On The Scene (April 01, 2011)

Craig Ryther of Claridge Insurance Adjusters has successfully completed his CIP and FSCO All Classes Licensing Requirements. Ryther is beginning his fourth year in the industry working as an accident benefits, bodily injury and liability adjuster in the Barrie area. He is also a licensed truck and coach/automotive technician, having worked in that industry for the past 17 years.

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Jody W. Iczkovitz has been admitted to the partnership of Gilbertson Davis Emerson LLP, a Toronto-based insurance law firm.

Iczkovitz articled with the firm in 2006-07 and joined it as an associate upon his call to the Bar in 2007. He is active in the civil litigation section of the Ontario Bar Association as technology liaison.
He holds a B.Sc (Eng.) in mathematics and engineering (Hons.) and a Juris Doctor, both from Queen’s University.

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Crawford & Company (Canada) has announced two appointments, one within its Contractor Connection operations and the other in its Class Action Services department.

Michael Mooney is Crawford’s new vice president of Class Action Services.

He joined the company in 2008, and in his new role will oversee the daily operations of Class Action Services. This department has administered some of the most complex class action settlements approved by Canadian courts, a Crawford release says.

Dan Loosemore now serves as district manager for Crawford’s Contractor Advantage.
In this role, he will collaborate with Crawford’s sales team to expand this product line. He will also work with network contractors to build a successful partnership and create value for customers, a Crawford release says.

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Kernaghan Adjusters has opened a new branch in Courtenay/Comox, British Columbia.

Brad Murray has joined the branch as appraiser and specialty risks adjuster. Currently he serves as the control adjuster for several logging and forestry programs.

Debbie Halstead also joins the team as a senior adjuster. She began her career in 1978, working for major insurance companies. She moved to the independent adjusting side in 1988 and has been a multi-line adjuster ever since. She has extensive experience in large commercial and residential losses, casualty, professional liability, products liability and in bodily injury claims, to name a few.

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FirstOnSite Restoration has launched a national campaign to raise awareness of how unprepared many Canadian companies are to deal with manmade or natural disasters.

The Priority Response Emergency Plan (PREP) is designed to help commercial companies be prepared in the event of a property disaster.

FirstOnSite meets with a participating organization to gain an understanding of its infrastructure so, when a flood or fire happens, the FirstOnSite team knows the business’ needs and priorities beforehand and can respond immediately to begin restoration work.

In the program, FirstOnSite develops a communication strategy and conducts physical walkthroughs of a company’s site(s) to identify potential trouble areas and learning protocols.

“While many companies have a plan in place if its CEO is out sick or a product is recalled, it is astounding they don’t have a plan in place for handling a natural or manmade emergency – something that could literally prevent a company from operating,” said Barry Ross, FirstOnSite’s managing director of its commercial division.

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Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. and The North Waterloo Farmers Mutual announced the launch of Crawford’s Contractor Connection program at North Waterloo. Contractor Connection provides insurers with an effective, high-quality managed repair network for residential and commercial property claims programs in the Canadian insurance marketplace.

“We are very pleased with this announcement and look forward to partnering with North Waterloo Farmers Mutual” John Sharoun, CEO, Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc, said. “Contractor Connection provides enhanced customer satisfaction and indemnity management, as all facets of the repair are tracked and managed in real-time on our state-of-the-art management system.”

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Mario Albert is officially president and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. In January, he took on the role on an interim basis following the departure of Jean St-Gelais. Albert joined the AMF in 2008 as superintendent of distribution. Two years later, he assumed responsibility for the agency’s institutional affairs, including communications, research and strategic monitoring. Beginning in February 2010, he also began overseeing client services, supervising activities pertaining to investor education and awareness programs, fraud victim compensation programs and complaint examination.

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Association des Experts En Sinistre Independants du Québec Inc (AESIQ) hosted the seventh annual Cabane à sucre (sugar shack) event on Feb. 24. The event was held at the Cabane à Sucre Constantin in Saint-Eustache, Quebec.

Mary Charman, president of the Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association attended the event, along with more than 350 insurance personnel.

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Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has selected the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) as its chosen charity for national sponsorship. Chubb’s support for WICC endorses WICC’s work in raising funds and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society. Chubb is WICC’s newest national sponsor at the platinum level, representing a commitment of $45,000 over three years. This is an escalation of the company’s support for WICC. Chubb has long been a supporter of WICC through local chapter support and the volunteer actions of many Chubb employees. Chubb is also Founder of the WICC Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. presented a cheque for $111,035.00 during a luncheon hosted in honour of WICC (Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade) on March 22. In the past, Crawford employees have annually raised between $50,000 and $55,000. The donation increased in 2009 to $80,000 with the 2010 donation surpassing $111,000.

“This year more than any other year, our employees completely embraced WICC and Crawford Cares,” Steve Anderson, senior vice president of corporate markets and administration, said. “They jumped in whole-heartedly and participated in various fundraisers, payroll deductions, the Relay for Life and other activities. I really don’t think we can express how proud we are of our staff and all of the efforts they consistently make for this wonderful cause.”

Crawford Cares has raised more than $450,000 for WICC since Crawford Cares was established in January 2004.

“Crawford employees threw their hats into the ring and raised the bar this year,” John Sharoun, CEO, commented, “The addition of the Relay for Life event really boosted our employees’ enthusiasm and fundraising efforts. We had a wonderful time staying up all night, honouring friends and loved ones. For that event alone, employees and Crawford branches across Canada raised more than $75,000.”

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The HKMB HUB Hockey Challenge for Charity dropped the puck on the 6th annual event to raise funds for the United Way and WICC (Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade) on Mar. 7. The event has grown steadily since the inaugural game in 2006 to a six team tournament at the Air Canada Center with more than 66 players, 30 major corporate sponsors and 300 spectators. The afternoon included not on
ly hockey, but music provided by the live band, the Accidental Benefits, in the Ice Box Lounge. Michael Burgess sang the national anthem, before Dwight Drummond of CBC News dropped the ceremonial puck to open the tournament. Gord Stellick was on-hand as the celebrity MC for the evening.

More than $30,000 was raised for both charities.