Former Canadian Airlines CEO to head up ICBC

British Columbia’s public insurer has found a new president and CEO following the retirement of Thom Thompspon. Kevin Benson, former head of Canadian Airlines will assume the post at the beginning of the new year.The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) announces the appointment as it heads into perhaps its most difficult period, with private insurers vying to compete for auto insurance in the province. While the new Liberal government had expressed its support for opening up the auto insurance market, no announcement has been made on when, or even if, this will happen.Benson brings a diverse resume to the job, including four years at the helm of Canadian Airlines, as president of the Pattison Group, and between 1977 and 1995, several senior positions including president and CEO at Trizec Hahn. He is a chartered accountant and a graduate of Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa.”I am delighted that we have been able to recruit one of Canada’s most recognized business executives to lead ICBC at this time,” says ICBC chair Nick Geer. “Certainly, his experience at Canadian, dealing with critical regulatory, financial and human resource issues, all the while in the public eye, positions him well for success here at ICBC.”Geer is acting CEO of ICBC until Benson comes on board on January 1.