Moves & Views

FirstOnSite Restoration has opened a permanent branch in Edmonton, Alberta, after working there for the past few months following the Slave Lake fires. The restoration firm also opened a branch in Medicine Hat, Alberta earlier this year to continue to meet the needs in the province. Dan Hislop will head the Edmonton branch. He has been with the company for more than 18 years and has managed the Edmonton-based team since the spring. He was recently promoted to district manager for Northern Alberta and is overseeing FirstOnSite’s operations in the Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Fort St. John branches. Prior to this role, Hislop was an operations manager at the Grand Prairie branch.

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA) have completely redesigned the infoinsurance.ca Web site to answer consumers’ most frequently asked questions more effectively. IBC shares the site with the GAA, which performs a wide range of activities related to the auto insurance industry, both on behalf of its members and as an authorized agent of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). “We built the new Web site to inform and, above all, to demystify insurance for consumers,” explained Jack Chadirdjian, IBC’s director of public affairs in Quebec. The new site contains information about policy limitations and exclusions, the claims settlement process and the consequences of fraud, whether committed by making a false declaration, or by embellishing a claim. In addition to information about the claims process, there is also content on preventing water damage, automobile theft, fire and break-and-enters.

Zurich has launched a new surety bond intended to help contractors deliver Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Zurich says its Public Private Partnership Performance Bond enables large construction projects to benefit from favourable financing treatment while maintaining the public policy, project completion and subcontractor payment benefits of traditional surety bonds. “One important aspect of this surety bond is it provides liquidity that is critically important to project lenders and financiers,” explained head of contract surety Geoff Delisio, who led the team that developed the bond language.
“Another important aspect is the built-in dispute resolution procedure, which will help resolve project disputes within pre-determined timeframes. “Additionally, the bond provides the traditionally important performance bond safeguards that have proven to be so valuable to owners throughout North America for over 100 years.”

York Fire & Casualty Insurance Company has become Unica Insurance Incorporated and will operate under the Unica brand name, the company announced on Nov. 14. The re-branding of York represents a milestone in the reinvention of the company since its acquisition in 2008 by La Capitale General Insurance, one of Quebec’s largest P&C insurers, the company said. The insurer also reiterated what it called its “steadfast commitment to the broker distribution channel.” Martin Delage, president and chief operating officer of Unica, said: “We do things a little differently than other insurance companies and this translates into big value for our customers. Our new name, Unica, reflects the unique nature of our company and our continued commitment as a dependable, Canadian company.”

Granite Claims Solutions has purchased Vancouver-based Advance Claims Service Ltd. This is the company’s fifth acquisition in the past 12 months. Advance Claims is an independent adjusting firm in British Columbia, with offices in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Penticton, Vancouver Island and Squamish/Whistler. Advance Claims will continue to operate under the Advance name as a division of Granite Claims Solutions. The founder of Advance Claims, David Porter, will assume the role of vice president, Western Region for Granite Claims Solutions.

InsurEye Inc. has launched an online service for Canadian consumers allowing them to compare their insurance spending with their peers. InsurEye collects, validates and analyzes thousands of auto, home and life insurance experiences from people across the country. In order to collect initial data, InsurEye worked with market research and consumer data collection company Research Now. Insurance Peer Comparison covers spending information for insurance products available online and the services offered directly by insurance companies, brokers and agents. “Insurance quotes can vary not just by 20%, but by 200% or more,” an InsurEye release says. “Knowing what peers pay allows consumers to make informed buying decisions and discover providers with the best prices for their segment. By using the Insurance Peer Comparison buying tool, consumers can become aware of potential savings through aggregated social knowledge.” InsurEye’s Insurance Peer Comparison tool can be found at: https://insureye.com/insurance_toolkit/insureye-peer-comparison.

Paul Davis Systems Canada has appointed Bill Dietz as director of franchise and field operations. Dietz’s most recent professional experience was with The Franchise Company (TFC), a consumer home services franchising company, including California Closets, Paul Davis Restoration, Pillar to Post, Floor Coverings International, CertaPro Painters, College Pro and Handyman Connection. Until recently, TFC also operated two contractor networks in the property preservation industry: Field Asset Services and TenantAccess. Dietz spent 13 years with TFC in different capacities. He  coached and worked alongside franchisees and corporate staff across North America.

CARSTAR Automotive Canada has launched the Unhappen My Accident iPhone application. The free app is now available for download from the Apple iTunes App store or at www.carstar.ca/eng/iphone_app.aspx. It works by storing critical driver and accident information such as insurance, vehicle, and emergency contact details. One press of a button displays the necessary steps to take following a collision, including recording accident details, taking a photo of the damage and locating the nearest CARSTAR location for repairs. The app also provides 24/7 access to a live experienced operator who can guide drivers through the process and answer any questions. It also prompts users to enter the critical details required to generate an interactive accident report, which can instantly be saved and emailed to the insurance provider. For each download of the application, CARSTAR has committed to donate $1.00 (up to $10,000) to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, a long time charitable partner for the past 10 years. To date, CARSTAR has raised more than $1.9 million to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

RSA has announced changes to its operating structure that will see RSA Canada president and CEO Rowan Saunders appointed to the company’s  Global Group executive team. Effective Jan.1, 2012, RSA Group will be organized into four regions: UK & Western Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and Emerging Markets. As a member of the Global Group executive team, Saunders will report directly to RSA’s Group CEO Simon Lee. RSA’s business grew by 20% in Canada in 2011. “The change in structure reflects the increasing size of the Canadian business and the growing contribution the Canadian company makes to the Group’s overall performance,” an RSA statement said. “The new structure is in line with RSA’s move toward becoming a more globally focused organization, with plans to grow its international businesses.”

Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) launched a mobile service for its members to assist with productivity and keep brokers organized while on the go.The new service, called hereiam, allows brokers to:

• Listen and compose emails while driv
  ing. The hereiam app will read email messages back to the subscriber. It also records voice notes, converts them into composed memos and emails, and delivers them to the intended receiver.
• Dials numbers in the contact list hands-free.
• Follow me/find me feature allows clients to reach their brokers no matter where their brokers are.
• Multi-conferencing.
• Toll-free calling. Clients can call them directly through a toll free number and avoid long distance charges.
• Out-of-town calling. While out of their local calling area, brokers can call anyone in North America for $0.05 per minute.
• Eliminate roaming outside Canada.• A mobile app for smartphones is included.