Moves (August 01, 2007)

Paris Re (formerly AXA Re) celebrated the launch of its new brand name and new banner during a special evening held in the heart of Old Montreal on Apr. 26, 2007. Hans Peter Gerhardt, CEO of Paris Re Holdings, and Carol Desbiens, chief agent for the Canadian branch, welcomed industry guests to the celebratory gathering. The evening also marked the company’s 25 years of service within the Canadian insurance industry. During this event, artists from the Cirque loize troupe performed several dazzling circus acts. More than 125 guests enjoyed the fascinating entertainment and the great hospitality.

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Julie Dickson has been appointed to the role of Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The minister of finance, Jim Flaherty, announced Dickson’s seven-year term, which is effective immediately. “I am pleased Ms. Dickson has agreed to serve in this role to promote the stability and soundness of Canada’s financial system, in the best interest of all Canadians,” Flaherty said. Dickson joined the Office of the Super- intendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) in 1999. From early 2000 to mid-2006, she held the position of assistant superintendent, regulation sector, before being named deputy superintendent. She has served as acting superintendent since October 2006.

Before joining OSFI, Dickson worked in both the public and private sector, including 15 years with the Department of Finance. She was also group leader of the financial institutions practice from 1995 to 1998 for a national consulting firm. She is a member of the Accounting Standards Oversight Council of Canada and was a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision from 2002 to 2006. She also represents OSFI on the Financial Stability Forum and the Integrated Supervisors Group.

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Craig Duncan has been appointed manager of Crawford & Company (Canada)‘s newly created Regional Claims Centre in Ontario. Reporting to Greg Smith, vice president, national programs, Duncan will work with the Regional Claim Centre project team in establishing Crawford’s first location in Mississauga, Ontario. “The Regional Claims Centre introduces a new concept in client-focused claims service,” Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. CEO John Sharoun said in a press release. “Craig will play a leading role in assembling and orienting a new staff group, implementing innovative claims handling processes and developing a branch culture focused on quality, service and teamwork.” Duncan joined Crawford in 1990 in the Toronto branch and has been the manager of Crawford’s Mississauga and Oakville branches since August 2003. On the West Coast, Evan Miles has been appointed branch manager of Crawford’s Vancouver branch. “Evan’s dedication to customer service, and his track record in both claims investigation and claims management, provide a great starting point for success in this new role,” Jim Eso, Crawford vice president, operations, British Columbia, said in a press release. “He has certainly demonstrated these qualities throughout his time with Crawford and most recently as assistant manager of operations for British Columbia.” Miles joined Crawford in August 2000 after nine years in the insurance industry, working in both the company and independent adjusting areas. His early career included extensive experience in fire services for the City of Fort McMurray and as a fire and arson investigator for the City of Edmonton.

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G.J. (Gord) Wainwright has been appointed director of risk management and insurance at CHC, effective July 30. Working out of the global headquarters at YVR Vancouver International Airport, Wainwright will also be the head of CHC Reinsurance S.A.– Luxembourg. Wainright will be reporting to the senior vice president and CEO on risk management, insurance and employee benefits matters. Working directly with the president and CEO on the aviation insurances, Wainwright will be responsible for CHC’s relations with Lloyds, the London Companies and the French and European markets.

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Robert (Rob) Lee has been promoted to managing director of MINT Canadian Specialty. The past three of Lee’s 30-year career have been with MINT, serving as director of underwriting. Lee’s career includes experience in retail brokerage, facultative reinsurance and casualty and professional liability underwriting. Prior to joining MINT Canadian Specialty, he served in underwriting and management positions for U.S.-based Markel Corporation subsidiary Shand, Morahan & Company, a MINT release says. “I am looking forward to building on our successes to date in the Canadian market,” Lee said in a statement. “We will continue to increase the range and scope of our innovative specialty and niche products, building on such offerings as Outbreak Extra Expense coverage and Latitude Advantage MD, which are unique in this country.”

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Kroll, a risk consulting company, is combining forces with Direct Marketing Centre Inc. (DMC) to provide identity theft restoration services in Canada. Kroll announced that as part of its strategic alliance with DMC — a third-party administrator and solution provider to credit card issuers, financial institutions, insurers and corporate sponsors — it would market and administer its identity theft restoration services. The services are intended to help victims of identity theft restore their identities to pre-theft status, according to a release. “Current statistics indicate that ID theft victims can spend anywhere from a few to several hundred hours restoring their identity,” Jason Lang, director of fraud solutions at Kroll in Canada, said in a release. “While other programs may offer credit monitoring or advice, Kroll helps victims restore their identity by actually doing the restoration work on their behalf.”

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Canada’s first online brokerage, EasyInsure.ca, launched in April, according to a release. Direct insurance has been sold online quite successfully over the last few years, but the benefits of a brokerage, including the ability to pull rates from several sources, has not previously been available, the release noted.”I’ve spent 12 years in the industry and I was cautiously optimistic about how quickly we would grow,” Michelle Tremblay, managing director of insurance and principal broker of EasyInsure.ca, said in a release. “I can confidently say we are closing double the amount of new business on a daily basis than any other brokerage I have been with. In fact, our success was so strong out of the gate that we had to pull back on our marketing dollars to ensure we grew at a stable rate that allowed us to provide the customer experience we wanted.”

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Mike Lowthian has joined Kernaghan Adjusters‘ Toronto office as an executive adjuster. “Mike’s illustrious career has spanned over three decades, during which time he has earned a well-deserved reputation as a respected executive adjuster in the Ontario market,” Patti Kernaghan, president and CEO, said in a release. “Mike is well-known for his excellent judgment and thorough investigative ability.” Recently, Lowthian has been working with complex casualty losses, including commercial liability, products liability and professional E&O. “His proven technical knowledge, plus sound interpersonal and communication skills, make him an important asset to the continuing growth of our Tor
onto team and the company across Canada,” Kernaghan added.

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Canadian champion race car driver Paul Tracy has teamed up with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to deliver the message that 220 km-h speeds are suitable for a racetrack, not public roads. “If you want to prove yourself behind the wheel, save it for the racetrack,” Tracy said in an IBC release. Tracy has joined the Ontario Safety League (OSL), IBC and the Ontario Association of Police Chiefs in an effort to curb extreme driving. Extreme driving is high-risk behaviour behind the wheel, including driving at high speeds, not paying attention to weather conditions, distracted driving, driving while fatigued or driving under the influence. “Drivers have to be made aware of the fact that within seconds, this type of driving can lead to a lifetime of misery,” Brian Patterson, OSL president, said in a release. “There have been several tragic examples of this recently and it’s time we demand that all drivers take responsibility for their behaviour.”

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More than 70 CARSTAR Collision Repair Centres across Canada participated in the fourth annual ‘Soaps it Up‘ event to raise money for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF). “This year’s ‘Soaps it Up’ fundraising campaign has been the best yet,” Sam Mercanti, president and CEO CARSTAR Automotive Canada, said in a release. “Our franchisees and partners, as well as the CCFF chapter volunteers and the volunteers from local fundraising groups across the country, continue to wow us with the effort they put in to making this event such a great success. We are very thankful to everyone for all of their hard work and support.”

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After serving the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry for 32 years, Stanley I. Griffin, president and CEO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), has announced he will retire at the end of this year. Griffin joined the IBC in 1975, ultimately reaching the position of president and CEO in 2002, says an IBC release. “IBC achievements under Stan’s guidance include unprecedented auto insurance reform in six provinces and a very significant improvement in consumer confidence in the industry following a very difficult hard market,” IBC chair Mike Donoghue, president and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, said in a statement. Replacing him will be Mark Yakabuski, currently the vice president, Ontario and federal affairs, IBC. “I am very pleased that IBC’s board of directors has unanimously approved the recommendation that Mark succeed me as president and CEO,” Griffin said in a statement.”I know that Mark will bring to his new role his passion, enthusiasm and commitment to IBC and our industry.”

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The Insurance Institute is taking its advertising campaigns to new heights. It has launched a billboard campaign in the Greater Toronto Area, featuring 105 billboards that aim to promote to the public those who hold a CIP designation. This campaign, featuring the ‘car’ ad currently in consumer magazines, will run until the end of the summer. Approximately 21,000 cars will travel by each of the signs per day. This means exposure to more than 2 million people each day. Below is a picture of a billboard placed on the Gardiner Expressway.

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Many of the big names in Canada’s reinsurance industry in June 2007 turned out to hail the 35-plus-year career of , who had earlier announced his intention to retire as the senior vice president and chief agent in Canada for The Toa Reinsurance Company of America. The retirement party was held in his honour at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto.

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Christina Welton has joined the adjusting firm Kawartha Claim Services Inc. The former president of the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association has been in the business for almost 30 years. Until recently, she was a partner in an independent adjusters’ office in Mississauga and Peterborough.

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Derek Holloway, senior vice president of ENCON, was recently honoured with the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada (ACEC)’s Chairman’s Award for exceptional contribution to the consulting engineering industry. Holloway is the first non-engineer to receive this award, according to a comstatement issued by the company. Through his work with the government, industry associations and educational initiatives, Holloway has helped to shape the professional liability insurance industry for architects and engineers. “By working closely with industry associations and government, he has helped to ensure that professional liability and coverage in Canada adequately meets the needs of these specialized professions.”

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Peace Hills Insurance, The Economical Insurance Group, and The Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance Company are maintaining their investments as full partners in the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada’s Broker Identity Program for 2007.

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Pembridge Insurance Company has established a presence in La Belle Province with the opening of its first Quebec branch. “The launch of Pembridge in Quebec is a hallmark moment for our company, and it is a reflection of our commitment to consumers and the independent broker,” Bob Tisdale, the president and chief operating officer, said in a release. Starting in August, Pembridge will offer Quebec residents 12- or 24-month home and auto insurance products, including personal vehicle, motor home, motorcycle, moped, ATV, snowmobile, trailer and homeowner, condo, tenant, secondary, seasonal, rental property, builders risk, vacation trailer and boat insurance on the residential side. The company plans to set itself apart by providing innovative products and services such as benefits for renewing after a claim-free year, and decreasing deductibles each year for chapter, collision and comprehensive coverage at the time of renewal for those who qualify. The company will also offer upgrade features on property insurance products, including higher limits and increased coverage on things such as pet insurance, modification to the home after serious injury and funeral benefits. “There is a wealth of opportunity for growth and success for independent brokers and Pembridge in the Quebec market,” Jacinthe Giroux, regional director for Quebec, said in a release. “Pembridge will provide the necessary tools, products and support that independent brokers need to fulfill the commitment of being a reliable insurance advisor.”