Moves & Views

Catlin Canada has appointed Stan Chlon as its product manager of property. Chlon has more than 35 years of experience in the insurance industry as a commercial property underwriter and manager. He has been employed at a major commercial insurer for the past 25 years. Most recently, he held the position of national practice leader for property insurance. He has extensive experience in underwriting a wide range of commercial property business, including risk management accounts and large construction projects.

XN Financial has named Keith Doan vice president of business development. Based in Toronto, Doan will report to XN Financial executive vice president Paul Coleman. Headquartered in Montreal, XN Financial provides insurance and financial products designed specifically for the needs of international assignees, high net worth individuals and directors and officers of privately owned companies. In his new role, Doan will be responsible for market development, growth initiatives and client relations. This appointment became effective Apr. 18, 2011. Prior to joining XN Financial, Keith Doan held senior positions with Aon Ltd., Marsh USA and Chubb Insurance, amassing significant knowledge and expertise relative to North American casualty insurance placements.

Christine Lithgow has been appointed president of Aon Risk Solutions in Canada. She will be replacing retiring outgoing president Chris Fawcus. Lithgow began her career at Aon predecessor Reed Stenhouse in the United Kingdom before moving to Canada in 1981. In her 30 years with Aon and its predecessors in Canada, she has held several senior positions in national, regional and branch management roles. Most recently, she served as chief broking officer. She is based in the firm’s Toronto office.

FirstOnSite Restoration has expanded its presence in Quebec and Alberta. The emergency restoration company opened a Quebec City branch, which will be led by Daniel Jean, a 25-year veteran in the construction and restoration industry. “FirstOnSite has already been active in the province with several jobs in the last year, including recently rebuilding parts of Bishop’s University after serious flooding,” said Bruce Derraugh, FirstOnSite’s chief operating officer. In the West, FirstOnSite launched a branch in Medicine Hat, Alberta – an area facing a high flood risk. Jamie Mackie will lead the team in the new Medicine Hat branch as territory manager.

The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) has launched a pilot program designed to educate and challenge brokers by examining and exploring cutting-edge business ideas. Beyond Best in Class (BBiC) aims to set a new standard of excellence for brokers, an IBAO release says. The five-day program encourages brokers to change the way they think about their employees, clients, insurance company partners and day-to-day business operations. A group of eight brokerages, sponsored by Gore Mutual Insurance Company, has been selected as the pilot group. The program will be made available to IBAO’s other insurers and full membership later this year. “This program is about implementing meaningful long-term change,” said IBAO CEO Randy Carroll.

SUM Insurance, an independent managing general agent formed by Travis Budd, Rick DeGrace, Stan Lam, Serge Melanson and Jeff Somerville, is now serving Canada coast-to-coast with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Formed in March 2011, Strategic Underwriting Managers Inc. (SUM Insurance and/or Gestionnaires d’Assurances) works collaboratively with insurers and reinsurers to design, underwrite and deliver casualty insurance products to insurance brokers.

Signature Risk Partners Inc., a Canadian golf club and winery insurer, has welcomed former Canadian PGA Championship winner Ashley Chinner [6] as its director of golf. “Ashley brings nearly 10 years of commercial golf insurance experience and he will be a tremendous resource for our partner brokers as they work with their golf club clients,” James Grant, president and CEO of Signature Risk Partners Inc., said in a press release. Chinner is a past champion of the Canadian PGA Championship. He had the lowest score of any Canadian in the 1998 Bell Canadian Open, finishing with a five-under-par 283 at Glenn Abbey Golf Club. In his new role as director of golf, Chinner will help Signature’s broker partners provide the best coverage available to their golf course clients.

Kanetix has added The Co-operators to its auto comparison service in Quebec. “Kanetix offers drivers a quick and easy way to comparison shop their auto insurance needs,” said George Small, co-founder of Kanetix Ltd. “With the addition of The Co-operators, shoppers will have an opportunity to compare even more quotes, further cementing our commitment to help Quebec drivers find the best priced auto insurance.”

Simon Bernstein has joined the underwriting and customer service department of LawPro as assistant vice president of underwriting. Bernstein brings extensive experience as a practising lawyer and in the insurance sector, including risk assessment, loss control and claims management. Gerry Gill [8b] recently joined the claims group as unit director and counsel of litigation. Gill was most recently assistant vice president and in-house counsel for GCAN Insurance Company, responsible for E&O and D&O claims management – including coverage analysis, policy development and interpretation, as well as coordination of in-house counsel. Domenic Bellacicco was recently promoted to the position of unit director and counsel of new claims, responsible for assessment and management of the company’s portfolio of new claims. Bellacicco was most recently senior claims counsel in the new claims unit.

The Ontario Bar Association has awarded James Simmons and Paul Lee its 2011 OBA Award for Excellence in Insurance Law. Toronto-based Lee is the founder of Paul Lee & Associates, a boutique civil litigation firm. He was called to the bar in 1952 and is considered a leading expert in the areas of personal injury, motor vehicle and property and casualty claims. Simmons moved to Sudbury in 1970 and has practised in Northern Ontario ever since. His areas of practice include counsel work in civil litigation, insurance, administrative, personal injury, professional negligence and commercial law. He
has extensive jury and trial experience in all matters of litigation throughout Northern Ontario.

Hagerty Classic Marine has launched a broker referral program for its Canadian product. The initiative allows brokers in Canada to refer collector boat insurance clients and receive commission for new and renewal business. There are no brokerage minimum volume requirements. Key features of the coverage include: agreed value coverage; standard, $1-million protection and indemnity (watercraft liability), including salvage, accidental fuel spill and uninsured/underinsured boaters liability; enhanced coverage for communication and navigation equipment; $1,000 emergency towing coverage and $5,000 personal effects coverage; and instant coverage for existing policyholders for newly acquired collector watercraft up to 15 days after purchase.

John Nelson will succeed Lord Levene as the next chairman of Lloyd’s insurance market in October 2011. Lord Levene is retiring after nine years as Lloyd’s chairman. Nelson spent 15 years at Kleinwort Benson, working in both the United Kingdom and the United States, before moving to Lazard in 1986. At Lazard, he ran the corporate finance division for 13 years. He retired as chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston Europe in 2002 after three years. He then took up a number of board and advisory positions, including deputy chairman of Kingfisher plc.