BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 28
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
BCFSA navigates change with a people-first culture
W
hen a former
colleague told
Helena Tse
about a new job
at BC Financial
Services Authority (BCFSA), she
thought, “Why don’t I give it a
whirl and see where it goes?’”
Tse says making the decision
to leave her previous employer
wasn’t easy. But after a death in
her immediate family, she decided
it was time for a career change. A
self-described extrovert, Tse says
her current role as an engagement
coordinator, supporting BCFSA’s
communications and engagement
team, is a great fit.
Our values guide us,
but kindness is at
the heart of how we
interact with each other
every day.
— Christine Smiley
Chief of Staff
As a provincial Crown agency,
BCFSA regulates the financial
services sector by overseeing
credit unions, trust companies,
insurance companies, pension
plans, and mortgage and real
estate services. In her role,
Tse works on projects like the
2025 Financial Services Sector
Forum, which brought together
400 industry leaders to chart
the course in strengthening
confidence amid change in B.C.’s
financial services sector.
“Together with my team, we
had been working on it for a
Employees at BCFSA participate in the Vancouver Sun Run.
year. We got a lot of positive
feedback because the event
brought together all the segments
we regulate to meet and have
conversations,” she says.
For chief of staff Christine
Smiley, BCFSA’s mandate has
a personal resonance. The
organization helps British
Columbians make financial
decisions by building and
maintaining confidence in the
financial services sector, focusing
on building consumer confidence
and the safety of the sector it
regulates, including administering
the Credit Union Deposit
Insurance Corporation of B.C.,
also known as CUDIC.
“I am a consumer of financial
services myself,” says Smiley.
“These are some of the biggest
financial decisions of our lives,
such as buying a home. The role
that BCFSA can play to bring
safety, soundness and stewardship
towards our investments — both
individually and collectively — is
very important to me.”
With about 350 employees, the
six-year-old organization must
navigate the dramatic shifts in the
sectors under its mandate, she
says. “The state of the economy
has brought challenges to the
sector, and these industries are
being impacted. In turn, their
challenges have affected BCFSA
and spurred a reorganization so
we can continue to be effective in
supporting a thriving financial
sector in B.C.”
A “people-first” culture is
the bedrock of BCFSA. “Our
values guide us, but kindness is
at the heart of how we interact
with each other every day,” says
Smiley. “Change and uncertainty
bring challenges — but we face
them together, with kindness.
By co-creating our culture over
time, we aspire to make BCFSA
an excellent place to work —
attracting the best and brightest to
help fulfill our purpose.
“Talking about culture and
values is one thing — living
them is another,” she adds. “Even
in difficult circumstances, we
find our way and move forward
together.”
She points to regular and open
communication as critical. “It’s
