Moves and Views

1 Peace Hills Insurance recently announced the retirement of president and chief executive officer Diane Brickner [1a], who joined the company more than 30 years ago. Among others, Brickner is a member of the boards of the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation and the Insurance Bureau of Canada. As of January 1, 2015, Gene Paulsen [1b], vice president of underwriting and marketing, will take on duties as president and CEO. Paulsen has also worked for Kernaghan Adjusters, Manitoba Public Insurance, Guardian Insurance, RSA and Economical Insurance Group.

2 Peter Hancock [2], executive vice president of American International Group Inc., will replace Robert Benmosche as AIG’s president and chief executive officer as of September 1. Benmosche is expected to resign from the AIG Board of Directors and assume an advisory role. He will “continue to be involved in AIG’s internal leadership development programs, as well as mentor and coach AIG managers,” the company notes. Hancock, who joined AIG in 2010 after serving as vice chairman of KeyCorp, has held positions as CEO of AIG property casualty and as executive vice president of finance, risk and investments.

3 Cheryl Edmunson [3a] is Economical Insurance’s new vice-president of sales and distribution, British Columbia. Edmunson’s duties include oversight of managing general agent, Family Insurance Solutions Inc., with the recent retirement of Harry Kloosterhuis [3b], company president and chief executive officer. Before joining Economical, Edmunson was vice president, operations and underwriting at Canadian Northern Shield, and also worked at Aviva and ING Insurance Company of Canada (now Intact). Also at Economical, Graham Doerr [3c], vice president of sales and marketing for Family Insurance Solutions, was named its chief operating officer. And Chris Weber [3d], previously vice president of sales and distribution for Economical’s western region, has assumed duties as vice president of sales and distribution, Alberta and the Prairies. Weber has held several roles, including vice president of analytics, since joining the company in 2001. At the Board of Directors level, John Bowey, vice-chair of Economical’s board and chair of the company’s demutualization committee; Elizabeth DelBianco, who joined the board in March 2013; Barbara Fraser, who joined the board last December; and Karen Gavan, president and chief executive officer of the company since June 2011, recently were elected to the board for three-year terms.

4 EGI Financial Holdings Inc. has completed the purchase, from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), of a 75% interest in Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island, which writes auto, home and commercial insurance through brokers in PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. SGI – which writes insurance in Alberta and Manitoba through SGI Canada and in Ontario through Coachman Insurance Company – previously noted it “plans to redirect resources to strengthen focus on Ontario and Western Canada.” EGI Financial Holdings writes non-standard auto and other specialty insurance in Canada through Echelon General Insurance Company.

5 The Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Canada, part of Hartford Steam Boiler and Inspection Company, recently announced David Pivato [5a] is now vice president, Dave Picot [5b] is chief operating officer and corporate secretary, and Mark Moore [5c] is chief financial officer and vice president. The new role for Pivato, a professional engineer, “reflects expanded responsibility for supporting the underwriting of new products” and renewable energy, notes HSB BI&I. Picot will oversee the company’s commercial brokerage business through its national network of branch and regional offices, and its reinsurance assumed business and new strategic products. Moore, a chartered accountant, has held a number of senior management roles within the insurance industry.

6 Maeve Davis [6] has been named Granite Claims Solutions’ new executive vice president, national customer solutions. “Maeve’s tenure in the industry has provided her with key insights on how best to serve Granite’s national and global customer base,” says Michael Holden, president and chief executive officer of Granite Claims Solutions. Davis’s LinkedIn profile notes she has previously worked at American International Group Canada as vice president of national accounts, sales and marketing, at Crawford & Company and at Marsh Inc.

7 Property restoration firm R.D. Steele of Brockville, Ontario has joined DKI Canada, whose services include water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning and mould remediation. R.D. Steele has provided restoration services in several eastern Ontario communities for 35 years.

8 Information technology vendor Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) reports Kevin Deveau [8], managing director of FICO Canada, will lead the Canadian operations. FICO’s offerings include software to detect insurance claims fraud. Before joining FICO Canada, Deveau was chief operating officer at ICOD Inc.

9 Paul McDonnell [9] is now a partner in the insurance and tort liability group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. McDonnell “brings extensive experience in fire-related litigation in major property losses, products liability, forestry, construction law, municipal liability and commercial host liability in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario,” the firm notes.

10 Wintrust Financial Corporation, through subsidiary First Insurance Funding of Canada, has acquired the shares of Policy Billing Services Inc. and Equity Premium Finance Inc., two affiliated Canadian insurance premium funding and payment services companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Both organizations will offer the same service and products during the transition.