The new Chief Executive Officer at SCM may be replacing its founder, but he intends on blazing a path that will definitely bear his personal stamp.
SCM Insurance Services, Canada’s largest independent, privately owned insurance services provider, has announced the appointment of Bob Fitzgerald as its new CEO, succeeding the corporation’s founder Larry Shumka who has assumed a new role as SCM’s first-ever Executive Chairman.
And Fitzgerald already has plans once he is in the big chair.
“We’re lucky; we’ve earned the business and we’ve got a market-leading position on the claims business, and I think Larry really built the business on technology,” Fitzgerald told Insurance Business, “and we are able to bring technology to bear on all the things we do.
“With a view of trying to moving things forward faster, working with more data, better management information, working with our partners to really find new ways to work, with a view specifically on clients – finding ways to streamline the business from cradle to grave,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m a big believer in Net Promoter Score. One of our large clients is already moving in that direction.”
Net Promoter Score is based on the fundamental perspective that every company’s customers can be divided into three categories: Promoters, Passives and Detractors. By answering the question: ‘How likely is it that you would recommend your company to a friend or colleague?’ you can measure a company’s performance through a 0-10 rating scale.
But for Fitzgerald and SCM, it is the outcome management, the claim and satisfaction levels, that is really important.
“I see us working even closer in the future, partnering around our clients, to deliver a better customer experience, improving that promoter score, and ultimately that’s driving more value as the clients would define it,” he says, “not as we define it. I think that is central to everything I see on the drawing board for SCM today, and into the future.” (continued.)
#pb#
Fitzgerald has 30 years in the P&C side of the business on the underwriting side, with the last four years spent in claims – a resume that provides him with a unique perspective on the business, he says.
“As somebody who has worked on both sides of the house, on the carrier side as well as on the partner side where I am now,” says Fitzgerald. “I bring both perspectives to the table.”
The two executives will manage the transition together through 2015, with Fitzgerald overseeing SCM’s strategy and operations.
Since its inception SCM has strategically expanded its brand through targeted acquisitions and complementary services to provide a breadth of insurance solutions unparalleled in Canada.
“I’m extremely proud of how our corporation has grown since 1986 from a single office in Edmonton to a corporation of seven companies with 200 offices and more than 2,600 employees serving our clients across Canada,” said Shumka. “But we’re poised for even more growth in the years ahead, so this is the perfect time to pass the torch to Bob, whose leadership will take SCM to the next level and ensure that we continue to deliver innovative world-class solutions for our customers.”
Fitzgerald has 30 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, serving most recently as President of SCM’s adjusting and claims management company, ClaimsPro, which he joined in 2011. He has also held senior executive roles with other major insurance organizations in Canada and is an industry leader in the fields of claims, strategy, underwriting, marketing and risk management.
“SCM is already a top-class company providing a full range of insurance services in Canada, and I’m delighted to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead its further growth, innovation and strategic investment,” says Fitzgerald. “I’m also looking forward to meeting with our customers and our great team of employees over the coming weeks to share ideas for the future.”
Fitzgerald will continue as President of ClaimsPro until a permanent successor is announced.
“Great companies are the result of great employees who challenge the status quo and are always looking for better ways to create value for clients,” said Shumka. “I am confident that the great team we’ve built across all SCM companies will continue to use their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to deliver the best possible solutions to our customers.”
