboration.
Additional Information
Please visit the Alberta Motor Association website for more information about their history and operations. Other materials to review include:
- AMA 2025 Impact Report
- AMA News and Media Releases
The Opportunity
The Vice President, Sales and Distribution (“VP”) will lead the Alberta Motor Association’s (“AMA”) commercial evolution, with responsibility for developing and executing an integrated distribution strategy that drives profitable growth, market expansion, and deeper customer engagement.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Insurance Services, and serving as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the incoming VP will oversee strategy and execution across a diverse, multi-channel ecosystem.
The VP will lead the modernization, ingratiation and optimization of AMA’s distribution channels, bridging the gap between brick-and-mortar operations, digital innovation, and emerging broker relations, to support sustainable growth, seamless market expansion, and a world-class member experience.
This is a high-visibility, executive mandate designed for a forward-thinking leader who will shape the future of how AMA connects with current and future members.
The VP will also provide leadership across insurance marketing, customer acquisition, and member engagement initiatives, ensuring strong alignment between distribution, marketing, and growth objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute the company’s sales and distribution strategy aligned with corporate growth and profitability objectives.
- Serve as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise strategy, planning, and decision-making.
- Lead initiatives that expand market presence, improve distribution efficiency, and enhance customer acquisition and retention.
- Identify new distribution opportunities, partnerships, and channels that support long-term growth.
Agency Operations
- Oversee the performance and operational effectiveness of the agency channel.
- Ensure agencies operate efficiently, with strong governance, compliance, and performance management frameworks.
- Implement initiatives that improve sales productivity, service standards, and operational scalability.
- Provide leadership to agency leadership teams to achieve growth and operational excellence.
Broker Distribution
- Lead and manage the broker distribution strategy and relationships with Alberta-based broker partners.
- Strength broker engagement, performance, and profitability through strategic partnerships and service excellence.
- Develop programs that enhance broker productivity, loyalty, and market share.
- Collaborate with underwriting and product teams to ensure competitive offerings and effective broker support.
Digital Development
- Lead the digital distribution strategy including online sales platforms, digital broker tools, and customer engagement solutions.
- Drive digital transformation initiatives that improve ease of doing business for customers, brokers, and agents.
- Partner with IT and product teams to develop and implement innovative digital capabilities that support omnichannel distribution.
- Monitor industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure competitive digital offerings.
Marketing & Brand Leadership
- Provide executive leadership for insurance marketing and customer acquisition initiatives.
- In collaboration with the Insurance Executive team and Association Marketing leadership, oversee marketing campaigns, digital marketing, lead generation, and customer engagement programs.
- Ensure marketing initiatives align with distribution objectives and support revenue growth.
- Strengthen brand positioning and reputation in the marketplace, and effectively unify digital assets and align them with agency
- Strenthen brand positioning and market reputation by unifying digital, marketing, and agency teams around a cohesive brand strategy, ensuring consistent messaging, aligned customer experiences, and coordinated execution across all channels.
Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams across sales, agency operations, marketing, and digital functions.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and customer focus.
- Establish clear performance metrics and accountability frameworks to drive results.
- Build strong cross-functional partnerships across underwriting, claims, finance, operations, along with the Association.
Performance Management & Analytics
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators for distribution performance, sales growth, and channel profitability.
- Use data analytics and market intelligence to guide strategy and decision-making.
- Regularly report results, insights, and strategic recommendations to the COO and Board as required.
The Individual
The Vice President, Sales and Distribution (“VP”) is a seasoned, strategic executive with over 15 years of progressive leadership experience within the insurance and financial services sectors. They bring extensive large-scale distribution leadership experience, and a proven track record of driving growth and transformation across broker distribution, agency operations, and digital distribution channels.
They are an agile strategist who adopts a highly collaborative, data-driven approach to distribution, excelling at the intersection of traditional agency optimization and modern digital transformation. A brand-first leader, they balance strong commercial drive with a deep respect for corporate culture, ensuring that revenue growth never comes at the expense of member trust.
The ideal candidate is energized by growth and change, with a proven ability to modernize distribution models, lead through ambiguity, and deliver results across multiple channels. They are a trusted partner to colleagues, distribution partners, and customers alike, demonstrating sound judgment, resilience, and a commitment to excellence. Most importantly, they lead with humility, respect, and authenticity, embodying AMA’s values and reinforcing the collaborative, family-oriented culture that defines the organization.
Key Qualifications
Technical Skills and Experience
- 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in insurance or financial services, with significant responsibility in sales, distribution, or broker management.
- Deep Insurance Sector Expertise: Strong, foundational knowledge of insurance products, underwriting dynamics, and the P&C (Property and Casualty) regulatory environment. This technical depth is essential to establish immediate internal credibility, navigate complex risk discussions, and hold your own with seasoned insurance executives.
- Multi-Channel Distribution Excellence: A proven track record of success leading complex, multi-channel distribution strategies within the insurance or financial services space. Deep experience optimizing proprietary agency operations (captive agents, contact centers, brick-and-mortar branches) while systematically scaling external broker channels.
- Omnichannel & Digital Transformation: Demonstrated capability to lead digital innovation and enablement initiatives. Proven experience prioritizing digital capabilities that directly enhance the customer/member experience, improve operational efficiency, and seamlessly integrate with traditional sales channels.
- Strategic Marketing Leadership: Experience overseeing marketing strategies and transforming the function into a disciplined, data-driven, and proactive business driver that fuels insurance customer acquisition and retention.
- Complex Problem Solving & Risk Management: Proven ability to diagnose root causes of performance gaps across sales, channel effectiveness, and service delivery. Adept at navigating ambiguity and making high-impact strategic decisions, (such as capital allocation and partnership investments) and using data within a shifting competitive landscape.
- While insurance expertise is strongly preferred, consideration will be given to leaders from outside the industry, including adjacent sectors such as banking, wealth management, telecom, and other customer-centric distribution environments, who bring exceptional operational, distribution, digital and relationship-management experience.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, finance, or a related field.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Location
- This role is based in Edmonton and requires five days per week in office.
Personal Attributes
- Influence & Alignment: Exceptional stakeholder management skills to build cross-functional trust, navigate competing priorities, and drive outcomes without relying on direct authority.
- Authentic Executive Presence: Polished communication and relationship-management skills required for high-level internal stakeholder management and external industry partnerships.
- Member-Centric Mindset: A forward-thinking, brand-first orientation focused on long-term relationships and member value over a "win-at-all-costs" commercial drive.
- Transformation Leadership: High-integrity, supportive, and respectful leadership style capable of driving operational and cultural transformation while protecting a close-knit corporate culture.
