Topic Management
Why this BrokerLink exec thinks COVID could accelerate brokerage M&A
August 12, 2020 by David GambrillBefore the pandemic, hard market conditions and the increasing digitization of brokerages were already reasons for some broker principals to ponder selling the business and moving on, but the novel coronavirus may have further accelerated the pace of M&A, says…
U.S. wholesale broker expands into Canada with acquisition of SUM
August 11, 2020 by Jason ContantA United States-based national wholesale insurance broker has acquired Strategic Underwriting Managers, Inc. (SUM), a Canadian managing general agency for property, casualty and other specialty insurance products. Boston-headquartered wholesale broker, program manager, and insurance aggregator One80 Intermediaries announced the acquisition…
Skills to promote change
August 9, 2020 by Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorAndy Taylor, Gore Mutual Insurance Company’s newly-minted president and CEO, reveals the soft skills required for a successful business transformation — and how to find them. – As told to Greg Meckbach To recruit talent capable of shepherding a…
How job-protected leaves could affect your brokerage’s re-opening plans
August 7, 2020 by Adam MalikBrokerage principals shouldn’t be rigid when it comes to dealing with employees who are skeptical about returning to the office and decide to extend or take a leave, an employment lawyer advised. A key observation management needs to make about…
Opinion: It’s on us as brokers to explain BI to clients
August 6, 2020 by Nick Novinger, Regional Manager (Quebec), Canadian Insurance Brokers Inc.Business interruption has become a touchy and even confusing topic for some of our clients, but it’s on us as brokers to ensure they properly understand the scope of its coverage. Business interruption will continue to be an important coverage…
Common mistakes your clients make when they re-open
August 5, 2020 by Adam MalikA number of legal claims have been filed against employers because they’re not doing what they are supposed to be doing to keep their employees safe during re-opening, a Hub International compliance expert warned. Some of the more common issues…
How much Intact could lose from customers who can’t pay their bills
July 30, 2020 by Greg MeckbachIntact Financial Corp. took a $34-million charge in bad debt during the three months ending June 30. This does not mean the insurer will be unable to collect that entire amount. The expectation is that this is the amount it…
Canada’s arts and recreation businesses face greatest risk of closure: CFIB
July 30, 2020 by David Friend - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Canada’s struggling independent businesses in the arts, entertainment and recreational sectors are at the highest risk of permanently closing due to COVID-19, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. A new report released by the advocacy group…
Insurer working on future pandemic coverage for school boards, post-COVID
July 27, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAs the Ontario government prepares its school re-opening plan, the insurer for the majority of the province’s boards is working on a plan to provide pandemic coverage, albeit for future pandemics and not for COVID-19. Within the next six to…
Where Aviva is going with text messaging for customer interaction
July 22, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAviva Canada is using short message service (SMS), or texting, to communicate with customers, a technology on which it was focusing before building mobile apps. “We are already texting to our customers today,” Bryant Vernon, Aviva Canada’s chief claims officer,…
Segment these customers to boost your pandemic sales
July 21, 2020 by Adam MalikInsurers are going to need to show maximal flexibility when it comes to selling insurance policies, since a record amount of people are out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and won’t have a lot of extra cash to…
Why blockchain is not ubiquitous yet in insurance
July 20, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBlockchain has been around for a while, in cryptocurrency for example, but the property and casualty industry needs to work together and agree on what brokerages and carriers should use blockchain for, speakers said on a recent webinar. “Blockchain is…