Topic
Professional Development
Employee benefits in the new era of work
April 19, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAbout one-quarter of brokers say they are either likely or highly likely to leave the industry in the next three years, according to Canadian Underwriter’s National Broker Survey. One way to encourage brokers to stay would be to expand employee…
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…
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,…
Hybrid workplaces: 5 emerging trends
March 18, 2022 by David GambrillCOVID-19 has changed workers’ expectations, although it’s not clear yet whether company executives see this new emphasis on personal well-being and remote flexibility as “a temporary pendulum swing, or the beginning of our new normal,” writes Jared Spataro, corporate vice…
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…
Behind the P&C industry’s record-setting grad cohort
March 3, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoThe Insurance Institute of Canada is celebrating 1,201 Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) graduates this year, the highest number of graduates in any year since it was established in 1899. “In a typical year, we graduate about 900 to 1,000…
Job opening: Lead this global Top 3 brokerage’s Canadian operation
October 14, 2021 by Greg MeckbachIf you think you have what it takes to lead Willis Towers Watson’s Canadian corporate risk and brokerage business, the job is open and it’s not too late to apply. “We’re currently interviewing,” said Ofelia Isabel, managing director, Toronto market…
BFL founder donates $500K towards women leadership centre
May 27, 2021 by David GambrillBFL Canada’s founder, Barry F. Lorenzetti, is giving $500,000 to establish the Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership at Concordia University in Montreal and to endow research grants and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. “Entrepreneurship involving…
How to build empathetic managers for the hybrid workplace
April 16, 2021 by David GambrillCanadian property and casualty insurance industry leaders have often talked about the importance of managing with empathy during the pandemic, but empathic managers will become even more valuable in the hybrid workplaces that are expected to emerge after the pandemic…
Valérie Lavoie, Desjardins General Insurance Group
March 10, 2021 by Greg MeckbachValérie Lavoie, President, Chief Operating Officer, Desjardins General Insurance Group Family responsibilities and unconscious biases are among factors that can hold women back from advancing into the C-suite, says Valérie Lavoie, a senior executive with Canada’s second-largest P&C insurance carrier.…
What the future underwriter will look like
March 1, 2021 by David GambrillUnderwriters of the future are going to look a lot more like technology trailblazers, data pioneers, dealmakers, portfolio optimizers, and risk detectives, according to a new report by Deloitte. “To remain competitive, insurers should accelerate underwriting transformation,” Deloitte states in…
Risk management lessons from the governor general’s resignation
January 26, 2021 by Greg MeckbachIf a commercial client has any inklings of a toxic workplace, an independent investigation is one way of managing reputational and liability risk, an expert says. The resignations last week of Governor General Julie Payette and her secretary may have…