Western Financial Group appoints Jeff Burke president, CEO

Western Financial Group’s board of directors announced Thursday that Jeff Burke will be president effective Sept.1.

Burke will also assume CEO responsibilities on Jan.1, 2014, in the first leadership change in Western’s 17-year history. Company founder Scott Tannas will remain as CEO and work with Burke during the ransition period, Western said in a statement.

Tannas also will assume the new role of vice chairman and founder on Jan. 1 while concurrently serving as a Canadian senator. In his new role, Tannas will focus on governance, community relations, employee relations and provide counsel on acquisitions.

In addition to continuing to oversee Western’s network of insurance brokerages, Burke will lead all of Western’s core business units, including Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions, Western Financial Insurance Company (Petsecure) and Western Life Assurance.

Since 2012, Burke has served as president and CEO of Western Financial Group’s network of insurance brokerages, which includes more than 160 branches and affiliates from British Columbia through Manitoba, including Coast Capital Insurance Services and Falkins Insurance Group.

“Jeff has the vision and skills we need to increase our footprint in key markets,” added Tannas. “He has naturally embraced Western’s brand, which is built on our guiding principles of truthfulness, fairness, value and loyalty, and, during the last year, has demonstrated his ability to enhance the customer experience while increasing market share and profitability. I’m excited to work side-by-side with Jeff during the next phase of Western’s development.”

Burke has more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in both Canada and the United States. Before joining Western, he served as senior vice president at Allstate Canada Group leading the organization’s sales and marketing efforts. He has a B.A. from Bethany College, Kansas, and an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. 

“Jeff’s fresh perspective and ability to create and implement winning retail strategies make him an ideal candidate to lead Western as it refocuses on its core strength – its sales distribution network,” said Monique F. Leroux, chair of the board, president and CEO at Desjardins Group. “We thank Scott for all his achievements at the helm of Western and we look forward to his continued leadership and vision in his new role as vice chairman and founder.”

“I want to thank the Board and Scott for this exciting opportunity. Western is one of the largest and fastest growing insurance organizations because it has a well-defined business model, a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and a robust corporate culture,” said Burke. “I look forward to working with Scott and our leadership team as Western returns to its roots and focus on growing its insurance sales through our retail network. Together, we will achieve great things.”