What’s new: In brief (July 14, 2004)

Kingsway Financial Services has promoted Claude Smith to the role of vice president and chief information officer. Smith has been with the company four years, and most recently held the same titles with subsidiary Kingsway General Insurance. Kingsway Financial has also named Andrew Wright as assistant vice president, reinsurance and risk management. Wright is a 20 year veteran of the insurance industry, and replaces Simon Argent who has accepted a position overseas with a global reinsurance company.

Hub International’s TOS Insurance Services Ltd. has named Tina Osen as president and COO. Osen has been with the Burnaby, B.C.-based broker since 1991. While Osen already holds the COO title, she replaces Larry Lineker in the president’s role. Lineker has been named chief sales officer with Hub International.

A Canadian company has launched a $68 million lawsuit against two Italian companies who are accused of data piracy. Newfoundland-based Nautical Data International says C-Map USA Inc. and Navionics Inc. (U.S. branches of the Italian parent companies) are selling Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) maps, which NDI says it has an exclusive agreement with the Canadian government to digitally produce and sell. Each company is being sued in Canadian Federal Court for $68 million for the last three years of alleged infractions.