Guy Cormier, the newly-elected president and CEO of the Desjardins Group, wants the organisation to focus on meeting the needs of younger clients.

In a speech at Desjardins' annual general meeting in Montreal on April 9, Cormier outlined his three major ambitions for the financial co-operative. The first item on his list: going after the younger demographic. "I'm committed to opening Desjardins to young people, whether by a quick and decisive transition to mobile, through a more personalized service offer, or with better support to young entrepreneurs," he said.

Embracing digital innovation

The new head of Desjardins also wants the organisation to realize its full potential, and in his opinion that means embracing digital innovation. "We will resolutely enter the financial world of tomorrow, and meet the digital shift head on," said Cormier. "But innovating also means adopting new ways of thinking and acting. Innovating is daring. It's valuing experimentation. It's encouraging initiative."

Finally, Cormier made a commitment to invest in people first. "I'm convinced we can't achieve the ambitions I just talked about with just machines, money, and projects," he explained. "We need people too. Above all, we're an organization of people at the service of people. It's our people who will define our evolution."