Executive Jacqueline Gallant Discusses Client Communications Strategy
By Susan Mangiero
As Senior Managing Director, Head of Institutional Marketing and Communications for SLC Management, it might not be readily apparent that Jacqueline Gallant also has a passion for music. But in her position at SLC Management, she orchestrates the multi-pronged effort to convey investment solutions and intellectual capital to clients and the media.
Jacqueline Gallant
Like a conductor who brings together a collection of musicians to produce sensational sounds, Gallant coordinates in-house professionals from the sales, marketing, product solutions, and asset management teams to deliver timely, relevant, and actionable information to the clients SLC Management views as partners. According to Gallant, “SLC Management, a division of Sun Life, was established to do for our clients what we have done for ourselves. We have grown quickly since we started and now manage global assets of $347 billion CAD.” Headquartered in Boston and Toronto, the firm commenced operations in 2014. Since then, the firm has tripled its assets under management. SLC Management focuses on helping clients meet long-term income and capital appreciation objectives with expertise in fixed income and alternative assets.
As Gallant explained, SLC Management’s thought leadership aims to fill a knowledge gap about products, investment strategies, and market conditions. Besides quarterly updates, SLC Management offers weekly commentaries and short podcasts to answer important questions about topics such as pension buyouts, geopolitical risk, and real estate risk-based capital charges. The latter is the brainchild of SLC Management’s president, Steve Peacher, and reflects the firm’s strategy of empowering others with insights they might not otherwise be able to access. The popular “Three-in-Five” podcast, introduced in May 2021, is a perfect example of SLC Management’s communication approach in the digital age. Listeners enjoy the conversational banter, including the end of each podcast when Peacher asks the featured speaker a personal question about family or hobbies.
Gallant is excited about the innovations in technology that facilitate ongoing conversations via social media, virtual conferences, Linkedin, and SLC Management’s new website. “We are constantly asking our clients what insights they need during sales calls, and we regularly review what questions our clients ask. We might start by producing a two-minute video and end up creating an in-depth research paper if our clients want more than a snapshot presentation. Checking out what peers produce, content-wise, is another way to guide our institutional client communications strategy.”
Gallant acknowledges the dramatic impact of work-from-home mandates and continued acceptance of social media over the last two years on the ways businesspersons communicate. “Taking advantage of digital tools in a virtual environment is essential as is modifying the medium when necessary. Email ranks high for its usefulness in communicating with our clients. We test whether an email should come from a single person and what subject line will grab someone’s attention. We do not rely on traditional advertising.”
Gallant’s team assesses email open rates, number of subscribers, number of website visitors, length of website visits, number of shares and likes for content posted to Linkedin, and other communication metrics to decide when, how, and what to revise, if needed.
Gallant started her career as an English teacher in the scenic town of Labrador. She discovered her enthusiasm for corporate communications when she switched to a job writing training manuals for financial advisors. Her diligence and excellent writing ability caught the attention of a high-ranked female marketing manager at Sun Life. When a job opened in the marketing department, Gallant’s mentor invited her to transfer. Since then, Gallant has overseen both retail and institutional marketing. She loves her job advancing the SLC Management purpose. “Our employees are our best brand ambassadors.” Gallant is an advocate for brand storytelling, adding “We plan to feature our colleagues for International Women’s Day.”
When asked to declare her next challenge, Gallant smiled. “I plan to learn how to play the piano.”
Susan Mangiero, PhD, CFA, AIFA, CFE, FRM, PPC is a 25-year veteran of the financial services, financial technology, and insurance industry. Susan has held various line jobs, including derivatives/currency/bond trader, compliance risk manager, fiduciary expert, investment manager, educator, consultant, data analyst, and content management start-up entrepreneur. She has a unique perspective about how successful companies sell products and services. She holds a PhD in finance, an MBA in finance, and an M.A. in Economics.
