Meet Zahid Salman, President and CEO of GreenShield. With over 30 years of experience in executive roles at international firms, he leads an ambitious effort to expand GreenShield’s unique non-profit social enterprise model. He has energized its traditional insurance and benefits offerings while integrating growth-oriented healthcare services such as mental health, pharmacy, and telemedicine. Recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired CEOs, Zahid combines his extensive business management background with a passion for people and social impact.
Zahid’s vision fuels GreenShield’s mission of Better Health for All. Under his leadership, GreenShield has sustainably integrated its social impact and business growth; addressing societal challenges while driving business results. Combining purpose, passion, and performance, GreenShield has consistently been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Cultures and has been recognized as a preeminent Change the World company by Fortune Magazine.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
As a teen, I had a whole variety of summer jobs, from washing pots at a golf course to stocking shelves at a ball bearings warehouse, and working in the men's department at Zellers. Each job taught me the value of hard work - no matter the task - and the importance of responsibility, such as showing up on time and getting the work done.
If you think back on leaders who inspired you in your career or leadership style, who were they and why were they inspiring?
I started my career in the consulting industry, where consultants are there to serve the needs of their clients. This is Servant Leadership - putting the client first and helping them become more successful. I was very fortunate to work with some great leaders during my time at Aon, or Hewitt, as it was known then. There was Allan Shapira, who is a legend known for his trusted client relationships; he demonstrated to all of us how to be credible and do great work for clients. Then there was Ron Lloyd, who gave me the opportunity to run my first business - the company’s mid-market benefits administration business - asking me to start it up for Canada. Alan Torrie, from my time at Morneau, provided me with significant exposure to the board; he even sent me to Harvard for two months, which was a big investment in me - not only in terms of the program's cost but also in taking me out of the business for two months. Alan also gave me the space to implement new ideas when I returned, allowing me to apply what I had learned while away. I was very fortunate to have Clayton Christensen as a professor on the subject of Disruptive Innovation. He asked us, “How will you measure your life - family, community, work - to reach your sense of accomplishment?” This was a profound message about having purpose and meaning as the foundation of your life.
What motivates you every day?
My family. We have three kids and are empty nesters now. Our children have grown into wonderful people, and I give my wife full credit for that. They are very active and have high expectations regarding social impact and making the world a better place. My wife is a principal at an elementary school in York Region, influencing the next generation of leaders. I am also motivated by GreenShield (a non-profit, social enterprise). We draw inspiration from Jim Collins in his book Good to Great; we ask ourselves, “How can we be great?” through our purpose, passion, and performance. If we think of each of those Ps as overlapping circles in a Venn diagram, we want to make the intersection point as large as possible and that’s what keeps me going.
What do you want to change in the world and why?
I think of Gandhi’s words: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
We believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege; however, in Canada, our public system only covers two-thirds of people's healthcare needs. We also believe that healthcare isn’t a one-size-fits all approach. It’s critical to understand the diverse needs of all Canadians, no matter their background or circumstance. Everyone should have access to culturally appropriate, patient-centred healthcare. We need to put the patient at the heart of healthcare services.
What is the purpose and vision of GreenShield? And how has being clear about your purpose and vision benefited you and your company?
In 1957, a young mother entered William Wilkinson’s pharmacy in Windsor, ON with two prescriptions: one for herself and one for her daughter. She realized she could only afford one, and she sacrificed her own health to care for her daughter. Wilkinson did not want people to have to make such sacrifices, so he established GreenShield as the first prepaid drug plan in North America and a non-profit social enterprise, with earnings reinvested to support ‘Better Health for All’. This mission still guides us today.
Our purpose is: We make it easier for people to live healthier lives.
Our vision, mission, and structure as a non-profit social enterprise have greatly benefited us. We now have national and global clients choosing GreenShield because we are a non-profit and can partner with their community arms to contribute to their social impact goals. Our employees are motivated by our purpose, which helps us attract and retain great people. We are all proud of what we do at GreenShield to support underserved populations.
What one piece of advice would you give other CEOs and leaders regarding leading with purpose?
Authenticity of purpose in leadership is important. If you really want your stakeholders to embrace the purpose of your organization and achieve the impact you want, you need to model those behaviours and share the stories.
Show your purpose in action.
At GreenShield, our purpose drives back to our founding story in 1957. And, today, we build our purpose-driven culture around our mission of Better Health For All and we constantly tie back to our roots as an organization.
Our current strategic plan is underpinned by our commitment to reinvest $75 million to positively impact at least one million Canadians by the end of 2025.
When we share our social impact results, we highlight individual patient stories of how their lives changed when their healthcare needs were met. These stories show our purpose in action.
What one question would you like to ask other purpose-led CEOs?
Do you think companies need to really believe they have a role in society beyond serving shareholders, and what are you doing to serve society?
One question from the CEO we interviewed before you, Robert Fox, CEO, OntarioMD.
How do you cut through the noise - the rhetoric and day-to-day tasks and challenges - and make substantial change and have impact? What are you doing to innovate and to be different?
I joined GreenShield in 2018 when the company was facing market headwinds. We took a step back to reassess our desired impact and the business model needed to achieve it. This led us to realize the opportunity to become Canada’s first payer-provider offering insurance, administering benefits, and paying claims as a 'payer' while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease services as a 'provider’. We’re leading the way with a reimagined health and benefits experience that is focused on enhancing measurable health outcomes for Canadians. Through our GreenShield+ platform, you can easily see a doctor, access medications through our digital pharmacy, consult with a pharmacist for prescriptions, connect with a therapist, and submit your benefits claim for reimbursement - all the same day, all in one place.
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