Moves (February 01, 2008)

Keal Technology and ING Insurance Company of Canada announced a “commercial integration relationship,” in which Keal’s commercial management system (CMS), comXP, will exchange data with the ING Insurance broker application SaversCL. Using CSIO XML standards, data can be exchanged between broker and insurer using CMS applications like Keal’s comXP, a Keal release says. The integration will allow the brokers who use comXP the ability to upload customer property information directly from comXP to ING’s Web portal to request a quote, it adds. “This integration represents significant workflow enhancement for brokers.”

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The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has sold more than 80,000 licence plates supporting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, marking a solid step towards its goal of 100,000 plates in the program’s first year. As part of the “Show Your Support to Win” promotion, a new car was awarded to a driver upon purchasing one of the plates, an ICBC release says.Net proceeds from the plate program, which began in April 2007, go towards supporting the Canadian Olympic team and the successful staging of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They are part of the ICBC’s sponsorship as an official Olympic supporter in the motor vehicle insurance category.

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The Portuguese Insurance Professionals Association (PIPA) held its annual Christmas lunch at First Choice Restaurant, where Portuguese cuisine and good red wine were served. PIPA members opened the event to allow other guests to partake and enjoy the camaraderie. Guests were asked to support PIPA’s goal of raising funds for a scholarship. PIPA’s main goal is to provide a scholarship to a University or College student involved in an insurance course.

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Kingsway Financial Services Inc. has appointed Shelly Gobin as vice president and CFO. Gobin has been with Kingsway for more than 10 years; during that time, she has held increasingly progressive executive roles. In addition, she has been significantly involved in all financial reporting and capital raising initiatives over this time, according to a release. As vice president and CFO, she will assume responsibility for financial reporting, capital management, taxation strategy and investor relations for the corporate group. “Shelly and I have worked very closely over the years and she has proved a valuable member of the executive team at Kingsway,” Shaun Jackson, Kingsway’s president and CEO, said in a release. “She has built a strong and credible financial team within the organization and her experience will ensure a seamless transition of the financial management of the company. Her appointment is well-deserved and reflects her strong technical abilities, dedication, and financial and operational knowledge of Kingsway.”

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In the latest Canadian Underwriter online poll, we asked if direct writers pose a threat to independent brokerages. An overwhelming 76.29% of respondents said yes, while 23.1% of respondents did not see direct writers as a threat.

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Bonnie Lysyk has been appointed to the position of vice president, Ontario at the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Lysyk is a chartered accountant and has a certified internal auditor designation. She served most recently as the vice president and CFO for The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. In her new leadership role at IBC, Bonnie will report directly to Mark Yakabuski, president and CEO, and will sit on IBC’s operations committee. She will lead the organization’s efforts to reform the Ontario auto insurance system and to develop a consensus position on key reform issues within the industry.

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Arch Insurance Group, a member of Arch Capital Group Ltd., has formed a new energy division — Arch Worldwide Energy — that harnesses all of the group’s property and casualty energy-related capabilities into one dedicated unit. The new division combines Arch’s expertise in the areas of onshore energy, offshore energy, construction allrisk, erection allrisk and energy casualty. Arch said in a press release the move is intended “to heighten [Arch’s] response to evolving energy needs worldwide.”Arch Worldwide Energy will be led by Thomas G. Kaiser, the executive vice president at Arch Insurance Group. “Arch Insurance Group has always offered expertise in energy, but this strategic group, completely dedicated to the issues of the energy market, will drive high-quality risk solutions on a worldwidebasis,”saidRalph E. Jones, the chairman and CEO of Arch Insurance Group. “This new division maximizes the energy-specific intellectual capital, products and services of Arch exclusively for the energy sector,” said Kaiser. “We have studied our clients’ evolving risk needs and believe that our new unit positions us to develop the most effective solutions for their risk management arsenal.” The Arch Worldwide Energy client base includes clients from the oil, gas, petrochemical, chemical, power generation, pulp and paper and mining and steel industries. Clients can access these services in Canada, the United States, and London.

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Thomas V. Ealy, Willis North America’s chief operating officer, has been appointed to lead the company’s commercial and consumer segments for both Canada and the United States. Ealy will continue in his current role until a successor is named. The commercial segment includes not only small and mediumsized enterprises, but also managing general agent and affinity programs, public entity risk pools and group captives. The consumer segment includes personal insurance for high net worth individuals and families along with affinity groups, a Willis statement says. Ealy has been with the company for about six years. Prior to his work as chief operaing officer, he led its Chicago and Milwaukee offices and helped create and lead its Client Advocate professional development program in North America. He will relocate to Chicago.

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The Ontario Risk & Insurance Management Society’s (ORIMS) annual Christmas luncheon in December attracted hundreds of festive industry partygoers to the Sheraton Centre Toronto, home of the Toronto 2008 RIMS Canada Conference (September 21-24, 2008). In the spirit of giving, the ORIMS executive donated the proceeds of the annual charity raffle to World Vision Canada. World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. ORIMS president Erin Magilton-Morneau presented World Vision with a cheque for Cdn$10,000.

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Dale Chow has been appointed as vice president, Vancouver branch manager for Chubb Insurance Company of Canada. Chow and his team are responsible for all field operations serving British Columbia. Chow has re-joined Chubb from the Bermuda offices of Allied World Assurance Company, where he was vice president of professional lines and team leader. Joining the firm in 2002,Chow was a key contributor to the growth of the professional lines department from inception to gross written premiums (GWP) of over Cdn$200 million, the company noted in a release. “Dale’s track record speaks for itself. We were sorry to see him go back in 2002, but we’re thrilled to have him back”, Chubb president and CEO Ellen Moore said in a press release. “We pride ourselves on the strength of our local relationships and Dale will help us continue that tradition.”

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Swiss Re’s voluntary initiative to become greenhouse neutral, “COyou2 reduce and gain,” completed its first year; more than 400 staff members around the world participated. The program offers Swiss Re staff financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The subsidized investments vary between regions, but 130 staff — 116 of them in the United States — received support to purchase a hybrid car. In Switzerland, 170 employees received contributions towards public transport passes. A further 80 staff around the world were granted subsidies with energy-and electricity-related investments, including the installation of solar panels and
heat pumps, a Swiss Re release says. By 2011, the goal is to motivate 10% of Swiss Re staff to participate; its first year garnered the participation of 5%.

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Zurich Financial Services Group has launched a new climate office. The mandate of the office is to help the company determine climate-related risks across its businesses. Reporting directly to Zurich’s global chief underwriting officer, the climate office will be fully embedded in Zurich’s underwriting infrastructure. It will focus on the development of products and services addressing the evolving risks associated with climate change, as well as the establishment of a long-range carbon management strategy, a Zurich release says. The company also established a climate change advisory council, consisting of internal functional leaders and external advisors reporting to Zurich’s group management on strategic and operational issues associated with climate change, the release adds.

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Royal & SunAlliance (R&SA) has partnered with the Executive Development Centre at Queen’s School of Business to launch a new broker education program. The program, Making Partner, has been designed with Queen’s to provide customized senior management leadership and business skills to R&SA brokers who aspire to “make partner” one day in their brokerages, R&SA noted in a release. “We believe in the long-term growth of the broker channel, which is why we’ve made such a significant investment in a high-calibre program,” Shawn DeSantis, senior vice president of commercial and personal insurance at R&SA, said in the release. “In this increasingly competitive market, it is more and more important to have broad business skills to operate a successful business, and we are excited to partner with such an internationally respected business school to deliver those skills to our brokers.”

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Clive R. Tobin on April 1, 2008 will retire from his post as chief executive of XL Capital Ltd.’s insurance operations. David B. Duclos will succeed him. Tobin will continue with XL as vice chairman of XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd., where he will concentrate on assisting with strategic opportunities in emerging markets, an XL release says. Duclos is currently the chief operating officer of the company’s insurance operations.