MOVES & VIEWS (October 01, 2008)

1 The most recent Canadian Underwriter online poll posed the question: Should guaranteed replacement cost coverage be discontinued? Only 32.62% of the 282 respondents believe that it should be discontinued, while 67.38% say no, keep GRC coverage around.

2 Mark Yakabuski has resigned as president and CEO of Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). “Having established a strong strategic course for the organization as president and CEO, he is leaving after 15 years of service to IBC in order to pursue new challenges,” IBC said in a public statement. Yakabuski became president and CEO of IBC after his predecessor, Stanley Griffin, retired at the end of 2007. He joined the bureau in 1993, in its newly established policy development division in Toronto. He was named IBC’s director of government relations in 1995 and was sent to Ottawa to open IBC’s first office in the nation’s capital. Randy Bundus, IBC’s vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, has been appointed acting president. IBC says the recruitment process to replace IBC its president is already underway.

3 Felicity Alexander will be retiring this year after 24 years as the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada’s office manager and manager of member services. At IBAC’s 2008 annual general meeting in Halifax, Alexander received praise for her 24 years of dedication and volunteer service to Canada’s independent broker channel. At a Shore Club dinner in Halifax, the association’s current and past executives gathered onstage to perform a type of swan song for Alexander, a rendition of the song ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’ Alexander referred to the song’s lyrics once when describing her role at IBAC to members of the association’s senior executive members. “I am the wind beneath your wings,” she said, in an effort to deflect attention away from the praise she was receiving from IBAC’s CEO for her outstanding work over the years with IBAC.

4 Jim Haskins has been appointed Aviva Canada Inc.’s executive vice president of claims and procurement. He has more than 17 years of experience in the property and casualty industry. Most recently, Haskins was the senior vice president of the claims division of The Hartford Financial Services Group, based out of Hartford, Connecticut. Prior to joining The Hartford, he held increasingly senior roles in regional claims operations for Progressive Insurance.

5 The Shumka Group has new corporate identities for itself and its three operating companies, SCM Adjusters Canada Ltd., Forensic Investigations Canada (FIC) and Risk Management Services (RMS). Two new company names have been announced: the parent company, previously known as The Shumka Group, will now be known as SCM Insurance Services (SCM). The operating company, SCM Adjusters Canada Ltd., will become ClaimsPro (IndemniPro in Quebec). The names of the other two operating entities, FIC and RMS, remain unchanged. “Recent events have provided us with a unique opportunity to review our operations and refresh the branding for all our companies with a more unified look and feel,” said Larry Shumka, president and CEO of SCM.

6 Steve Starna has been appointed branch manager in the Montreal office of Environmental Solutions Remediation Services (ESRS). He has experience as a geologist and project manager for Phase II environmental site assessments, site remediation projects and groundwater monitoring programs that range in scope from a few thousand dollars to more than half a million dollars. ESRS has also opened a new Brockville, Ontario office, which will be managed by Terry Congram. Transferring from the Ottawa office, Congram has been a member of ESRS since January of 2004. Congram has extensive governmental, corporate manage- ment and investigative experience. He also manages a wide range of environmental remediation projects, including transportation and residential petroleum hydrocarbon spills, mould and asbestos abatement.

7 Cunningham Lindsey Canada Claims Services Ltd. has opened an office in Kelowna, B. C. and has appointed Scott Jordan as district manager. Jordan has spent 10 years with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia as a special investigations unit officer and special constable for the province. He has worked for two large adjusting firms in B. C. as a senior claims adjuster, adjuster in charge, and most recently as regional branch director for the Okanagan and Interior. Brian Glass has been appointed branch manager for Cunningham Lindsey Canada Claims Services Ltd.’s operation in Owen Sound, Ontario. Glass has more than 28 years of experience in the insurance industry. Most recently, he has been an assistant claims manager for a major insurer.

8 Glenn Penny has been appointed vice president of claims at Kingsway Financial Services Inc. In the newly created role, Penny will be responsible for the oversight of claims functions, including building claims capabilities and common practices throughout the Kingsway Group. Penny has 24 years of claims experience, most recently as vice president of claims with a major Canadian personal and other specialty lines insurer.

9 John Chippindale [9a], has joined HKMB Hub International in the role of vice chair. Most recently he served as Integro (Canada) Ltd’s former managing director and president. Prior to joining Integro (Canada) in 2005, Chippindale was Marsh’s Canadian chairman. Also, Pierre Simoneau [9b] has rejoined Hub International Limited as president and CEO of Hub Quebec. Simoneau was previously with Hub for two years as senior vice president of operations of Hub Quebec before taking a brief hiatus.

10 Robert Dunn [10a] has been appointed chairman of Integro (Canada) Ltd. He is currently the managing principal and office leader for the firm’s Montreal office. Mark Rankin [10b], managing principal, has been named president of Integro (Canada) Ltd. and office leader for Toronto. Integro’s Vancouver office will report to him as well. Peter Garvey, president of Integro Insurance Brokers, has assumed the additional role of CEO following the resignation of Roger Egan for undisclosed reasons.

11 Catlin Group Limited has appointed Michael Hansen as president of Catlin Canada Inc. He will be based in Catlin’s Calgary office. Hansen most recently served as vice president and Western regional manager for Catlin Canada in Calgary. He also serves as co-leader of Catlin’s Aerospace Business Group, which includes Catlin’s aviation insurance operations worldwide. He succeeds Michael Willis, who has served as president of Catlin Canada in Toronto since its formation in 2005.

12 Plant Hope Adjusters has opened an eighth office in the Atlantic region, this one in Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Lise Frenette, whose career has spanned 22 years, has been appointed branch manager of the new office. Stephen LeBlanc, who began his adjusting career in 1981 and has been with Plant Hope for 10 years, has been appointed branch manager of the Fredericton office. Luc Aucoin, whose loss adjusting career began in 1998, has joined the Moncton office. Kelly Roberts started his independent adjusting career in 1993 and has teamed up Ray Aucoin in the Bathurst office.