The day that insurance industry professionals in Canada have been waiting for has come and gone. On November 19, the Insurance Business Awards recognized the top performers in the industry across key categories, and while the event may have looked different than in the past, with the awards ceremony going virtual, attendees brought all of the same energy to the big day.
For 2020, the event also featured expert panels and sessions made up of top Canadian insurance leaders, who came together to address some of the major topics on the minds of the industry today, giving participants even more to be excited about this year. Professionals signed on from coast to coast to get access to career advice from industry trailblazers, insights on top brokerages’ successes, and the opportunities that leading innovators see in the marketplace, to name just a few of the panel and session topics.
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The awards presentations meanwhile covered companies and leaders from across the insurance industry, with winners in 20 categories. The event was produced by Key Media – the organization behind Insurance Business magazine and insurancebusinessmag.com.
Winners included Northbridge Insurance, which took home the P&C Insurer of the Year award. Lambert Morvan, COO of Northbridge, accepted the prize and gave kudos to the company’s broker partners.
“At Northbridge, we’re proud to be a leading Canadian insurer for Canadian businesses and we’re honoured to be recognized as the P&C Insurer of the Year,” he said. “Working with the country’s top brokers we provide small businesses with solutions that are fast, simple, and flexible, and use our deep industry expertise to support larger businesses operate more safely. We believe that our superior broker service … really sets up apart.”
Another winner was Sharp Insurance, which won the DSB Claims Solutions Award for Brokerage of the Year (10 Staff or More). “Thank you, Insurance Business Canada, for [this award],” said Sherif Gemayel, Sharp president. “It validates all of the hard work we’ve put in, from the time we were a small brokerage to who we are today.”
Without further ado, here is the full list of winners from the 2020 IB Awards:
Business Development Manager of the Year
Diana Vardy - Travelers Canada
Insurance Industry Employer of Choice
Crawford & Company (Canada), Inc.
P&C Insurer of the Year
Northbridge Insurance
The Advocis Award for Life & Health Insurer of the Year
Canada Protection Plan
The Armour Insurance Award for MGA of the Year
APRIL Canada
The Burns & Wilcox Canada Award for Big Brokerage of the Year
Archway Insurance
The CNA Canada Award for Excellence in Philanthropy & Community Service
Canada Life
The DSB Claims Solutions Award for Brokerage of the Year (10 Staff or More)
Sharp Insurance
The Empire Life Award for Life & Health Advisor of the Year
Salini Uthirakumaran - Sun Life Financial
The FIRST Insurance Funding of Canada Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Insurance Industry
Sharon Ludlow - Corporate Director
The Insurance Business Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best Advertising Campaign
APOLLO Exchange
The Insurance Business Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best Service Provider
Applied Systems Canada
The LowestRates.ca Award for CEO of the Year
Sukhdeep Kang - Armour Insurance Brokers Ltd.
The PAL Insurance Brokers Award for Young Achiever of the Year
Danielle Tkachyk - Savante Insurance Inc.
The Steamatic Canada Award for Woman of Distinction
Jacinta Whyte - Ecclesiastical Insurance
The Travelers Canada Award for Brokerage of The Year (Fewer Than 10 Staff)
Apex Surety & Insurance Ltd.
The Versature Award for Digital Innovator of the Year
Insurego Brokers Inc.
The Winmar Award for Excellence in Claims Service
DSB Claims
Underwriter of the Year
Emily Thompson - Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company
