Meet Our Rising Star: AJ Feltis' Journey in Benefits & Pensions

AJ Feltis stepped into the insurance world through a summer job digitizing group policies and hasn't looked back since. Today, he’s a Senior Consultant on the Global Benefits team at Cowan, guiding multinational companies through the complexities of Canadian employee benefits with precision. Additionally, The Benefits and Pension Monitor recently selected him as one of 20 Rising Stars in Benefits and Pension under 40!

We sat down with AJ to discuss his career, including how it has grown, what advice he would give to young professionals, and what he enjoys most about his work.

What brought you to the insurance and benefits industry?

I started in the insurance benefits industry quite early! When I was 16, I had a summer job where I helped digitize old group insurance policies under the Group Administration team at Equitable Life of Canada in their document centre. I returned to Equitable Life each summer throughout university, working in group administration and Savings and Retirement Operations. After graduating from Western University, I returned once again, this time working full-time on the myFlex benefits team at Equitable assisting plan administrators and plan sponsors with their flexible benefit programs.

While insurance wasn’t a childhood dream of mine, I have since come to appreciate the stability, growth potential, and meaningful impact the industry offers, especially for young professionals. What keeps me here is the people. I love helping clients reach their goals and knowing my work makes a real difference.

How has your career grown since starting at Cowan?

Since joining Cowan, my career has evolved significantly. I started in a consulting role focused on supporting small businesses local to Kitchener-Waterloo – one of my earliest initiatives was launching an association program for a small community!

Over time, the cases I worked on got progressively larger and I eventually moved to our Global Benefits team. This helped broaden my experience and deepen my understanding of employee benefits.

Today, I manage a diverse portfolio of clients with a wide range of company sizes. Almost all my current work is multinational organizations with operations in Canada. This shift from providing localized advice to delivering globally informed solutions has been one of the largest ways in which my career at Cowan has grown.

What do you enjoy most about your job at Cowan?

The clients I work with. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to work with clients from all over the globe. It has also really shaped my outlook on doing business as a multinational organization, as each country has specific cultural differences that do have an impact on what benefits and doing business look like from a global perspective. I also enjoy feeling valued by my clients and take quite a bit of pride in being a trusted source of information and guidance for them. It’s incredibly rewarding to know the work I do has a meaningful impact on them and their organizations.

My colleagues also make my job here at Cowan fulfilling. I’m incredibly fortunate to work alongside a supportive team of both my fellow consultants as well as the service professionals who help manage our accounts.

It’s this combination of client relationships and the incredible team her that makes me enjoy my work at Cowan so much.

What advice do you have for young professionals just entering the industry?

Don’t be afraid! It’s entirely normal to experience imposter syndrome early on in your career. I dealt with this myself at the beginning, since many of my colleagues had decades of experience! But I realized that confidence develops gradually, and the support of a collaborative team makes a big difference. It did for me.

My other piece of advice? Be patient with yourself. This industry is complex and constantly evolving, which means you won’t learn everything overnight. There’s always going to be something new to learn, from legislative changes and new carrier initiatives to emerging trends in benefits. The real key to success? Stay informed.

What are your short- and long-term career goals?

Right now, I want to continue growing my block of business and deepen my expertise in Global Benefits. I'm particularly interested in learning more about wellness and benefit strategies across different countries. I also want to understand more about how organizations in Canada are evolving their approaches. I know this will help increase my confidence as well as deliver meaningful solutions to our clients.

Looking ahead, I’d love to mentor and support other consultants entering the industry, whether that involves leading a team within Global Benefits or collaborating closely with our service teams.

What significant issues affect your clients today versus when you started?

The issues I deal with now are quite different, mostly because my client base has evolved. As you may remember, early on I worked with small, local businesses. Many of these were mom-and-pop shops where benefits were more of a luxury, and a major challenge was often keeping the benefits program running.

Now, I work with multinational companies whose priorities are much more strategic. Their focus is on designing benefits that are equitable across borders. They may not be identical, but rather they aim to be fair in each country. Achieving this means coordinating with global broker partners to align programs across regions.

I also support smaller companies expanding into Canada, helping them navigate what’s needed to operate here. While that’s outside the core scope of benefits, I try to point them in the right direction, whether it’s workers’ compensation registration or general compliance.

So really, it’s less about the issues changing and more about the clients themselves evolving.

Outside of work, what passions or hobbies keep you inspired?

Outside of work, I love to travel and cook. However, I have to say that my biggest passion is DJing, since I spend most of my free time mixing music. I mostly work with house music, but techno makes an appearance as well! It’s a creative outlet for me. It’s also one that keeps me learning, whether it’s mastering a new transition or exploring different sounds. There’s certainly a trend for me – whether its music or work, I love to learn and sharpen my skills!

What do others have to say about AJ?

“AJ is known for his client-first approach, strong relationship-building, and empathetic communication. He partners closely with clients to develop strategies that align with business goals and employee needs, making every interaction—whether strategic or casual—engaging and impactful.” – Jacquie Fritsch, Principal Consultant & Global Team Lead

“I just got off a Canada renewal call with my client. I just wanted to let you know that I think AJ Feltis is stellar and does an amazing job! He is incredibly articulate and provides the perfect amount of detail and explanation into his delivery with clients. Just wanted to a pass along some positive feedback 😊.” - Lauren O’Neill, VP, Global Consulting Lead, Alliant Employee Benefits and Asinta Partner

“AJ’s thoughtful approach to client relationships, strong work ethic, and commitment to growth make this recognition well deserved. AJ brings a rare mix of intelligence, creativity, and empathy to everything he does—and it shows in the trust he builds with clients and colleagues alike.” – Adam Diamond, MBA, CEBS| Vice President, National Benefits Consulting | Cowan Benefits Ltd.

“AJ is an outstanding consultant and a true extension of our corporate benefits team. He consistently provides prompt, thoughtful support and plays a key role in shaping our strategies for Canada-based colleagues. His exceptional organizational skills and proactive approach make our renewal process seamless year after year.

AJ has also been instrumental in helping us deliver tailored collateral and informational guides that resonate with our colleagues. His enthusiasm and dedication are evident in every interaction, and our team genuinely looks forward to our status calls and working sessions with him. It’s clear that AJ is passionate about his work, and it shows in the quality of his contributions.” – Current Client