Topic
Mergers and Aqcuisitions
Hybrid brokerage/agency rebrands following merger
April 18, 2024 by Jason ContantQuebec brokerages PMA Assurances and PMT ROY Assurances et services financiers have merged under the name Ellipse Agence en assurance de dommages inc., creating what the firm is calling the province’s largest damage insurance agency distributing Intact Insurance products exclusively.…
BrokerLink reveals 18-month growth target
April 16, 2024 by Jason ContantBrokerLink aspires to increase its direct premiums written (DPW) by more than $1 billion over the next year-and-a-half. In 2023, BrokerLink surpassed $3.5 billion in DPW. “Our ambition is to be $5 billion by the end of 2025,” president Joe…
How the brokerage talent shortage fuels M&A activity
April 5, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoBrokerage candidate shortages are one of the major drivers of M&A activity — but there’s still a way for small brokerages to compete in the talent war, one P&C recruitment expert tells CU. As competition for talent upticks across Canada,…
Desjardins president on why the direct writer expanded into the broker channel
March 28, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDesjardins’ acquisition of The Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island (ICPEI) will enable the direct writer to diversify its distribution model and expand its national reach, Desjardins General Insurance Group president and chief operating officer Valerie Lavoie tells Canadian Underwriter. …
Desjardins expands into broker channel through M&A deal
March 27, 2024 by David GambrillDirect writer Desjardins is acquiring the Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island (ICPEI), an insurer that distributes solely through the broker channel. “With this acquisition, we’re strengthening Desjardins’ position in the Canadian commercial insurance market,” Guy Cormier, Desjardin’s president and…
Onlia acquired by PE firm focused on Canadian P&C distribution
March 26, 2024 by David GambrillSouthampton Financial Inc., a private equity firm focused on the Canadian property and casualty insurance distribution space, has agreed to acquire Onlia Insurance from Achmea and Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Headquartered in Toronto, Onlia is a digital insurance agency that…
Navacord expands with third acquisition of the year
March 14, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAll-Risks Insurance Essex has been acquired by Ives Insurance, a Navacord-owned brokerage. The acquisition marks Navacord’s third deal of the year. Based in Southwestern Ontario, All-Risks Insurance’s Essex branch joins the Navacord fold, effective Mar. 1. The entire All-Risks…
Navacord’s first deal of the year
February 29, 2024 by Jason ContantCommercial insurance brokerage Navacord Corp. has completed its first transaction of the year with a partnership with Winnipeg-based Avant Insurance. Announced Wednesday, the deal with the personal and commercial lines brokerage was effective Feb. 1. Navacord said in a press…
PE-driven M&A is slowing, despite record deals in 2023
February 20, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDespite some consolidators slowing their pace — namely, private equity firms — Canadian insurance brokerage M&A reached a record level of deals in 2023. There were 108 publicly announced deals last year, Smythe LLP, a P&C insurance advisory and consulting…
Hub’s latest Ontario brokerage acquisition
February 12, 2024 by Jason ContantHub International Ltd. has enhanced its personal, commercial and employee benefits services with the acquisition of Ontario brokerage Mitchell Sandham. Located in Oakville, Ont., Mitchell Sandham is one of the oldest and largest independently owned insurance brokerages in the Greater…
Brokerage looking to expand outside home province
February 9, 2024 by Jason ContantBritish Columbia-based brokerage AMC Insurance Services Ltd. is looking to expand outside its home province, the brokerage’s vice president told Canadian Underwriter recently. “We realized in our core business strategy that if we want to continue to be a provider…
McDougall’s growth in Alberta proceeds apace
February 1, 2024 by David GambrillMcDougall Insurance Brokers Ltd. announced Thursday it has merged with MHK Insurance Inc., a 110-year-old independent brokerage based in Alberta. MHK is a full-service brokerage offering home, auto, and commercial insurance products and services, specializing in more than 12 business…