Echelon appoints new president

Two months to the day that regulators approved CAA Club Group’s acquisition of Echelon Insurance, Robin Joshua has been named the new president of Echelon Insurance.

CAA Club Group acquired Echelon Insurance, a specialty insurer, from Echelon Financial Holdings for $166-million on May 31. The move allowed CAA Club Group to expand into non-standard auto, property and commercial insurance.

Joshua will move into the newly-created role of president of Echelon Insurance as of Aug. 1. He will report to Matthew Turack, group president of Echelon, CAA Insurance and Orion Travel Insurance.

In an announcement released Wednesday, Echelon said Joshua will oversee the strategic direction and development of its business. He will work with the management team to provide specialty insurance solutions through its network of broker partnerships, per the company’s mandate, a role he is excited to take on.

“We are going to build on Echelon’s strengths, its products and relationships with brokers, by introducing new technologies to streamline the way we do business,” Joshua told Canadian Underwriter.

He was already part of the CAA family, having been responsible for business development and risk management for both CAA Insurance and Orion.

“We created this dedicated president role to guide Echelon into its next phase,” Turack told Canadian Underwriter. “With his knowledge of the specialty insurance industry, and connection to the CCG family, Robin Joshua was an ideal fit to lead Echelon.”

He was responsible for business development and risk management for both CAA Insurance and Orion. Holding both Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designations, he’s held senior leadership roles in underwriting, operations, finance and distribution.

“Robin is a seasoned and dynamic leader, with nearly 35 years of insurance industry experience,” Turack said in a statement. “He has a demonstrated track record of contributing to growth and profitability both in personal and commercial lines, as well as extensive experience in the specialty insurance market.”

Serge Lavoie served as president of Echelon Insurance when it was still part of Echelon Financial Holdings. He stayed with the parent company following the closing of the sale as part of an agreement between CAA, Echelon Financial and Lavoie.

The CAA Club Group of Companies includes CAA Insurance Company as well as CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba, which are affiliated with the Canadian Automobile Association.