Canada’s third largest P&C insurer has announced the appointment of Siddhartha (Sid) Chopra as Senior Vice President Operations & Chief Operations Officer.
“At RSA we strive for excellence in all that we do,” says RSA President & CEO Rowan Saunders. “Sid’s appointment together with the creation of an Operational Centre of Excellence demonstrates our dedication to becoming the best insurance provider in Canada and delivering the best possible service for our brokers and customers.”
Chopra will be responsible for building RSA Canada’s first Operational Centre of Excellence. Reporting directly to Saunders, Chopra will also lead the operations team tasked with developing and driving operational excellence for brokers and customers.
Chopra brings an impressive track record in leading business transformations, says Saunders, joining RSA from the Bank of Montreal (BMO) where he held the position of Senior Vice President & Head, North American Delivery accountable for project management, process management/operations and change management for all operating groups within BMO Financial Group.
In that role, Chopra led a team of more than 300 individuals across multiple locations in North America to deliver on all major business and technology initiatives within the organization as well as leading their process transformation and change agenda.
New branch manager appointed
Cowan Insurance Group has appointed a new branch manager, brokerage division, in its Ottawa office.
Heather McLachlin, President of Cowan Insurance Group is pleased to announce that David McNamara has been appointed as the Branch Manager, Brokerage Division, Ottawa Office, Cowan Insurance Group.
In this position Mr. McNamara is accountable for leading the continued growth, overall strategy and development of Cowan’s Commercial Lines and Personal Lines business in Ottawa, says McLachlin, adding that “he will help grow our business by leading Ottawa’s P&C team while working closely with Robert (Bob) Proulx, Vice President Benefits and Corporate Sales to drive and support multi-lines sales across all lines of business and operations in the Ottawa region.”
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McNamara brings to Cowan a wealth of property and casualty experience, having spent over 25 years working for well-known insurance brokerages in both Ontario and Quebec in sales, business development and leadership roles, adds McLachlin. “He has a solid background in commercial lines and a thorough understanding of personal lines with previous responsibilities including building sustainable bilingual, sales driven organizations in both Ontario and Quebec. David also has experience working with risk managers on client specific issues including the development of cutting edge products; actively participating in the resolution of contentious claims as well as contract reviews. In addition, he has expertise and relationships in both the manufacturing and construction segments, which will assist in our continued growth focus in both of these targeted areas.”
McNamara graduated from Mohawk College’s Insurance Administration Program; is an Associate of the Insurance Institute of Canada (AIIC); has his RIBO and Quebec Insurance broker designations and Canadian Risk Management Certificate from McGill University.
Numerous promotions, additions at Crawford
Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. announced the addition and promotion of several key personnel in the Ontario Region.
Crawford’s Toronto West branch, one of the Company’s largest locations within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), welcomed the addition of Spencer Bailey to the position of property & casualty supervisor, Toronto West.
Bailey will report to Kelly Stevens, newly appointed branch manager, Toronto West. Stevens has served as assistant branch manager for the last four years under the direction of Michael McLeod, who has accepted a new position as branch manager, Waterloo and Owen Sound.
McLeod succeeds his predecessor, Mark Hale, who has been a valuable asset to Crawford and will continue his work as a senior general adjuster with Crawford Global Technical Services (GTS).
Crawford also welcomes Deborah Mannisto to the position of branch manager, Thunder Bay.
"These individuals bring many years of valuable experience and knowledge to their new positions,” said Pat Van Bakel, president and chief executive officer of Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc., “as well as a passion and drive for enhancing the customer experience.”
