Topic Operations
The case for using data for diversity and inclusion in senior ranks
November 25, 2020 by Jason ContantInsurance companies are used to collecting data, but they need to do a better job of using data around race and gender to build diversity and inclusion in their senior ranks, speakers said Tuesday at KPMG’s 2020 Insurance Conference. Insurers…
IBAO’s stance on electronic termination of coverage
November 24, 2020 by Greg MeckbachInsurers should be allowed to terminate auto policies electronically if consumers consent, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario’s CEO says. In its budget document released Nov. 5, the Ontario government said the next phase of its previously-announced “blueprint” for auto…
Two ways COVID-19 affected this large brokerage’s M&A strategy
November 20, 2020 by Jason ContantThe COVID-19 pandemic required one large Canadian brokerage to take a “very different approach” to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. COVID affected the M&A process in two significant ways, Jamie Lyons, president and chief operating officer with Westland Insurance Group…
What Canadian MGAs think about the proposed Intact-RSA merger
November 18, 2020 by David GambrillOn the day Intact made its joint offer with Denmark-based insurance giant Tryg A/S to acquire RSA plc for Cdn$12.3 billion official, a Canadian association of managing general agencies (MGAs) expressed concern about the deal’s potential impact on market choice…
Swiss Re’s new head of P&C client markets in Canada
November 16, 2020 by David GambrillAgis Kitsikis has been appointed as Swiss Re’s new head of P&C client markets for Canada and the English Caribbean, effective immediately. He succeeds Stefan Behr, who recently accepted the position as Swiss Re’s head of business development for Europe,…
Brokers ready for new round of lockdowns
November 13, 2020 by Adam MalikManitoba went into lockdown Thursday morning after the province’s COVID-19 numbers ranked among the worst in the country and its healthcare system approached capacity. But this time, unlike the first go-around in the spring, brokers say they are in an…
Canadian MGA association hires new managing director
November 6, 2020 by David GambrillSteve Masnyk has been appointed as managing director of the Canadian Association of Managing General Agents (CAMGA), established in 2018 to advocate for Canadian MGAs. With more than 20 years of experience in government relations, Masnyk is the founder and…
Who’s heading Fairfax’s effort to improve opportunities for the Black community
November 5, 2020 by Greg MeckbachCraig Pinnock, chief financial officer of Toronto-based Northbridge Insurance, is heading the Black Initiatives Action Committee for Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., Northbridge’s corporate parent. The Black Initiatives Action Committee has one representative of the Black community from each of the…
Overcoming barriers to tech innovation: ‘If you don’t build it, they will leave’
November 5, 2020 by David GambrillIn the 1989 hit movie Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, 36-year-old Ray Kinsella is wandering through his cornfield one evening when he hears a voice whispering, “If you build it, he will come.” In this instance, “he” refers to…
OSFI draft guideline tightens oversight of Canadian branches of foreign insurers
November 4, 2020 by David GambrillCanada’s solvency regulator has released a new draft guideline that tightens the regulator’s oversight of foreign insurance and bank branches in Canada. Among other changes to existing regulations, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is requiring local…
So you’re going digital. How much speed do you need?
November 3, 2020 by David GambrillWhile the global COVID pandemic may have sharpened the insurance industry’s focus on providing digital solutions to customers quickly, the speed at which the industry can move remains limited by traditional barriers such as a carrier’s organizational culture, regulation, and…
How the industry’s reputation is faring during COVID
November 3, 2020 by Adam MalikIn a spirited debate about the insurance industry’s reputation during the COVID-19 pandemic, an insurance industry researcher said one big reason why some consumers don’t trust insurance companies is because when they submit a claim, they’re treated as if they’re…