Renowned independent broker returns to the big stage with a new brokerage
March 13, 2019 by David GambrillA big name in Manitoba’s independent brokerage community, Peter Leipsic, is making a return to the scene as a senior partner at a new brokerage called Dimensions Insurance Management Inc. He was executive vice president at Horizon Insurance (the province’s…
The strategy behind BrokerLink’s latest acquisitions
March 12, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf you run a brokerage in Ontario, Alberta or Atlantic Canada and there is no BrokerLink in your town, there soon could be. Intact Financial Corp.’s BrokerLink unit has closed seven brokerage acquisitions since Jan. 1, said Paul Meyer, BrokerLink’s…
Zurich Canada names new head of property
March 11, 2019 by David GambrillYvonne Steiner has been named head of property for Zurich Canada. She will be a member of the Zurich Canada executive team and report to Zurich Canada CEO Saad Mered, effective Apr. 15. “We are very excited to have a…
What hard market in liquor liability means for clients
March 11, 2019 by Greg MeckbachClients planning St. Patrick’s Day celebrations may find themselves short on luck when it comes to insurance coverage. It’s becoming more difficult for clients to get insurance for liquor-related losses with the terms they need, one managing general agent observes.…
How to sell commercial coverage to small businesses
March 8, 2019 by Jason ContantBrokers looking to sell commercial coverage to small businesses need to keep it simple, fast and client-specific, industry professionals told Canadian Underwriter Thursday. Sometimes when buzzwords like artificial intelligence, blockchain and chatbots dominate the conversation, the cart comes before the…
Brokerlink acquires family-owned brokerage in Alberta
March 8, 2019 by David GambrillBrokerLink has welcomed into its tent a 40-year-old family brokerage located in the Peace River area of northern Alberta. Nicolet Insurance Ltd., a full-service operation offering auto, home, business and travel insurance, has joined Brokerlink, one of Canada’s largest property…
Wawanesa’s plan to innovate at scale
March 7, 2019 by Jason ContantHaving a flexible and accommodating schedule is key to incorporating innovation into an organization, the director of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company’s Innovation Outpost said recently. Last June, Wawanesa opened its Innovation Outpost lab in Kitchener, Ont. One of the first…
Gallagher to buy Jardine Lloyd Thompson’s aerospace operations
March 4, 2019 by Greg MeckbachArthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced Monday it has agreed to buy the global aerospace operations of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc. If the deal goes through, about 250 JLT employees worldwide would join Gallagher. Monday’s announcement comes six months…
Why the insurance industry needs a “killer use case” for blockchain
February 28, 2019 by Jason ContantThe insurance industry needs a “killer use case” for blockchain that all stakeholders can agree on before moving forward with more widespread adoption, a speaker suggested Wednesday at the Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference. “I think we are still on that journey…
What real-time, broker-carrier connectivity might cost
February 27, 2019 by David GambrillNinety insurance companies working with Ontario’s broker channel would be looking at a total investment of $4 billion over five years to conform to the CSIO XML standards required for an industry-wide, real-time data exchange solution between brokers and carriers.…
These three work tasks make the most sense to automate
February 26, 2019 by Jason ContantIf you’re looking to automate at your brokerage or insurance company, scrutinize specific tasks, not entire jobs, recommends a blog from Harvard Business Review. There are three fundamental work characteristics that lend themselves to automation: Repetitive vs. variable work –…
NFP Corp acquires Ontario P&C brokerage
February 20, 2019 by David GambrillNFP Corp., a global insurance brokerage and consultant, has acquired Ontario-based property and casualty brokers Mass Insurance Brokers Limited and Easyway Insurance Brokers Inc (collectively known as Mass). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. NFP announced the deal, which…