Moves & Views (February 01, 2011)

Wendy Hillier has joined Intact Financial Corporation as vice president of procurement and claims supply chain. Hillier has held several key management positions with major insurance companies and has worked with all aspects of claims operations, including setting up high-performing supplier networks.

Cunningham Lindsey Canada has appointed 11 new regional managers and four new Ontario branch managers. The regional managers include:• Andrew Hernandez, regional manager for British Columbia;• Allan S. Tole, regional manager for the Prairies;• Paul Robertson, regional manager for Northern Ontario;• Mike Alwyn, regional director of the Greater Toronto Area;• Dan Buch, regional manager for East Ontario;• Edward J. O’Hearn, regional manager for Southwest Ontario;• Geneviève Beaulieu, regional manager for Gatineau region;• Richard Cuende, regional manager of the Quebec City region;• Sylvie Dorion, regional manager of the Montreal Region;• Larry Hay, regional manager of the Atlantic region; and• Roger Persad, regional manager for Claims Management Services (CMS) and national accounts.The Ontario branch manager appointments include:• Rick Bahen, branch manager of the Newmarket office;• Shelley Glover, branch manager of the Ottawa office;• Rod Greyling, manager of the commercial risk division at the Mississauga head office; and• Hector Palma, manager of the Barrie office.

Forensic Investigations Canada Inc. (FIC) has acquired Mustang Investigations Inc. “We’re very excited by the coming together of our two companies,” says FIC president Corey Smith. The combined organization – to be operated as Forensic Investigations Canada – will continue to employ both teams. “By combining our organizations’ geographical, service, and technology strengths, we’re now able to offer even greater value to clients across Canada,” the FIC says in a press release

Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. and The North Waterloo Farmers Mutual have launched Crawford’s Contractor Connection program at North Waterloo. Contractor Connection provides insurers with a managed repair network for residential and commercial property claims programs in the Canadian insurance marketplace. The program provides indemnity management and all facets of the repair are tracked and managed in real-time on a management system. “We are looking forward to working with Crawford Contractor Connection to provide our customers with access to a credentialed contractor network with service and performance standards that improve the overall claims experience,” said Geoff Bean, property claims team leader at North Waterloo Farmers Mutual.

Jody W. Ickovitz has been admitted to the partnership of Gilbertson Davis Emerson LLP, a Toronto-based insurance law firm. Ickovitz articled with the firm in 2006-07 and joined as an associate upon his call to the Bar in 2007. He is active in the civil litigation section of the Ontario Bar Association as technology liaison. He holds a B.Sc (Eng.) in mathematics and engineering (Hons.) and a Juris Doctor, both from Queen’s University.

Aviva Canada Inc. has announced 10 recipients of its second Aviva Community Fund competition.The competition awards a total of $1 million to diverse local projects in communities across the country. The winners of the 2010 Aviva Community Fund include Capital City Condors (Kanata, ON); Crystal Bay Yard Improvement (Ottawa, ON); Deamcoat! The Joy is Contagious (North Bay, ON); Dream Playground (Rexton, NB); Northwest Territories SPCA Northern Community Animal Shelter (Yellowknife, NWT); Playground Activity Area (Essex, ON); Playground Legacy-100 Years in the Community (Vancouver, BC); The Hill of Dreams (Tillsonburg, ON); Therapeutic Garden (Cleveland, PQ); and Supporting families affected by cancer (Oshawa, ON). The broker-supported idea earning support outside of the $1 million in funding went to ‘A Well Connected Knowledge Centre’ in Ottawa, Ontario. In association with Smith Petrie Carr and Scott Insurance Brokers Ltd., “The Well” will use the funding to provide a knowledge hub at a drop-in centre for women and children.

GrowthWorks Atlantic Venture Fund has made a $1-million investment in ClearRisk Inc., which provides Web-based risk management solutions for the insurance industry and small- to medium-sized enterprises. Based in Newfoundland and Labrador, ClearRisk will use proceeds from the financing to ramp up their sales initiatives. “ClearRisk is delighted tobe partnering with GrowthWorks,” said Craig Rowe, president and CEO of ClearRisk. “We have an established product embraced by the market and an excellent team, but current demand is starting to outpace our capacity. With this capital we will be well positioned to pursue significant growth.”

Totten Insurance Group Inc. (Totten), one of Hub International Limited (Hub)’s wholesale insurance brokerage operations, has acquired the assets of CULE Insurance. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The CULE operations will become part of Totten’s Toronto office. CULE President Ken Rayner will be joining the senior leadership team of Totten. CULE (Canadian Underwriters for Licensed Establishments) is an insurance brokerage wholesaler, located in Toronto, that works with more than 100 brokers in Ontario, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada. In a press release, Hub said CULE’s “commitment to serving retail brokers within the entertainment, hospitality and surplus lines property industries will now be expanded to offer the full range of products offered by Totten, including professional liability, environmental, specialty personal lines, protective services and larger limits in both property and casualty.

CARSTAR Collision Centre’s social media campaign to raise funds for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has caught the eye of Canadian songstress Celine Dion. For every “like” CARSTAR Collision Centres receives on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/carstarcanada), the company will donate $1 to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. If the page receives 10,000 “likes,” president and CEO Sam Mercanti will donate an additional $5,000. To date, the company has collected more than 9,000 likes, catching the attention of Celine Dion. An official blog post on Dion’s Web site encourages fans to “like” the CARSTAR page. “Celine is one of the biggest supporters of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” said Lisa Mercanti-Ladd, assistant vice president of marketing and client services at CARSTAR. “We are thrilled and honoured that she is assisting us in our campaign. With her help, and the help of all of those who have been affected by cystic fibrosis, we know we can reach our goal.”

Elliott Special Risks LP (ESR), a Markel International company, has opened an office in Vancouver, B.C. The B.C. office will be home to Elliott’s newest member of the team, Glenn Minnis. ESR operates across Canada with offices in Toronto, Montreal and now Vancouver. In existence for 45 years, ESR was acquired by Markel International on Oct. 1, 2009 and underwrites on behalf of Lloyd’s Syndicate 3000.

Andy Hall is returning to CNA Financial Corporation as branch vice president of its Seattle office. Hall joined CNA in 1990, and held a number of branch and leadership positions, eventually serving as the president and chief operating officer of CNA Canada. He left CNA in 2008 and joined GCAN Insurance Company as a senior vice president. While at GCAN,he was responsible for the leadership and management of its Western Canada region, encompassing two branchoffices and $98 million of gross written premium.