Our Team
As a collection of experienced insurance, funeral and marketing professionals, we offer sound business solutions to grow your preneed business and protect your market share. We are dedicated to assisting you with every aspect of your preneed business, from choosing the right funding products for your families to assistance with hiring preneed staff to developing effective marketing plans. We create solutions that fit your unique business.
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Rick Drake, FLMI, AIIC, CPC
President rick@premierpreneed.ca
Rick began his career with the CUMIS Group of Burlington, ON. In his sales and management capacities, he assisted Credit Unions with Property Casualty, Employee Benefits and Credit Life Insurance needs. Promoted to Vice-President in 1991, Rick was responsible for the Personal Lines Division and Life & Health Direct Marketing. Joining Forethought Life of Canada in 1999 as National Sales Manager, Rick helped build Forethought to become the dominant supplier of preneed funding solutions in Canada. Founding Premier Preneed in 2001, Rick teamed with Assurant Life of Canada and quickly grew Premier Preneed to become the provider of choice for preneed funding solutions in Ontario. Rick achieved his Fellow of the Life Management Institute of Canada (FLMI), Associate of the Insurance Institute of Canada (AIIC), and NFDA Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC). For Rick and his Team, it's about meeting and exceeding client expectations.
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Sheila Zister, Lic. F.D.
Ontario District Sales Manager sheila@premierpreneed.ca
A licensed Funeral Director since 1991, Sheila worked for independently owned funeral homes before discovering that her passion was in preneed funeral sales. In 1999 she decided to focus her full time and best interests in developing her sales skills to efficiently grow preneed portfolios in corporately owned funeral homes. Sheila was a preneed manager for a large corporation where her team thrived in a positive and productive working culture. In 2007 Sheila became a Life Insurance Agent and Broker at one of Canada's largest brokerage firms. Today she shares her experience, skills and product knowledge to assist her funeral home clients and their sales teams to reach their goals using unique marketing concepts to broaden the scope of their client base.
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Bernie Perri, BBA
Director of Marketing bernie@premierpreneed.ca
Like many others in the funeral business Bernie started his career as a funeral assistant. While working at a large independent funeral home, he quickly learned all the ins and outs of the business, from dealing with families to office administration. A short time later, he took this knowledge along with his formal education to a position with Forethought Life. Bernie eventually settled in as the marketing manager, reporting to Rick Drake, the National Sales Manager. He then moved to the agency side of the marketing and advertising world to work as an Account Supervisor. For the next seven years he managed large accounts in various industries including his largest client - a corporation that owned funeral homes and cemeteries. During this time he developed and executed industry leading marketing programs in Canada and the U.S. Today Bernie brings his experience in branding, direct response and public relations to Premier Preneed´s clients.