Moves (January 01, 2008)

Willis Group Holdings Limited is strengthening its presence in the Canadian energy sector by appointing Cees Van der Slikke to executive vice president of the company’s energy business in Canada. Van der Slikke will also serve as managing partner of Willis’ Calgary office. He will be working closely with Willis’ global energy senior management team to further the company’s profitable growth and client retention, in addition to working with the leadership of Willis Canada to ensure the Calgary office provides all available resources to clients and prospects. Prior to joining Willis in April 2006, Van der Slikke was the national business leader of energy at Aon in Calgary. There, he was responsible for the development and execution of the company’s growth strategy for their energy, oil and gas business.

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The Insurance Institute has re-designed and re-launched its Web site. The new site offers more information on the Institute’s programs and services; moreover, it makes the registration process more convenient by offering students and members the ability to sign up, pay and receive automatic confirmation online. “Initial feedback has been very positive,” said Carey-Ann Greenham, the Institute’s vice president of business development and communications. “Our members and students appreciate the simplicity and ease of being able to research, register and pay for courses and seminars all at once in the convenience of their own homes. It also allows those discovering the Insurance Institute for the first time to gain a more complete sense of who we are, what we offer and how we can help advance their career.” Members who update their online profiles by Mar. 1, 2008 have a chance to win a Cdn$100 gift certificate to The Keg, a car safety kit and a deluxe BBQ set. Visit www.insuranceinstitute.ca to explore the new offerings today.

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The Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) has pledged US$30,000 to the William H. McGannon Foundation. The Canadian foundation is dedicated to providing financial resources and career development opportunities to risk management students and practitioners. The funds provided by RIMS will go towards the development of risk and insurance management student enrichment programs and grants, a RIMS release reports. “As the leading association for risk professionals, RIMS feels an obligation to support and educate the next generation,” Janice Ochenkowski, RIMS president and managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., said in the release. “RIMS is impressed with the William H. McGannon Foundation’s dedication and successes in supporting risk management education, and we are confident this donation will be used to continue and expand the foundation’s fine work in supporting promising students in the discipline.” Joe Restoule, the president of the William H. McGannon Foundation and the risk management leader for NOVA Chemicals Corp, added: “The foundation is truly honored to receive recognition and support from the premier risk management association. This donation is testament to RIMS’ commitment to educating and advancing the next generation of risk professionals.”

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Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (TSX:KFS) announced its founder, William G. [Bill] Star, has retired from his position as Kingsway’s president and CEO. Shaun Jackson is Star’s successor. Star remains as chair of the board. “It is, of course, very difficult to step down from leadership of the company that I founded and was privileged to see grow successfully over many years,” Star commented in a statement. “But the time is right to make the transition. We have great leaders throughout the organization who I know will work together to ensure a strong future for the company and its shareholders.” Jackson has been with the company since 1995; most recently he served as the company’s senior vice president and chief financial officer. “Kingsway is a strong, entrepreneurial company with leadership talents at all levels of the organization and significant growth potential,” Jackson said of his appointment. “It has weathered many storms in a highly cyclical industry. I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead this next phase in the company’s evolution, working with the senior team to find new ways of continuing Kingsway’s tradition of growth and building shareholder value.”

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Giffin Koerth has added two new engineers to the roster — James Wheeler and Val Chlistovsky. “Both gentlemen bring our property division strong expertise and continue to fulfill Giffin Koerth’s desire to always improve our level of service to the insurance, construction, and legal industry,” the company notes.

Wheeler brings with him 22 years of experience in the electric and electronic engineering fields, most recently as a senior forensic electrical engineer with EFI Global in Phoenix, AZ. Chlistovsky brings 18 years of experience with him, most recently as approvals and quality engineer with Crown Food Service Equipment.

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Winifred “Wendy” Baker, who in 1990 became the first woman to lead a reinsurance company, stepped down after nine years as president of Lloyd’s America Inc. at the end of December 2007, A.M. Best has reported. Baker managed Lloyd’s offices in Montreal, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Kentucky and the Virgin Islands. Baker, who reportedly has stepped down to pursue other interests, has overseen corporate marketing and communications, broker development, distribution and compliance and regulatory issues in the Americas. A.M. Best notes the United States is Lloyd’s largest market, accounting for US$8.5 billion or around 40% of its business in 2004. Before joining Lloyd’s in 1998, Baker had a long career at Continental Corp., advancing to become president of Continental Re in 1990. She joined Minet Re North America, New York, as senior vice president in charge of developing new business opportunities for its reinsurance intermediary and retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations in North America. In a statement, Lloyd’s highlighted Baker’s “significant role” in greatly increasing the insurer’s U.S. market presence and leading American operations through difficult periods such as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the 2005 windstorms. A replacement for Baker will be announced “in due course,” Lloyd’s has announced.

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Aon Re Global Fac has launched a reinsurance private clients suite model consisting of facultative insurance professionals in 15 different locations around the world. This approach to global cedants is a component of the Aon Re Global’s Integrated Capital Solutions and Services strategy. “By offering the Private Clients Suite, we can focus on building strategic and consultative relationships with our clients, and be better positioned to create innovative and valuable facultative solutions for global cedants,” Elliot Richardson, CEO of Aon Re Global Fac, said in a statement. “This unique initiative creates a truly independent, local fac broker with unparalleled global reach.”

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PPG Canada Inc. and Keystone Automotive Industries have announced a new preferred vendor partnership. The partnership gives the PPG CertifiedFirst Network of collision repair centres access to the full package of Keystone products and services. “This is an excellent opportunity for our CertifiedFirst customers,” said Jeffery Murphy, the marketing programs manager of PPG Canada Inc. “Keystone offers a wide variety of aftermarket automotive parts. Being able to provide our customers with preferred access will be very beneficial to their business.”

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Coleen Volk has been appointed assistant superintendent, corporate services sector, with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). Most recently, Volk held the position of assistant deputy minister, corporate services branch with the Department of Finance. While there, she directed corporate services for Finance Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat, sitting on the executive management committ ees of both departments. Before joining the Department of Finance, Volk held several corporate finance positions at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), including deputy treasurer, treasurer, managing director, securitization and assistant vice president of finance and corporate services.

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The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) has launched a new feature of its online function, ‘Locate a Broker,’ which now allows consumers to search for a broker representing a specific insurance company. “Using a broker is all about having access to choice, and by expanding the search criteria on our web site, we are inviting consumers to find a local broker with a relationship and the expertise of dealing with an insurance company that they were familiar with,” IBAO operations manager Paul Taylor said in a press release. The Locate a Broker function is available at www.ibao.com. It enables consumers to find a broker through various search criteria such as location, keyword, type of insurance needed, broker name, and now, by insurance company represented. “Sometimes consumers prefer to use a certain insurance company because they’ve been satisfied with its products,” IBAO CEO Randy Carroll said in a press release. “For example, they move to a different city and need help finding out which local broker offers that company’s products. The new Locate a Broker function will give them access to that information within seconds.”