Red River Mutual has announced the appointment of Chad Friesen (pictured) as the new chair of its board of directors.
Friesen succeeds Garth Reimer, who has led the board since 2018. He was vice president of sales & marketing of Red River Mutual from 2009 to 2014. He later rejoined the company in 2018 as a board director and served on several committees, including investment & personnel, governance & nominations, and audit & risk.
In addition to his role at Red River Mutual, Friesen serves as the CEO of Friesens Corporation, an employee-owned company serving the trade book, yearbook, packaging, and self-publishing sectors.
Friesen’s qualifications include an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, diplomas in business administration and graphic arts, as well as a certificate in management from the University of Winnipeg. He remains actively engaged in advocating for employee ownership as a Steering Committee member for the Canadian Employee Ownership Coalition. He also serves as a director on the Business Council of Manitoba.
Commenting on his appointment, Freisen stressed his commitment to Red River Mutual’s values and history.
“I’m proud to be a part of Red River Mutual, a great company that has offered protection and peace-of-mind to so many families since 1875,” he said. “While the needs of homeowners, businesses, and farms have evolved over that time, a constant has been Red River Mutual’s commitment to providing great insurance products that meet the changing needs of our customers.
“As a mutual company, we have a unique relationship with our customers and with the community, which allows us to think about our business differently than publicly traded companies – balancing financial performance with a focus on improving the lives and stories of our stakeholders.”
Brenda Gibson, president & CEO of Red River Mutual, also congratulated Friesen on his new role and highlighted the significance of his expertise.
“As we continue to grow and adapt, we are excited to work with our new Board Chair, Chad Friesen, and our Board of Directors to move our company vision forward,” said Gibson. “Chad possesses a wealth of perspective on Red River Mutual’s history that will be hugely beneficial to myself and the rest of our senior leadership team.”
In July, Red River Mutual announced the winners of its Spruce Up Your Story community sponsorship program. It awarded 10 communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan more than $150,000 to improve community spaces.
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