New CEO in 2023 for Westland Insurance

Jamie Lyons will become the president and CEO of Westland Insurance Group effective Jan. 1, 2023, the brokerage announced Thursday.

Current CEO Jason Wubs will transition to the newly created role of vice chairman, head of mergers & acquisitions and strategic initiatives.

Lyons was promoted to president and chief operating officer of Westland in 2019. He joined Westland in 2016 as executive vice president of insurance, having spent the previous 13 years at Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd.

“Jamie has a deep knowledge of the industry landscape, strong business acumen, and exciting strategic perspectives that will help take Westland into this next chapter,” Wubs said in a press release. “As leaders, we all have a responsibility to think about the future and it’s critical that we plan now to create an organization that can be at the forefront of our industry for decades to come.”

Wubs has been Westland’s co-CEO, and then CEO, since 2009. During this time, he led Westland as it grew from a regional company to one of Canada’s largest national brokers with more than 2,300 employees and 200 offices coast-to-coast. In his new role, Wubs will focus on continuing to grow Westland through acquisitions, executing on organizational strategy, and cultural initiatives.

Acquisitions are a key part of Westland’s growth strategy. In September, Westland acquired Vancouver-based employment benefits firm Montridge Advisory Group and BST Insurance, a P&C brokerage based in Ontario.

Before this, Westland entered a new industry vertical and the U.S. market for the first time with the acquisition of Front Row Insurance Brokers, one of the largest film and entertainment insurance brokers in North America. A Canadian brokerage with U.S. operations, Front Row offers insurance for film production, music, theatre, live performance and commercial photographers.

Westland has made a number of acquisitions in 2022, including Ontario-based MCR Insurance, Walter Roberts Insurance, Stewart Insurance Brokers, Transure Insurance, Bunnell Hitchon Insurance Brokers, and Campbell, Roy & Eldridge Insurance Services. At the beginning of the year, it also acquired Calgary-based Rigby Insurance.

What strategies does Lyons have planned for Westland?

“When we speak about our strategy, we broadly refer to five key pillars – clients, employees, communities, partnerships and growth (organic and M&A),” Lyons told Canadian Underwriter. “Executing within these pillars includes becoming an even more national and diversified organization, prioritizing investments in technology and data, strengthening our rapidly expanding presence in commercial/specialty, creating leading edge and modern people practices, and further amplifying our commitment to our local communities.”

While brokers “continue to have a very privileged position in the value chain, especially in the Canadian market,” it can be strengthened, Lyons said. “There is a really exciting opportunity for brokers to drive even more innovative client experiences and solutions, while continuing to do what we do best – be great advisors, educators and advocates. People, technology and data will play an increasingly important role for brokers. As will scale and market relevance in a shifting and consolidating landscape.”