Views (July 01, 2007)

The Property Casualty Underwriters Club (PCUC) held their May luncheon in Toronto at The Metropolitan Hotel, where more than 80 participants enjoyed a panel of speakers discussing ‘The Changing Face of Canadian Reinsurance’. PCUC president Kami Singh, introduced the panel’s speakers, including David Wilmot, past senior vice president and chief agent in Canada for The Toa Reinsurance Company of America; Douglas McIntyre, president and CEO of Echelon General Insurance Company; and John Kartechner, senior vice president of Aon Re Canada Inc.

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Canadian employees of XL Capital‘s subsidiaries, XL Re and XL Insurance, put their painting and planting expertise — and not their underwriting skills — to work on May 10 as part of the company’s Global Day of Giving. Last year, XL initiated the Day of Giving as part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations. For the second year in a row, more than 3,500 XL staff worldwide spent one business day working to benefit their local communities. Cindy Guyatt, country manager for the XL Insurance companies, said: “As an initiative of XL’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program, our Global Day of Giving gives us a welcome opportunity to support local charities that are near and dear to us.” She added that “the whole day is very reflective of XL’s core values — respect, ethics, excellence, development and teamwork.” XL Canadian staff supported a host of worthwhile organizations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, including:

*The Salvation Army Retirement Residence: XL staff helped the facility with general gardening, planting, and painting or staining outside tables and benches.

*St. Christopher House: At the organization’s homeless drop-in centre, an XL team of volunteers helped create a peace/healing garden.

*Christie Ossington Neighbour-hood Centre: This multi-service facility was establishing a bicycle recycling program to train community youth to rebuild and refurbish used bicycles for children who are unable to afford new ones. The organization was given a space to house the program after XL staff cleaned out the room and finished priming, cleaning and painting the room’s dingy walls.

*Humewood House: For this organization, which helps pregnant and young unwed mothers, XL’s team helped the organization pack for an upcoming move.

*The Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto: The Society provides counseling and support for women who have had conflicts with the law. Many XL staff spent their Day of Giving sprucing up the organization’s library, office, kitchen and reception area.

*The Quebec Breakfast Club in Montreal: XL staff in Montreal helped the Breakfast Club serve breakfast to hundreds of primary and secondary school students. Last year, this organization served 2-million meals to students.

*The Ecole Dorothy Lynas School: In Vancouver, XL staff helped the school set-up for its annual Spring Fair, a fundraising event to help finance reading material, computer equipment for classrooms, playground equipment and other education materials.

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The Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta [IBAA] made a few changes at its May 2007 convention in Jasper, including a name change. At its AGM on May 7, the association voted to drop the word ‘independent’ from its original moniker. The association also noted a number of personnel-related changes. Harold Baker will retire as CEO of the IBAA, effective Dec. 31, 2007. The IBAA welcomed new president, Cy Johnson, who succeeds Ralph Zutter Jr. Finally, the association recognized the efforts of Kathi MacMillan, who retired as education director.

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More than 120 industry veterans attended the 48th Annual Reception of the Quarter Century Club, held May 16 at the Hilton International in Toronto. Emcee John Cherrie welcomed members and presided over the “roast” of “business promoter extraordinaire” Ford Blow. Blow started his nearly 40-year insurance industry career at the Halifax Insurance Company and has spent a large part of his career with Cunningham Lindsey, where he is now the vice president of business development.

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The Ontario Risk and Insurance Manage-ment Society (ORIMS) recently held its annual general meeting in Toronto, followed by a dinner at which Erin Magilton-Morneau took over the presidency position. Magilton-Morneau, director of risk and insurance management for Manulife Financial, served as vice president on the 2006-2007 ORIMS board of directors. She takes over from Bruce Tainsh, manager of insurance and risk management at Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. In her acceptance speech, Magilton-Morneau thanked Tainsh for his dedication to the organization over the past year and spoke of her enthusiasm for helping to organize the 2008 national conference to be held in Toronto. Entertainment for the evening was “Funk n’ Crawford” Improv Comedy.

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The XL Insurance companies hosted a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception on May 23rd in the breathtaking setting of the University of Toronto’s Hart House. Along with XL staff, more than 200 of XL’s business partners and clients enjoyed the evening within the walls of Hart House — considered one of Toronto’s architectural masterpieces, with its soaring stained glass windows, marble floors and oak timbered ceilings.

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Nobody was singing the blues at CCR’s Sixth Annual Blues Night, except for the Johnny Max Band that is. Industry folk gathered at Fionn MacCool’s in downtown Toronto where the Johnny Max Band served up a mixture of blues, old fashioned country, R’n’B, with a dollop of rock, while participants sampled finger foods, danced and enjoyed a beverage with colleagues.

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Guy Carpenter Canada was delighted to host its first (Re)Insurance Industry Charity Poker and Casino Event for WICC (Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade) on May 30 in Toronto. The inaugural event was held in the exquisite setting of the Four Seasons Hotels ‘Windows’ penthouse salons, on the 32nd floor overlooking a spectacular view of the Toronto skyline. Seventy guests participated in the charitable event; they competed for prizes that included the grand prize of four days’ accommodation for two at the world famous Peregrine Lodge in the Queen Charlotte Islands ($10,000 value). Guy Carpenter proudly reports that $19,000 was raised in aid of WICC. According to Guy Carpenter Canada vice president and event organizer Geoffrey Lubert, more than 80% of participants’ charitable donation went directly to WICC, since fees paid went only to pay for food, beverage and entertainment. The casino and poker games were free of cost, and all prizes were donated by sponsors who support WICC’s very worthy cause”.

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PartnerRe recently hosted a group of highly enthusiastic insurers at Mosport’s Driver Development Facility, located just outside of Toronto, ON. Participants received instruction from Bridgestone Racing Academy and tested their skills on (and sometimes off) the track in Reynard Formula 2000 racing cars. The insurance industry drivers honed their
racing techniques and pushed their personal limits on as they chased the 330 horse-power Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 pace cars throughout the facility’s challenging track.