Westland Insurance Group has partnered with the Insurance Brokers Association of British Columbia (IBABC) to offer a new scholarship opportunity for women interested in post-secondary education.
The new Renate Mueller Trailblazer Scholarship was created in honour of Renate Mueller – a trailblazer in the insurance industry and IBABC’s first female president. Early in her career, Mueller earned a Chartered Accountant designation and became BC’s first female income tax fraud investigator with Revenue Canada. In 2001, she founded her own mergers and acquisitions firm, which she continued to run alongside her duties as IBABC president until she passed away on November 03, 2021.
“Renate was relentless in her pursuit of opportunities and opened a lot of doors for Westland; she helped our organization expand across BC and into Alberta,” Westland Insurance CEO Jason Wubs. “To me though, above all else, Renate was just a great human being and I look forward to seeing her legacy live on through this scholarship.”
“We are proud to honour Renate Mueller, IBABC's first female president, by managing this scholarship for Westland Insurance. This is such a fitting tribute to the adventurous, glass-ceiling breaking woman she was,” commented IBABC president Jessica Asano, adding that in the association’s 100-plus-years history, there have been only four women presidents. Mueller was the first to take the step, blazing a trail for the others who came after her, said Asano.
A company release said that the scholarship will be presented annually in the spring to a woman enrolled in a post-secondary program. Each recipient will receive an award of $2,500. To be eligible, applicants to the scholarship must show a “commitment to community service and a dedication to professional development,” Westland and IBABC said. The applicants must also share how they plan to promote the advancement of gender equity and support for women in business.
Earlier this week, Westland Insurance president and COO Jamie Lyons told Insurance Business in an interview that the company’s objective is to be Canada’s leading national independent insurance brokerage through M&A and organic growth.
Read more: Lifting the lid on Westland's M&A strategy
“There are a number of areas we look to enhance our business but, more importantly, we want to acknowledge the ways in which the business is changing. To some degree, it’s about positioning yourself to enjoy organic growth, said Lyons.
