Topic HR
How to recruit underwriters when job candidates get multiple offers
November 30, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoCompetition for available qualified underwriting talent is fierce. “We’ve got candidates in the mix that will often have two or three offers in hand,” said Stefan Rolfe, associate director of insurance at Impact Recruitment. “And they can often bounce one…
Addressing a shortage of qualified commercial underwriters
November 28, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoNicholas Hudescu is a rarity in the insurance industry. The 23-year-old attended Wilfrid Laurier University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree specializing in insurance and risk management. While there, he joined the student-run Laurier Insurance and Risk Association (LIRA)…
Will rising interest rates kill brokerage M&A?
November 20, 2023 by David GambrillReports of the death of brokerage mergers and acquisitions in an era of higher interest rates have been greatly exaggerated. Back in early 2023, Canadian Underwriter’s National Broker Survey noticed a curious phenomenon: brokers’ interest in M&A growth had dipped…
Forget why you fell into insurance. Why’d you stay?
November 17, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoIt might be easier to attract recruits to insurance if P&C professionals reminisced on what keeps them in the industry, rather than voicing the age-old adage of how they ‘fell in‘ to the profession, experts at Reuters’ Future of Insurance…
How Canadian P&C firms are developing diversity
November 16, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoRegardless of where Canadian brokerages are in their efforts to build diverse workplaces, they generally agree on three good ways to get there. When asked what actions brokerages could take to increase diversity, survey respondents advocated promoting diverse talent to…
Marsh McLennan creates new role for Canada and U.S. operations
November 16, 2023 by David GambrillMarsh McLennan has appointed Susan Potter as U.S. and Canada commercial officer, effective immediately. “We are fortunate to have Susan assume this new role,” Pat Tomlinson, Marsh McLennan’s U.S. and Canada CEO, said of Potter’s appointment. “Her exceptional leadership experience,…
How the P&C industry compares globally on talent risk
November 15, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoIt’s not just the P&C industry that’s struggling to find recruits. Failure to attract and retain talent now ranks as the fourth biggest business risk — its highest ever ranking — in Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey, which gathered responses…
Hybrid office: Centre for collaboration, or inefficiency?
November 13, 2023 by David GambrillCanadian property and casualty insurance professionals generally believe they work more efficiently in a hybrid office than at home — although some of this depends how you define workplace “distractions” in a sales culture. In an online survey conducted last…
BrokerLink completes triple acquisition
November 13, 2023 by Jason ContantBrokerLink has expanded its well-established footprint in the Greater Toronto Area with the acquisition of brokerages All-Risks Insurance (Burlington), Dowhaniuk Insurance and Heinsoo Insurance. BrokerLink announced Monday it completed the asset acquisition of Solutions Financial PCC Inc., operating as All-Risks…
Why “hotel” offices are not making P&C employees feel at home
November 10, 2023 by David GambrillHotel workspaces may be the rage in hybrid offices, but many Canadian P&C insurance industry employees say they don’t feel at home in the new digs. Hotelling is a shared workspace model where an employee reserves a desk or room…
How deliberate, diverse recruiting can fill brokers’ talent gaps
November 8, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoProperty and casualty (P&C) brokerages continue to report trouble finding qualified new recruits. That’s led many in the P&C insurance industry to suggest firms widen the hiring lens and open recruitment to a more diverse range of candidates. It seems…
What P&C brokerage buyers are really looking for
November 8, 2023 by Jason ContantBuyers of Canadian P&C brokerages are becoming more selective about the brokerages they will pursue, with an increase in demand for commercial lines-focused brokerages, a new report from advisory firm Smythe LLP says. P&C consolidators continue to diversify their acquisitions,…