Topic Management
Feeling more like a career counsellor than a broker these days? That’s not a bad thing.
December 14, 2020 by Adam MalikBased on estimates of 160,000 Canadian small businesses at risk of closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic — or even as many as 225,000 closures, per the Canadian Federation of Independent Business — brokers have a part to play in…
The shift in how brokers are paid
December 12, 2020 by Jason Contant, Online EditorCompensation models based on performance continue to rise in popularity. A look at what some brokerages are doing and why…
What the regulators’ data says about insurers and fair treatments of customers
December 10, 2020 by David GambrillCanadian P&C insurers have generally embraced the general principles of the Fair Treatment of Consumers (FTC), but the industry still has some work to do in specific benchmark areas, according to an annual statement on market conduct issued by the…
COVID’s impact on brokerage M&A: Myth versus reality
December 10, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to raise money from major banks to finance mergers and acquisitions, but well-run brokerages will still be attractive to buyers, suggests an expert in brokerage valuation. “When COVID hit, the banks…
The diversity and inclusion statement that hit home for Intact’s management team
December 9, 2020 by Jason ContantIntact Financial Corporation was holding focus groups on diversity and inclusion a few months ago, when a young manager of colour shared her experience with the insurer’s senior management. “She gave an example to us, which struck most of the…
Future workplaces
December 5, 2020 by Nick Novinger, Regional Manager (Quebec), Canadian Insurance Brokers Inc.Many brokers turned working from home into a success. What lessons can we take with us when we return to the office?
Western Perspective
December 4, 2020 by Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorMeet Clint Smith, chief operating officer of Manitoba-based Andrew Agencies Ltd., which recently acquired several brokerages in Saskatchewan. Smith gave us his take on the challenges brokers face in Western Canada, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inside…
Who is funding many of these insurance mergers
December 4, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe industry continues to consolidate and pension funds are one major source of capital for insurers, a Montreal-based merger and acquisition expert observes. “One or two notable [carrier M&A] transactions per year has slowly transformed the Canadian landscape, including the…
5 must-haves for your brokerage data system
December 3, 2020 by Jason ContantBeing able to collect better data regarding sales and customer behaviour are obvious reasons to upgrade the data system at your brokerage, but there are other benefits, Vancouver-based P&C insurance consulting firm Smythe Advisory said in a blog published Tuesday.…
The best way for brokers to add talent
December 1, 2020 by Adam MalikInternal referrals made by successful employees are the top way brokerages are finding quality talent to add to their ranks, attendees of a recent webinar panel heard. When asked to discuss what strategies worked best to find talent, the three…
The advantage of merging insurers by telework
November 27, 2020 by Greg MeckbachWhen COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic nearly nine months ago, Jean-François Chalifoux was helping to lead the merger that formed Canada’s largest mutual insurer. “I was in Montreal March 12 [2020] and at 11:00 a.m. sharp, the [National Hockey…
The financial benefits of improving diversity and inclusion
November 26, 2020 by Jason ContantImproving diversity and inclusion (D&I) in insurance companies has a positive impact on the business above and beyond compliance and the reputation of the organization, speakers said recently at a virtual industry event. Some of the benefits include better talent…