Ryan Michel appointed president and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and subsidiaries

Ryan Michel has been appointed to the position of president and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and subsidiary companies.

The appointment, effective Jan. 11, means that Michel succeeds outgoing president and CEO John O’Donnell, who has taken on a new role as a senior vice president, with Allstate Insurance Corporation in the U.S., Allstate said in a press release on Tuesday.

In his new role, Michel has reporting responsibility for the Allstate Corporation’s entities in Canada, which include the Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, Pembridge Insurance Company, Pafco Insurance Company and Ivantage Insurance Brokers. He will report to Tom Clarkson, ‎president, west territory at Allstate Insurance Corporation and the Allstate Canada board of directors. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada produces and distributes home and auto insurance products.

Michel (pictured right) originally joined Allstate Corporation in 1996 as an actuarial analyst, Allstate said in the release. He has since assumed positions of progressive responsibility within the corporation, focused primarily on product development, risk management and regulatory affairs. He moved to Allstate Canada’s leadership team in 2011 when he was appointed vice president and chief risk officer of enterprise risk management. In March 2014, Michel was promoted to senior vice president and chief risk officer and appointed an officer and vice president of the Allstate Insurance Corporation.

Michel brings an extensive knowledge of the marketplace to his new role, as well as the ability to drive results through strong relationships and integration, transparent communication and agility in leading through change, the release said. Michel has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and in business and economics from Wheaton College and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He’s also a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Michel is uniquely qualified to oversee the Canadian companies, providing continuity in leadership for the business and the organization’s 2,000-plus employees and agents. “This latest step in assuming leadership of Allstate’s Canadian operations will enable Mr. Michel to continue to further the company’s track record of success and profitability in a challenging environment,” the company said in the release.