A.A. Munro Insurance

Ask Harley MacCaull about his company A.A. Munro Insurance and he’ll start talking about people. For MacCaull, it's personal growth and development that drives his interest in serving clients, staff, and suppliers.

Founded in 1944 by his father-in-law, Andrew Alcorn (A.A.) Munro, the company was first established in Whycocomagh, Cape Breton. Having supported himself through medical school by selling insurance, Munro decided to stay in the business after college. MacCaull notes that his father-in-law built the business on the values of service, utmost good faith, and interrelationships. “Alcorn was known and loved by all," he says. “We believe in maintaining and fostering those core principles.”

When he turned the company over to MacCaull over 20 years ago, Munro must have known his son-in-law would maintain the company’s moral standards, especially its focus on community. Originally a one-person show, A.A. Munro Insurance now has 35 brokers and offices in 16 communities throughout rural Nova Scotia. This fanning out of service has been done purposefully. “We’re in smaller communities around Nova Scotia because we believe that that’s where the broker can be of most use,” says MacCaull. “We can be of better service when we know the community and the people.”

The company has increased more than fifteen-fold since MacCaull came on board and today looks more like a functioning corporation. The management structure is lean with a frontline management team of five individuals. Instead of a Board of Directors, the company has a steering committee which oversees operations and sets the mandate of the organization. “They meet 10 times a year and basically deal with the global issues of a growing company,” he says.

One of the things that sets this company apart in the insurance field is a keen interest in personal growth and organizational development. To MacCaull, it's imperative that his employees not only be doing a good job but are actually enjoying what they're doing. To that end, rather than utilizing the traditional performance review, A.A. Munro conducts an individual feedback session with each of their employees. “We're interested in how the intent and direction of the company and the individual intersect,” he says. “The focus of the individual feedback session is how we come together and how our values match.”

Or don't match. MacCaull actually helped one of his employees pursue a career in law enforcement by gradually phasing him out of the company after a heart-to-heart during his feedback session. “Because we were able to talk about the issue openly, the individual benefitted and so did the company.” Not surprisingly, the company reports excellent retention and high levels of satisfaction among its workforce.

In the realm of organizational development, the strategic planning process that MacCaull single-handedly initiated in 1990 has grown to be a revolving five-year plan managed by a strategic planning steering committee made up of volunteer members of the organization. “It’s an ongoing process that keeps forward looking,” he says, noting the positive response the company has received both internally and externally. "We recently had an operational consultant tell us that he could count on two hands the number of organizations in North America that were as advanced in their strategic planning as we were.”

A.A. Munro’s commitment to development and community is paying off. In addition to their highly satisfied work force, the company is enjoying a level of growth that surpasses industry norms. The company has grown 15 per cent every year over the last quarter of a century. "I think that kind of continuous growth is an indication of how you’re interacting with your employees and the community,” says MacCaull. “People vote with their dollars and if you aren't doing what people want, you probably won't grow.”

MacCaull’s passion for people and community involvement has influenced the team he has built at A.A. Munro. “We encourage our people to be engaged in their community,” he says. Whether it’s sports, fundraising, or the local Chambers of Commerce, A.A. Munro staff are willing participants. And as a resident of Antigonish for 24 years, MacCaull walks his talk, keeping active in social and cultural events. He teaches Scottish country dance and plays racquetball. He was a Scout master for 10 years and is a member of both the Insurance Brokers Association of Nova Scotia Board of Directors and Future Forum Antigonish, a grassroots organization looking at the development of Antigonish.

The company itself has supported special community projects, including organizing an auction that donated $12,000 to a local transition house and spearheading the creation of a $35,000 crash simulator for the RCMP to use in its Buckle Up program in schools. MacCaull is already aware of how the simulator has reduced injury. Within a few weeks of one school visit, a student had a collision. “She attributed the fact that she was wearing a seat belt to the school event,” he says. “Without that, she wouldn’t have been wearing one.”

It’s that kind of impact that MacCaull so values. And he appreciates how living in a smaller region like Nova Scotia gives him more opportunities. “It’s an area in which you can have a strong quality of life and still make a difference. And that’s what I find particularly satisfying.” Having lived in Montreal while his wife finished her doctorate in mathematics, MacCaull knows the challenges that come with a large urban centre. “In order to stay in the game in a big city, I couldn’t have as full a life.”

Originally from Prince Edward Island, MacCaull is glad to have settled close to home. “My work life here still allows time for family and for contributing to community,” he says. “Quality of life is important and valued in this part of the world. People here believe in balance and in taking care of yourself.”