Monica Ningen, President, CEO, Swiss Re Canada and the English Caribbean Mentorship and sponsorship are key ways to bring women and diversity into the P&C insurance industry’s leadership positions, says Monica Ningen, president and CEO of Swiss Re’s Canada operations. …
Benaaz Irani, Vice President, Desjardins Agent Network If you were to ask Benaaz Irani, vice president of the Desjardins Agent Network, what helped her succeed as a P&C insurance industry executive, part of it would be the help from good…
Lorie Phair, President, Canadian Broker Network Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry still has a gap in terms of opportunities for women in middle management, but the overall prospects for career opportunities and development are looking positive, says Lorie Phair,…
Susan Penwarden, Chief Technical Underwriter, Aviva Canada Susan Penwarden has had a varied and robust career in insurance, living across five different countries and practicing insurance in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Canada. Before settling at Aviva, Penwarden started…
Chelsea Fitzpatrick, Vice-President of Operations, COO, Park Insurance Chelsea Fitzpatrick joined Park Insurance as a fresh graduate after receiving encouragement from Park’s President and CEO — her father. “There’s two sides of getting into insurance: you fall into it by…
Happy International Women’s Day, 2022. To commemorate the occasion, Canadian Underwriter has reached out to 20 women leaders in the P&C industry. We talked to them about how they got into the industry and what obstacles women may face while trying to…
Georgie Fleck, team manager, HRM and Central Nova Scotia, AA Munro Insurance At one point, Georgie Fleck decided to stop wearing a skirt to work for a couple of years. “And when I was asked about it, I did point…
Selena Fredericks, Chief Operating Officer, Nomadic Specialty Underwriting She was 25 years old and fresh in the insurance industry when an inappropriate conversation took place with a male peer at an industry conference. Selena Fredericks remembers that day well. She…
Monica Ningen, President, CEO, Swiss Re Canada and the English Caribbean Women at all stages of their careers in the insurance industry continue to face barriers such as higher performance standards, harsher judgement for mistakes than their male counterparts, and…
Fayeanne Beattie, chief financial officer, Gallagher Brokerage Canada For women entering the industry, finding that mentor is a key part of professional development and moving up the ranks, says a veteran P&C executive. “Having a really strong mentor system is…
Tina Gardiner, Manager, Risk Management Services, The Regional Municipality of York The experience left a sour taste in Tina Gardiner’s mouth. While with a different employer, Gardiner, who is currently the manager of risk services for York Region in Ontario,…
Karen Gavan, Swiss Re board of directors and former president, CEO of Economical Insurance To reach a leadership position in the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry, women leadership hopefuls need to develop and hone their financial literacy skills, the…