Being strong in times of hardship

Marilyn Horrick (pictured) will be speaking on a panel about resilience at the Women in Insurance Canada event this month – and for her, the present hard times only emphasize its importance.

“I think we need to rethink this negative response to the word ‘resilience’ because it’s important and people need to build upon it”

Marilyn Horrick, Senior Vice-President, Desjardins

“I’m a big fan of resilience. I recognize it when I see it in others. It’s something I’ve worked at and continue to work at,” said Horrick, who is the senior vice-president, Ontario market growth, acquisitions and development with Desjardins.

She credits her lifetime of resilience for how she has got through tough situations in every facet of her life. But while being resilient has got her through a lot, she believes the word “resilient” has picked up a bad rap since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic…

Resilience Versus Agility

Business professionals talk about “agility” and “resilience” as if they are the same thing. They are not.

A company with an agile supply chain can react quickly to big increases or decreases in demand. An agile company is like a half back in football that can dart quickly to the left or the right depending upon the opening.

A resilient company has little or no debt. Even better, a resilient company is sitting on a lot of cash. A resilient company is like a boxer that can take hard punches and keep on battling…