A recent roundtable sponsored by DAS brought together some industry leaders to discuss the value of specialty insurance coverage, and how brokers can better risk-proof their clients. This is the third and final part of the series.
Moderating the discussion was Bob Dempsey, the Retired President and COO of The Guarantee; with Patricia St.-Jean, Vice President, Commercial Insurance of Desjardins; Mike George the President, CEO and Co-Founder of Trisura; Andrew Burke, CEO, DAS UK; Barbara Haynes, CEO and President of DAS Canada; Anna McCrindell, Vice President, Underwriting for Gore Mutual Insurance Company; and providing the broker perspective, Igal Mayer, Co-Chairman and CEO of RDA Inc.
Biographies:
Andrew Burke
CEO of DAS UK
Andrew joined DAS in 2015 as the Executive Director responsible for the international business before being appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer that same year. Andrew is a strong leader with extensive experience in the insurance industry both in the UK and internationally. Prior to joining DAS Andrew held several management positions at RSA Group including being the CEO of Central & Eastern Europe and The Middle East.
Robert Dempsey
Retired President and COO of The Guarantee Company of North America
In 2006, Bob was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of the Guarantee Company of North America working from their Head Office. In 2001 and 2003, the Guarantee Company of North America expanded their operations into the United States of America with the acquisition of two regional surety companies, which Bob was the President as well. Bob is a past secretary of the Municipal Engineers Association, past President of the Ontario Good Roads Association, past director of the Ontario Road Builders Association and the Canadian Construction Association. Bob has been a director of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and is the past President of the International Surety Association.
Mike George
President, CEO and Co-founder of Trisura Guarantee.
Trisura Guarantee is a leading Canadian specialty lines insurance company with offices in 6 locations across Canada. Trisura commenced operations in 2006, and prior to starting the company, Mike led the front line operations and served on the board of a large multi-national insurer. Mike is active with the senior executive council of the Surety Association of Canada, the Council of Champions with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada and the organizing committee of the annual Executive Sleep Out for Covenant House in Toronto. Mike graduated with an Honours BSc from McMaster University in 1986.
Barbara Haynes
CEO & President of DAS Canada
As the first President and CEO of DAS Legal Protection Insurance Company Limited, (DAS Canada) Barbara was responsible first for the launch and now the ongoing development of DAS Canada. Barbara has worked in the insurance industry for more than 25 years; her extensive background and experience includes underwriting management, sales leadership, marketing and operations both with insurers and brokers. Legal expense insurance creates greater access to justice, and we are proud to be leading that market here.
Anna McCrindell:
Vice President, Underwriting, Gore Mutual Insurance Company
Anna leads the Commercial and Personal Lines teams in Ontario and British Columbia. She earned her Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of Toronto. Anna holds her CIP and CRM and is currently working towards completing her FCIP and MBA. With over 20 years of commercial underwriting experience, Anna is also a Board Member of the Insurance Institute of Southwestern Ontario.
Igal Mayer
Co-Chairman and CEO of RDA Insurance
Mr. Igal Mayer is an accomplished executive in financial services for over 25 years. He is currently Co-Chairman and CEO of RDA Insurance. Previously, Mr. Mayer held various positions at Aviva plc over 23 years, including main board Executive Director , CEO Aviva Europe, CEO Aviva North America, CEO Aviva UKGI and, CEO Aviva Canada. Prior to this Mr. Mayer was CFO at Canadian General Insurance where he led the management buyout and successful sale of the company with New York private equity specialist KKR as its sponsor. Mr. Mayer is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Accountant and resides in Toronto Canada.
Patricia St. Jean:
Vice President, Commercial Insurance of Desjardins General Insurance Group
The mission of Desjardins General Insurance Group (DGIG) is to provide a range of property and casualty (P&C) insurance products and related complementary services to protect its customers’ valuable assets, focusing on markets with the potential for profitable growth. Patricia is a highly experienced executive with deep knowledge of strategy, operations and management. She is a strong leader and an expert in broker and channel management.
