Canadian Underwriter

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Why the industry needs to stop saying they “fell” into insurance

April 20, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

If you asked a room of insurance professionals how they got into the business, they’ll probably tell you they “fell into it.”  But the industry is doing itself a disservice by being so “self-deprecating,” suggested Rob Marsh, president of Liberty

An office worker leaving his job with all his belongings in a box
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Why DEI plays into broker employee satisfaction — and turnover

April 17, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Amid a shortage of P&C industry talent, brokerages should heed the fact there may be a subtle risk to failing to address diversity — employee attrition. Brokers working in organizations without diversity in senior leadership are three times more likely to

Laura Doddington, WTW's new North America Proposition Leader
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Meet WTW’s new North America Proposition Leader

April 17, 2023 by Jason Contant

Laura Doddington has been appointed as WTW’s new North America Proposition Leader, the commercial brokerage announced Monday. Based in Toronto, Doddington will be responsible for pricing, product, claims and underwriting (PPCU) personal lines for WTW’s Insurance Consulting and Technology business.

Business team success and partnership
News BrokersCommercialManagementMergers and AqcuisitionsOntarioOperationsPersonal AutoPersonal HomeProperty

McDougall merges with 100-year-old brokerage

April 5, 2023 by Jason Contant

McDougall Insurance has merged with 100-year-old brokerage Rayburn Insurance Brokers Ltd., a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Tweed, Ont.  Rayburn Insurance has been in business since 1922. The brokerage serves Tweed, Northbrook and surrounding areas, offering home, auto, commercial, farm,

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Which factors impact DEI programs at P&C brokerages

April 3, 2023 by Philip Porado

The size of a Canadian P&C brokerage and the makeup of its senior leadership continues to drive whether employees have access to formal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. A Canadian Underwriter online survey, fielded in Jan. and Feb. 2023, and

Worried remote worker
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Layoff anxiety: Strategies to ease remote workers’ concerns 

March 27, 2023 by Jason Contant

With an economic downturn still a distinct possibility later this year, Canadian P&C industry professionals will likely have understandable concerns about layoffs.  But those who go into the office at least some of the time are less likely to say

Corporate culture celebrates accomplishments, diversity and teamwork
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What the industry says about regulator’s draft corporate culture guidance

March 7, 2023 by David Gambrill

Canada’s solvency regulator has refined its proposed guidance on corporate culture for P&C insurers, and it’s now consulting with the industry about its expectations. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) was scheduled to have a technical briefing

Data flowing across multiple computer systems.
News BrokersClaims TechnologyCyberInsurersLegalLiabilityManagementMGAsOperationsTechnology

How CSIO’s forging consistent data standards interpretation

March 6, 2023 by David Gambrill

The Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO)’s mandate has evolved to ensure consistent interpretation of the property & casualty (P&C) insurance industry’s data standards by insurance companies and technology vendors. “In developing the multi-year strategic plan, CSIO’s board of

Claims adjuster using a tablet on site at a restoration project
News AdjustersB.C.ClaimsClaims ProfessionalsClaims TechnologyCommercialInsurersManagementOperationsPersonal HomeProperty

How this tech is speeding up the property restoration claims process

March 2, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

One B.C-based startup is mobilizing the often tedious property restoration management process for adjusters and contractors through a smartphone app. RocketPlan founder and CEO Joe Tolzmann experienced the inefficiency of the restoration claims process first-hand during his time in the

Human resources concept
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Easy ways to attract top talent

March 1, 2023 by Jason Contant

P&C insurance industry employers should appeal more to what prospective job seekers are looking for, rather that simply listing a series of duties in a job posting, an executive at a recruitment firm suggested. “Job advertisements often can read more

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Why smaller brokerages have an edge in the talent war

February 27, 2023 by Jason Contant

Smaller brokerages have a competitive advantage in some instances when it comes to retaining talent as they potentially have more flexibility than their larger counterparts, a recruitment firm executive told Canadian Underwriter. Smaller brokerages can sometimes offer employees greater access

Swiss Re Canada president and CEO Jolee Crosby
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Swiss Re’s new Canadian president and CEO

February 21, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Jolee Crosby has been appointed president and CEO of Swiss Re Canada & English Caribbean and will succeed Monica Ningen, who has been named CEO of U.S. P&C Reinsurance at Swiss Re. Both roles are effective July 1.   Crosby