Burns & Wilcox’s new president in Canada

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include information from Burns & Wilcox

 

Jodie Kaufman Davis has been promoted to expanded leadership roles, including president of Burns & Wilcox Canada.

“Jodie is the first-ever president of Burns & Wilcox Canada,” the company tells Canadian Underwriter. “With this position, she will continue to have full operational leadership over the business unit. The title change reflects the leadership role and responsibilities Jodie has absorbed and the business performance/success over the years.”

H.W. Kaufman Group, a global network of insurance companies, announced Apr. 7 Kaufman Davis had been appointed president of Burns & Wilcox Canada, executive vice president of H.W. Kaufman Group and chief strategy office of Atain Insurance Companies.

Based in Farmington Hills, Mich., Atain offers a variety of coverages, including commercial property, general liability, inland marine, and professional liability, among others.

Before her promotion, Kaufman Davis served as managing director of Burns & Wilcox Canada and senior vice president of H.W. Kaufman Group.

As part of her expanded leadership roles and responsibilities, Kaufman Davis will continue to oversee operations at Burns & Wilcox Canada’s six office locations in Toronto, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John’s and Vancouver. Burns & Wilcox Canada offers more than 300 specialty insurance products.

“Under her leadership, the Burns & Wilcox Canada team has consistently delivered record-breaking growth and results over the past six years – a testament to her impact on the business’ success and reputation in the market,” the privately held family business H.W. Kaufman Group said in a press release.

Burns & Wilcox tells Canadian Underwriter that, on average, the annual gross written premium for Burns & Wilcox Canada increased 31% each year since 2014 for a total of nearly seven times the 2014 GWP. Under Kaufman Davis, Burns & Wilcox Canada also:

• Expanded commercial insurance capabilities in western Canada, specifically in Vancouver and Calgary.
• Expanded its organizational footprint across the country, with associates currently working in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Montreal, St. John’s, Halifax, New Brunswick/Nova Scotia, Ottawa and Toronto.
• Grew its Canadian workforce from 25 (in 2014) to more than 110 associates (present day).
• Completed four strategic acquisitions since 2014
• Finished 2021 securing overall income growth of nearly 20%. In that same year, the company also experienced growth in sectors such as professional, environmental, construction and marine lines.
• In Q1 2022, Burns & Wilcox Canada finished March as its second-best month ever and posted its third consecutive record month.

In addition to her responsibilities for Burns & Wilcox Canada, Kaufman Davis’ duties also include:

• As executive vice president and board member at H.W. Kaufman Group, Kaufman Davis helps implement strategy and management-driven initiatives, offering direction on best practices and expertise to globally expand business partnerships, teams, and product lines.
• For Atain, she will continue to work closely with the leadership team to identify emerging markets – such as energy and cannabis – where it can successfully deploy capacity and elevate its business.
• Kaufman Davis remains responsible for the growth of RB Jones, a Kaufman subsidiary and provider of specialty risk coverage solutions for business such as commercial marine, energy, and property.

Passionate about culture and empowering associates to bring their authentic selves to work, Kaufman Davis is also the executive sponsor for Kaufman’s diversity equity & inclusion initiative. She helps strategize and implement programming for its 2,000+ associates, reinforcing their commitment to ensuring an inclusive workforce.

“I look forward to expanding my leadership role and taking on new challenges within our H.W. Kaufman Group companies,” says Kaufman Davis. “When I took on managing Burns & Wilcox Canada, we found our efforts for driving business and talent performance flourished, and we want to cultivate that same result into Atain Insurance Companies, RB Jones and across all Kaufman Companies globally.”