Moves and Views

1 With the amalgamation of the global Crawford Specialty markets group and the Global Technical Services (GTS) unit, Paul Hancock [1] will head the merged division in Canada, reports Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. The GTS unit “has expanded its service offerings to incorporate cyber risk, forensic accounting and environmental services, aviation and energy, and it has further broadened its marine and cargo services capabilities through the addition of highly qualified surveyors who possess extensive cargo and hull loss expertise,” Hancock says.

2 HUB International Limited has acquired the shares of Gamble & Associates Insurance Ltd., a brokerage with nine locations in southwestern Ontario. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. With the acquisition of Gamble & Associates, HUB Ontario doubles its offices in the province to 18 locations. Gamble & Associates president Barry Hogan [2] will become president of the new HUB Gamble division, as well as part of the HUB Ontario executive team. Gamble & Associates has offices in London, Sarnia, Chatham, St. Thomas, Wallaceburg, Forest, Ridgetown, Petrolia and Thamesville.

3 ClaimsPro has acquired Atlantic Canada-based Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. Fred Plant [3a], formerly president of the adjusting service, will serve as ClaimsPro’s senior vice president of operations, Atlantic Canada, working alongside Wayne Guy, the company’s vice president, Atlantic Canada. Plant Hope Adjusters has 11 offices and 42 adjusters operating in Atlantic Canada. The alliance with Plant Hope Adjusters, whose services include complete loss investigation, marine surveying and claims management for insurers, provides ClaimsPro with “important regional scale,” states ClaimsPro president Ross Betteridge [3b].

4 ALIGNED Insurance Inc. has acquired Precept Insurance & Risk Management Inc. Toronto-based ALIGNED Insurance, which sells commercial insurance, is “thrilled to add the entire Precept Insurance & Risk Management team and nearly 800 clients,” says Andrew Clark [4], president and chief executive officer. With offices in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, ALIGNED Insurance provides, among other commercial offerings, property, kidnap and ransom, auto, boiler and machinery, and various types of liability.

5 Jack Wilkinson [5], a member of The Co-operators Group Limited’s board, was elected president and chair of The Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) on June 18. Wilkinson is a former president of both the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Hazel Corcoran and Denis Richard will continue as vice-presidents of the CMC board.

6 Construction insurance broker and bond consultancy Petrela, Winter & Associates is joining the Navacord Inc. network. “As a Navacord partner, we will succeed as a bigger and stronger force in the insurance brokerage community, maintaining our entrepreneurial culture and autonomy, which is important to us,” says Gregory Petrela [6], president of Petrela, Winter & Associates. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Navacord was founded by Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc., Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers and Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

7 BMS Canada Risk Services Ltd. has launched Lions Gate Underwriting, a managing general agent. BMS Canada, a subsidiary of London-based BMS Group Ltd., will offer coverages, including war risk and terrorism, construction, liability, cyber and property. Shaun Johnston [7], chief operating officer of BMS Canada, has been appointed managing director of Lions Gate Underwriting.

8 Elliott Special Risks Ltd. has rebranded as Markel, the name of its parent firm, effective July 1. “By aligning our brand more closely with Markel International, we are able to further improve our capabilities and demonstrate to the Canadian market that we have grown from an MGA to a carrier,” says divisional managing director Karen Barkley [8]. Markel acquired Elliott Special Risks in 2009.

9 James Richardson & Sons Ltd. of Winnipeg reports it has agreed to acquire the shares of Wynward Insurance Group that it does not already own. Prior to the transaction, Richardson International owned 55% of Wynward Insurance. It was originally a joint venture of prairie grain elevator owners. “Our new ownership structure provides us with another opportunity to build upon our unique customer value proposition, reinforces our commitment to the broker channel, and enhances our competitive position in a very dynamic market,” says Darryl Levy, president and chief executive officer of Wynward Insurance.

10 Charles Taylor Adjusting (CTA) has opened a satellite office in Montreal. “There is a growing demand in Quebec for loss adjusters with the ability to handle large and complex losses,” says Michael Guy, CTA’s vice president, Toronto branch manager and senior loss adjuster. Pierre-Luc Thiffeault, a licensed adjuster in Quebec, will serve as the designated loss adjuster for the office. In Canada, CTA has offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and St. John’s.

11 Roar Engineering Inc., led by co-chief executive officers Michael Rochon and Vincent Rochon, has hired Barry Kozluk [11a] and Joseph Jakym [11b] as engineers. Kozluk has extensive experience establishing the cause of failures in structural concrete, steel framing and timber framing, and investigating construction-type failures related to large-loss incidents. Jakym, now a company partner who has been exposed to more than 1,000 accident reconstruction investigations, will manage Roar Engineering’s accident reconstruction department.

12 Kernaghan Adjusters Ltd. has named Carol Cheney [12] as corporate services manager, working from Kernaghan Adjusters’ head office in Vancouver. Cheney has more than 25 years of experience in the industry.