Topic
Employment
Not addressing diversity issues creates risk for brokers, survey finds
April 14, 2022 Phil PoradoNearly all Canadian brokers agree addressing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues is linked to business success, according to a late 2021 Canadian Underwriter online survey of 208 brokers across Canada, made possible with the support of Sovereign Insurance. It…
Some brokers say they face workplace discrimination
April 8, 2022 Philip PoradoCanada likes to see itself as a leader in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). And while it may be ahead of certain countries, some Canadian brokerage industry employees said they have faced various forms of workplace discrimination.…
How Canada’s P&C industry feels about COVID safety in their offices
March 30, 2022 by David GambrillMore than seven out of 10 Canadian P&C industry professionals feel protected from COVID in their new hybrid office arrangements, according to an online poll conducted this week by Canadian Underwriter. Over 650 P&C professionals answered CU‘s survey, including brokers,…
Brokers say stress may cause them to leave industry, survey finds
March 29, 2022 Philip PoradoBeing an insurance broker has always come with its share of stress but verbatim responses to Canadian Underwriter‘s 2022 National Broker Survey found specific mentions of its impact on work satisfaction. One respondent who indicated they were highly like to…
One way for the P&C industry to train new young leaders
March 24, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoThe P&C industry is struggling to find talent to fill the leadership skills gap, but a new program designed to get prospective executives to hit the ground running may be able to help with that. The New Leader Integration program,…
Talent crunch getting tighter, broker survey shows
March 23, 2022 by David GambrillFinding qualified talent is the biggest challenge facing almost seven out 10 Canadian brokerages right now. And the talent crunch is getting even tighter. Sixty-nine per cent of brokers report finding qualified workers their biggest challenge – a 7% increase…
What the P&C industry is facing in the war for talent
March 8, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoThe ongoing war for talent in the P&C industry could become more pressing, since the majority of working Canadians are considering alternative job opportunities, a recent survey finds. The survey, commissioned by Allstate Canada and conducted by Leger, finds…
Voices of P&C women
March 7, 2022 by David GambrillHappy International Women’s Day, 2022. To commemorate the occasion, Canadian Underwriter has reached out to 20 women leaders in the P&C industry. We talked to them about how they got into the industry and what obstacles women may face while trying to…
Brokers bemoan lack of seasoned underwriters
February 22, 2022 Gloria CilliersA major shortage of seasoned commercial underwriting staff is impacting broker relationships and productivity, some brokerages have reported. For an industry already struggling with a country-wide talent crunch exacerbated by the pandemic, renewed M&A activity and a hard market, brokers…
What OSFI’s insurance head says about return-to-work
November 19, 2021 by Greg MeckbachStaff retention, professional development and the risk of worker isolation are among the factors the industry needs to think about when deciding on an approach to working remote or in the office. “As the pandemic eases and restrictions are lifted,…
How Willis Canada is handling remote work
November 12, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAdopting a hybrid work model makes sense for Willis Towers Watson Canada because the brokerage’s leaders learned it could trust employees who were working remotely. “We saw that during the pandemic, our productivity actually increased,” said Ofelia Isabel, managing director,…
Brooke Hunter elected to UNIBA Partners board
November 4, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCanadian commercial brokerage CEO Brooke Hunter is now on the board of UNIBA Partners, a Brussels-based organization. UNIBA, which operates in more than 130 countries, announced Hunter’s election Wednesday. UNIBA is comprised of more than 70 independent, owner-led brokers. In…