PEOPLE
Wilf Bedard: Retires After 37 Years of Service
C
By Gloria Mann
ollision Repair magazine would like to bid a fond farewell to a dear friend, Wilf Bedard, who retired from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) August 28, 2009 after 37 of loyal service. This marks a new milestone for the former MPI vice-president of corporate claims, who’s best remembered by his colleagues as a far-sighted thinker and a positive force in the industry. I’ve known Wilf Bedard for 23 years. In that time, he’s demonstrated himself again and again as being endlessly knowledgeable and generally unflappable. Leave it to him to straighten things out. His tactful nature is what drew me closer to him 23 years ago when I was the national special markets manager for Polaroid. Through my efforts to show Wilf and his team how Polaroid cameras could benefit his line of work they had branded me “relentless,” albeit with a smile. Despite my hopeless enthusiasm, he was forever patient and accommodating. He would be the one to show me around, lead me into meetings and let me have my say. In MPI, Wilf was the diplomat who was able to clearly communicate his many strategies and find solutions that worked for everyone. He believed in giving others the opportunity to voice their thoughts. To Wilf, all are equal. Be it the workers in the
Here’s what a few people had to say about Wilf:
warehouse who sweat behind the scenes or the CEOs who sit on the top floors—they are all of equal standing in his eyes. He refused to place titles before people. “If you rule from a position where people are afraid of you then it gets worse, and worse,” he’d say. “It’s relationships and people that matter.” Building bridges earned Wilf a reputation as a keen problem-solver. His composed demeanour made others seek him out to find answers. However difficult the problems were, he would never get twisted up about them; he’d take them in and reflect. “What you remember is the good time, the people you knew and what you accomplished together,” he said to me once. You could usually find him relaxed with a cup of tea, wearing a smile and perhaps whistling a tune. We may rarely see the lighter side of Wilf during the hubbub of crunch times, but Will Kukelko, Wilf ’s loyal colleague and close friend for almost 40 years, can regale you with more than a few tales of Wilf ’s sense of humour, which he did when we asked him about working with Wilf. As Will reminded me of their times at MPI, he pointed out that Wilf was instrumental in designing the Personal Injury Protection Plan in 1994. His hard work ushered in the digital age for his workplace. Wilf is responsible for implementing the current Windows-based system at MPI, which replaced the outdated mainframe computers in 1999. Personally, what I respect the most about Wilf is the cool yet cheerful disposition he maintains while still getting the job done. He’s calm, but never passive. He hated those much ado about nothing meetings, the so-called “Turkey Dances” where
“ “
people march in circles, clapping, slapping and clucking to no avail. “If we are going to do it, let’s make a plan and let’s do it,” he would say resolutely in those situations. “If we’re not going to do it, let’s stop talking about it.” And you can rest assured he’d be the first to step up to the plate to make it happen. He is calm, but never detached. He is the person to count on to move things forward, shake them to their core, or, if needed, to shut them down. In the throes of a storm, he would be its calm centre, and in choppy waters, the lone sturdy isle. “It’s just work,” he liked to say. Any organization would be fortunate to receive his wisdom. I have no doubt that when thrown any new challenges—straight or curved—he’ll handle them with the familiar gusto we’ve come to expect from him.
Wilf is a well known figure in the Canadian physical damage industry due to his considerable involvement in I-CAR, R-Car and the industry advisory boards for which he has volunteered considerable time and energy. Wilf was an dedicated and effective leader with considerable dedication to MPI and the policyholders of Manitoba. Mitchell International continues to be an admirer of his professionalism, support and most of all friendship.
”
Mike Jerry: Vice-President and General Manager, Mitchell Canada
Wilf, you have been such a positive role model—one who encouraged people to grow, one who challenged people to want more, and there are many people in the corporation who have benefited from this mentoring. You will be missed along with your ever-present smile and great sense of humour. Cathy Mitchler: Manager, Parkland Region, MPI
52 collision Repair collisionrepairmag.com
Top: Denis Pinette, Scott Smith, Deborah Moynes-Keshen, Kevin Sharpe, Sid Petrisor and Wilf at I-CAR. Bottom: Wilf, Ray Kroll, Darryl Simmons and Kevin Sharpe at enjoying the sun in between sessions at the I-CAR conference in Orlando, Florida.
”