Moves & Views (May 01, 2009)

1 Don Forgeron [1] is taking over the helm as IBC’s new president and CEO. “I speak for the entire board of directors when I say I am delighted with today’s announcement,” said IBC board chairman Rowan Saunders, who is also president and CEO of RSA. “We conducted an exhaustive search for a leader with a passion for our industry and the right vision for its future. The search committee was impressed by the quantity and quality of applicants, specifically in terms of their backgrounds and their capacities for leadership at a senior level. From their ranks, Don emerged as the clear choice.” IBC’s board unanimously approved the selection of Forgeron, who immediately assumed the post. Forgeron has an extensive background in government relations. He is currently the organization’s vice president of Ontario. Prior to that, he was IBC’s vice president of the Atlantic region for 15 years. Forgeron has held leadership roles in IBC’s insurance fraud division and has managed an array of national files, including availability of insurance for the commercial and not-for-profit sectors and rate regulation reform across the country.

2 Carla Blackmore, director of commercial programs at Zurich North America Canada, retired as of Apr. 30, 2009. Blackmore joined Zurich in 1975. Her career spanned many areas of the organization: she was a commercial regional manager and had experience in the organization’s sales and marketing and Canada segments, where she was most recently a programs manager. Blackmore has been an avid volunteer throughout her career, particularly with the Ontario chapter of the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) and the Starlight Insurance Gala.

3 Kingsway Financial Services Inc. has appointed Colin Simpson [3] as president and CEO. Serge Lavoie has been appointed president and CEO of Kingsway’s business in Canada. Simpson was previously the chief operating officer and executive in charge of the company’s transformation program. Lavoie has served as president and CEO of Jevco for the past two years and has been with the company for 12 years. The appointments follow an announcement in early February that the company would be consolidating Kingsway Financial’s operations in Canada into a single operating unit. Immediately after its annual shareholders meeting, Larry J. Swets resigned as a director, paving the way for Joe Stilwell, principal of the Stilwell Group, to be appointed as a director.

4 Cunningham Lindsey Canada Claims Services Ltd has added two new members to its business development team. Ami Barilla [4a] was appointed director of sales and marketing for the western region. Andrew Rayner [4b] joined Cunningham Lindsey as the director of sales and marketing. “Both Ami and Andrew have proven abilities to de- velop sales potential in new market areas while growing existing market share,” said Albert Poon, CL’s vice president of strategic business development and claims management services.

5 Supreme Collision has committed to being a National Sponsor at the Platinum Level of the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC). This is the first time a collision repair centre has committed to being a major WICC sponsor, according to Jean Faulkner, WICC Ontario board co-chair. “As an organization we have always supported a variety of charities within our respective communities,” Marty Reddick [5], president of Supreme Collision, said in a release. “It was important for Supreme Collision to support a charity that touched people of all ages and helped to reduce their suffering and still allow them to retain their dignity.”

6 York Fire & Casualty Insurance Company has appointed Martin Delage [6] to be its president and chief operating officer. “Delage is very familiar with York Fire,” the company said in a press release. “He has been a key player as the liaison between York Fire and La Capitale General Insurance Company since La Capitale’s purchase of York Fire in October 2008.” Delage joined La Capitale in 1992 and has held progressive leadership positions in the areas of human resources and operations. Most recently he was vice president of strategic operations at La Capitale. In addition, York Fire announced the appointment of Dave Smiley as York Fire’s vice president of operations. Smiley has almost 20 years of extensive insurance experience, spanning underwriting (personal and commercial lines), business development and marketing, including senior management positions based in Ontario and Alberta.

7 Claudine Davoodi has been appointed director of claims operations in Montreal for Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. Additionally, Richard Viau has been appointed director of Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.’s global technical services division in Quebec. Davoodi will have operational responsibility for the claims operations in Montreal and will assist in leading and directing the growth and market strategies. She has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and spent the majority of the past 15 years in senior claims management operations roles in both Ontario and Quebec. Viau has also qualified as a global technical services executive general adjuster. He has more than 35 years of claims and operational management experience. Licensed in all lines, he has particular expertise in commercial and industrial property losses.

8 SCM Insurance Services Inc. and CEO Larry Shumka have received the ‘Company of the Year’ award from the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC). “This is a tremendous honour,” said Shumka “To receive this award from my peers, many of whom have outstanding accomplishments and achievements themselves, means a lot to me and to all of the employees of SCM.” Owned by the City of Edmonton, EEDC is a unique, autonomous company responsible for marketing Greater Edmonton’s economic opportunities to the world.

9 Totten Insurance Group Inc. has acquired Norac Intermediaries. Norac is an intermediary specializing in the placement of casualty business for brokers in the province of Quebec. Norac/Totten will now have enhanced markets, higher binding limits and new and broader liability facilities, both international and domestic, according to a release. “This joining of forces will also enable Totten to provide expanded casualty insurance offerings to the 2,000 brokers they deal with across Canada.”