Alexandra (Lexie) Kindbom | Marsh Canada

Alexandra Kindbom, Managing Director, Chief Client Officer, Risk Management and Corporate Segments, Marsh Canada

Alexandra (Lexie) Kindbom, managing director and chief client officer for the risk management and corporate segments at Marsh Canada, came to insurance by way of commercial litigation.

“I’m a lawyer by background, an insurance defense litigator,” Kindbom told Canadian Underwriter. “It was through that experience that I actually had my first contact with Marsh. [Their] brokers were involved in a claim for a significant aviation client and I saw first-hand the value that brokers can provide to clients when they have a claim.”

The experience had an impact on Kindbom, who made the made the transition from law to broking and Marsh Canada more than 20 years ago. “I really like helping clients to succeed,” she said. “Even if you have a good litigation result for a defendant client, they have still been through an adversarial process. I like being able to proactively assist clients with their business objectives, which is why I made the transition from private practice to being a broker.”

Kindbom joined Marsh Canada in 2003. For more than 16 years, she led its financial and professional services (FINPRO) claims advocacy practice. In that role, she provided advice on financial lines risk and insurance, helping Marsh clients navigate complex D&O claims and maximize their recovery under D&O insurance. “Financial lines really excites me because the issues are complex, and I really enjoy working with senior business leaders,” she said.

While in that role, for more than 10 years, Kindbom taught and designed content for the directors and officers liability and risk and insurance session of the directors education program (DEP) for the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), a not-for-profit, member-based organization representing directors and boards across Canada.

“The experience of regularly putting yourself out there and facilitating in front of that kind of audience, senior executives and directors from across Canada, was pivotal and helped me to grow as a professional,” she said. Kindbom credits her time teaching at the DEP with developing the skills and courage to take advantage of the leadership roles she’s had in the P&C insurance industry since.

In the summer of 2019, Kindbom left Marsh to lead a financial institutions (FI) team at another brokerage, where she provided financial lines and P&C advice and placement services to FIs across Canada.

“This role was a big step and steep learning curve for me,” she said. “I had to delve deeply into the FI industry, run a team and build a business. I moved from being a deep financial lines subject matter expert to identifying and providing insights and resources across the full spectrum of risk and insurance solutions for FI clients.”

Nearly two years later, Kindbom returned to Marsh Canada to a new role of chief client officer for the risk management and corporate segments, focusing on how Marsh Canada engages with commercial clients across the country.

Kindbom said she’s a passionate advocate for inclusion, diversity and belonging, and is the executive sponsor of Marsh Canada’s Inclusion & Diversity Council.

To bring more women into leadership roles, Kindbom said the P&C insurance industry needs to be intentional about diversity, equity and inclusion, and identifying and developing talent. She added the industry needs to intentionally provide diverse talent stretch roles and leadership opportunities.

“It’s really all about providing women and diverse talent the opportunity to stretch and grow and to become ready for that next position,” she said. “We need to be open in our thinking about people, their potential, and how they can advance our business and industry and intentionally provide opportunities for them.”