June JUNE2014 2014
e y e e l s d t
n y n e . t .
, s d r s s e e
LINDA PAPADOPOULOS OF PEARSON DUNN INSURANCE INC.
BROKER OF THE YEAR
“THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE”
02 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 04 TERRITORY UPDATE 05 YBC UPDATE 06 CEO CORNER 10 HR UPDATE 11 POLITICAL UPDATE 12 QUEEN’S PARK
AWARENESS DAY
14 COMMUNITY VIEW
The official publication of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Official Publication of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) Published by
Ready to Lead
Editor Angela Stelmakowich astelmakowich@canadianunderwriter.ca
416-510-6793 Senior Publisher Steve Wilson
Time to lead
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Account Manager Michael Wells mike@canadianunderwriter.ca
Account Manager Christine Giovis christine@canadianunderwriter.ca
Account Manager Elliot Ford eford@canadianunderwriter.ca
Art Direction Sue Williamson The Ontario Broker is published monthly by Canadian Underwriter magazine (www.canadianunderwriter.ca). Canadian Underwriter’s Insurance Group of publications is part of Business Information Group (www.businessinformationgroup.ca), a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-business information services. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording, without the written consent of the copyright owner. Nor may any part of this publication be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without prior written consent. The articles that appear in this publication represent the opinions of the authors and do not represent or embody any official position of, or statement by, IBAO; nor do they attempt to set forth definitive action standards or to provide legal advice.
Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario 1 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700 Toronto, Ontario M4P 3A1 Tel: (416) 488-7422 Fax: (416) 488-7526 Toll Free: (800) 268-8845 (888) ASK-IBAO www.ibao.org Annual subscription is $52 + tax. To order email: contact@ibao.on.ca For information on submitting an article, contact Ashley Hunking Marketing Coordinator ahunking@ibao.on.ca
02 June 2014 / The Ontario Broker
wondering what impact these changes will have on our industry, our brokerages and ourselves. It is in precisely these times that we need strong individual leaders and organizations like IBAO to lead.
Chris Floyd President IBAO
Writing an article on leadership is timely. My theme, “Get Ready for Tomorrow Today” is about leadership. Consider the words of Ken Makovsky, president of the leading communications agency, New York Citybased Makovsky + Company: “Power in today’s transparent and open world is not power over something, but power that energizes and connects, like a network. You build your power, not by ordering people around, but by finding areas of common ground and opening up a world of possibilities that can only be unleashed through cooperation and trust.” This idea ties very nicely with the IBAO vision statement: IBAO is the industry leader driving collaborative solutions. At a time when competition is in hyper mode and change is seemingly endless, brokers are left
So where is IBAO looking to drive this collaboration and build these networks? IBAO is striving to make certain the opportunities that exist for brokers — such as telematics, eDocs, digital marketing and social media — are aligned with consumers, governments, regulators, insurers, broker management system (BMS) vendors and other stakeholders. I strongly believe that having a strong single voice on behalf of independent insurance brokers in Ontario, among the many voices within our industry, is imperative. Unfortunately, the industry has seen a number of examples where different initiatives were being advanced — with the best of intentions — but have had unsuccessful results. Why? I believe that this result was due to a lack of cohesion and purpose, as well as because not all stakeholders’ voices were being heard. On the flip side, consider the example of eDocs, in which IBAO assumed a leadership position to move the initiative forward with one voice and was able to work with all industry stakeholders for a successful development and implementation. It is examples like eDocs
Leading your organization or your people and allowing them to grow also means allowing them to explore avenues for professional development and to build networks.
that will serve as a template for future initiatives.
Time to prepare With all of these changes colliding, IBAO is working to prepare brokers to “get ready” through programs like Beyond Best in Class (BBIC). BBIC is a five-part advanced learning program centered on the principles of becoming disciplined, dynamic, dominant and different. The program utilizes the power of collaboration and innovation to tackle real challenges, and answers all of the “what you need to know” questions. In working with BMS vendors, IBAO is focusing on the continued adoption of eDocs and moving toward including it in commercial policy delivery. IBAO will be a voice in Ontario championing Insurance Brokers Association of Canada’s (IBAC) data exchange project that, once complete, will enable change transactions to start and finish in the broker’s BMS. In working with governments and regulators, IBAO is engaging in conversation and debate,
as well as participating on industry panels, on issues that have taken place — and will continue to take place — over the challenges with Ontario auto. This is another good example where one voice aligned with IBAC is making a difference among politicians and decision-makers.
Time to learn So how can you be a leader? One of my mentors once told me the sign of a good leader is making sure that when you look over your shoulder, your people are actually behind you. Good leadership is not about building up the leader; it is about advancing the team. Whether the principal broker or someone looking to advance in his or her brokerage, everyone can be a leader. People recognize effective leadership when they see it. And while great leaders may sometimes be born that way, there are certain traits great leaders have in common that anyone can practice and adopt to become more effective. • Inspire action: Try to paint a vision of the future that inspires your people to do whatever it takes to get there. • Be positive: Everyone wants to work with (and for) people who lift us up, instead of dragging us down into the mud. • Have integrity: Be honest, fair, candid and forthright, and treat everyone in the same way that you yourself would want to be treated. • Have confidence: If you are confident, your people will be, too. • Communicate: Communicate, communicate and communicate.
things that you did as you were advancing in the business. The best advice to give someone aspiring to grow and move to the next levels in business is to be yourself, ask questions, build and network, and be a sponge. These two quotes say this to me: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” — Jack Welch “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu
CEO’s Schedule: July 26-30 IAAE Conference
President’s Schedule: July 22 IBAC Governance Committee
Time to come together It really is quite simple — good leaders bring people together to solve common challenges, advancing the business and enabling others to grow along the way. As a leader, you also need to understand that it is not necessary to do everything on your own. Leading your organization or your people and allowing them to grow also means allowing them to explore avenues for professional development and to build networks — likely all June 2014 / The Ontario Broker 03
TERRITORY update Stephen Darling Director Territory 3 IBAO
Doctor, Doctor… Tell Me the News Territory 3 is a great place to be. Our people are renowned from shore to the sea, we work and play as hard as we can, and in spring, we hunt black flies again and again. Five years ago, it was my privilege as the then education chair to address IBAO members at the Convention
awards luncheon. Unaccustomed to speaking in front of an audience of that size, I prepared my words carefully, paying special attention to the speech that our now president Chris Floyd had delivered when he held the same post. At the time, Chris had not yet moved from his board chair to one on the executive, but I have always found that you can find leadership qualities all around you. Chris ended his speech with an inspiring and uplifting quote. I also opted for a quote. Not being as well read, however, my choice was famed children’s author, Dr. Seuss. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Leaders lead Since the time of that education
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luncheon, I have used these and other quotes from the good doctor when needed. As such, I hope you will allow me a few more of his sage words on the topic of leadership. “Oh the things you can find, if you don’t stay behind!” Leaders lead, and it is hard to have followers when you stay behind. To many, this may conjure thoughts of technology and the fear of being left behind, but it means so much more. Brokers have to move forward with our thinking, our strategies, our delivery and our focus. Business models that cannot evolve will perish. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Leadership requires taking steps into the unknown and, often, being the first to clear a new path. Although the unknown can be frightening, for true leaders, fear is seen as a challenge to be conquered. If you need a guide along this new path, consider contacting our affinity partner, Candybox Marketing, to get their thoughts. “Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered.” What would you do if this were true? What if it was the day for which your leadership would be remembered? How differently would you act and why do you not act that way more often? If you need help answering these questions, you may want to have a chat with Brett Boadway, IBAO’s director of broker relations and communications. “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” There is no secret formula to great leadership — just as there is no single strategy for a broker or brokerage to operate at its best. Whatever strategy you choose, make it yours. “You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.” They say that it is lonely at the top, but if you have reached these heights with your leadership skills, you should find that you are not alone up there.
YBC update Monica Dale President YBC
What Makes a Successful Leader? When I think about leadership, a quote comes to mind: “If you give the why, they will create and embrace the how.” Great leaders possess charismatic social intelligence, a zest for change, a perseverance and passion that is infectious and, above all, a clear vision that allows them to set their sights on the things that truly merit attention. Great leaders are able to create, communicate and provide direction to execute their vision. They possess a collection of attributes that inspire and empower others to dedicate time and effort to achieve the best results, as well as the will to follow through on those commitments. Successful leaders devote time and effort to keep relationships thriving. They listen to their peers, team members and even adversaries, placing importance on incorporating meaning into their life, work and business ventures. Many are building their businesses around giving back and doing something that will affect the world in some way. They understand how their life’s work fits into a broader, more significant context.
decisions and issues, but many respond with determination and humour. They rein in their pessimistic thinking and, instead, focus their time and energy where they have control. If certain strategies are not working leaders know how and when to move on. Successful leaders understand that while the road to success may be bumpy at times, it will not last forever. Leaders become adept at moving between stress and recovery. To get the energy required to live and work in an ideal performance state, successful leaders know when to refill their tank. Leaders pursue goals with passion, do not back down from challenges, or allow failure to define who they are as a person. Simply put, leaders do not quit. IBAO provides leadership to our industry. Individual brokerages may not be heard, but collectively, with the strength as one, IBAO has a strong voice and is recognized and respected by industry partners and politicians.
A valuable education YBC provides education opportunities that have been an integral part in the development of my leadership skills. These skills have benefited me throughout my career and personal life. For example, I have had the pleasure of serving six years as president of our local affiliate. I have led and motivated a Board of Directors and volunteers to increase participation, deliver education, provide networking opportunities and host some excellent events.
Successful leaders understand that while the road to success may be bumpy at times, it will not last forever. Last year, our affiliate hosted the Territory 2 Convention. I was able to use leadership skills to take on the exciting role of emcee, assist with organizing the event, address any unforeseen issues and ensure that everyone enjoyed their time with us. I have also had the opportunity to participate in IBAO Queen’s Park Awareness Days, having developed the confidence to deliver important messages to the people who can instill change. I have had the courage to take on the role of serving as vice-president for our local Chamber of Commerce and as YBC president. Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving provides an opportunity for students to challenge themselves by taking a leadership role to advocate safe driving among their peers. Joel Barker, futurist, author, lecturer and film-maker, said it best: “A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.” What steps can you start taking today to make your leadership style a success? Looking to get involved with YBC? Contact Ashley Hunking at: ahunking@ibao.on.ca
Providing incentive The most effective leaders invest in their teams by innately understanding their needs. Successful leaders understand they cannot be everything to everybody and still be effective. They have a keen awareness of how to leverage their unique blend of strengths, skills and talents, and how to use a variety of incentives to drive different individuals to reach their full potential. Successful leaders deal with tough January June 2014 / The Ontario Broker 05
CEO CORNER Alister Campbell CEO The Guarantee Company of North America
Leading on Performance I have been thinking a lot about competition over the last while. I suspect most of us in the business world are innately competitive people. We start as kids competing in class for grades (that was me, anyway) and/or in the playground in games (that was all the coordinated kids I was secretly jealous of). From an early age, we benchmark ourselves against others according to things such as appearance, popularity, skills and talents. Of course, we learned as kids that life is not always fair. But as a general rule, we also learned that greater rewards tend to accumulate to consistent winners. And we likely picked up a few clues along the way about why the “winners” actually won. In the playground or the classroom, natural talent turned out to be a big early advantage. But by the time we graduated high school or university, we had probably also worked out that natural talent is just one element in the equation. I, for one, noticed that hard work turned out to be an even bigger predictor of success.
Competition is good... on a level playing field Those of us in the business world tend to also support the principle of competition from a philosophical perspective. We believe in the capitalist model. We believe that competition makes you stronger. We believe that rewards earned through competitive business contests are justly earned, and that those who are most successful are 06 June 2014 / The Ontario Broker
entitled to enjoy all the benefits they earn through their labours. Where our convictions can be shaken in this context, of course, is when the playing field gets “tilted”. However, as a general rule, I think that most of us accept the idea that over time, winners will get bigger and losers will just have to accept the consequences of their defeat. To be comfortable with the concept of winners and losers, it is essential that we believe the fight is “fair”. So bigger companies being able to leverage scale to exploit big data and enhance the technology component of their value proposition is generally seen as acceptable. Bigger companies using their scale to secure greater share for their products on the shelves of their distribution channel is no fun for smaller companies, but is still part of living life in the big city. Big companies using their scale to get government to change the rules in their favour? Or even to look the other way when the rules are broken or the lines blurred? Now... that is a problem. It’s a long way to get to the question on my mind — and probably on yours. How is a smaller insurance company or a smaller independent broker supposed to compete, win and grow in a market with such dramatic consolidation, and so many advantages accruing to scale players? Many of us have been reading Elmira-native, Canadian thinker and writer Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, David and Goliath. It turns out that size is not a guarantee of success. In fact, often the next big thing comes from the little guy. So... what then is the strategy for folks like us?
Customer focus key to a winning strategy Customer focus is not just a corporate catchphrase; it is the essential element of a winning strategy. Big guys have a hard time being close to customers and properly observing subtle shifts in buying trends. So innovation in product or service is more likely to come from smaller, nimbler
How is a smaller insurance company or a smaller independent broker supposed to compete, win and grow in a market with such dramatic consolidation, and so many advantages accruing to scale players? companies with fewer layers of decision-making. Great, customized service is costly for the “machine underwriters”; smaller, localized players can make it pay. In a market with new options for auto insurance (telematics is the subject of another article), real valueadded advice to help customers navigate complexity will likely prove a great opportunity for smaller brokers. Advice on how to manage increasingly high-priced home insurance through water loss mitigation initiatives will best be provided by trusted advisors based locally. And… the list goes on. Above all, true customer specialization is the best defence against the mass marketing, cookie-cutter “machines”.
Define the niche clearly In the case of our company, we are not a scale player by any means. But in each of our four specialized fields, we rank as either number one or two in Canada. If you define the niche clearly enough, your expertise can give you a sustainable competitive advantage. As a broker, I hope you are asking yourselves the same type of question. What is your niche? Where do you/can you specialize? What is your strategy to outperform? Is the competition tough? Sure. Am I convinced that creative, innovative, smaller companies and brokers can still win? Simply put... heck, yeah! Of course it will be hard work. Winning a competition is not supposed to be easy — but it can and will be fun!
Linda Papadopoulos, named the 2013 Broker of the Year, knows full well the value of having excellent mentors and instructors. Her experience makes it easy, indeed a pleasure, to give back. By Angela Stelmakowich
Pay it forward Linda Papadopoulos counts herself as both honoured by, and grateful for, a good many things. But it is sometimes through the act of giving that one receives. Linda, vice president of corporate risk management at Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc. (PID), was on the receiving end last fall when she was named IBAO’s 2013 Broker of the Year. “I feel very proud and privileged at the same time,” she says, regarding the award as extra special since it represents not only recognition, but also recognition from one’s peers. “It just gives it a lot more credence.” Linda is equally proud and privileged to be an insurance broker. “I’ve been an insurance broker for 30 years. I’ve always been an insurance broker.” As with many eventual brokers at three decades ago, Linda’s first taste of brokerage life was through a
summer job at a small brokerage. Fresh from receiving her bachelor of science, business administration degree from the American University of Greece, she returned to her family living in Canada. “I was 21 years old and a friend of my father’s, who was an insurance broker, needed a bookkeeper for the summer until his wife came back from maternity leave,” she recalls, saying she felt this would do “until I found a real job, quote, unquote.” Come September, though, the principal of the brokerage made her an offer and suggested she consider taking the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) licensing course to become a broker. “I kind of looked at him and said, ‘I went to four years of university.’ He looked at me and said, ‘And your point is?’” she recalls, laughing. Stay she did, completing the course
and becoming a broker. It quickly became apparent, though, that “being an insurance broker was more than just a transactional job,” Linda says. “It was more than just buying and selling insurance, invoicing customers and having them pay their bills,” she says. Linda began enrolling in as many courses as possible, racking up credentials as quickly as she could. “I really wanted to educate myself,” she says, emphasizing that she benefited greatly from the wealth of good people in the industry who volunteered their time and effort to mentor and instruct. “I’ve been so fortunate to have great instructors from the beginning, mentors and supporters with my career, and now I’m in that position where I’m mentoring and supporting others,” says Linda, who holds both Canadian Risk Management and Chartered Insurance Professional
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designations from McMaster University and Mohawk College, respectively. Teaching also helps her keep current and affords “the opportunity to recognize future talent as well,” she adds. Linda had a bachelor’s degree when she became a broker, something that most others did not have. Holding a college or university degree is now more commonly expected, which Linda regards as a good thing for brokers entering the channel, the clients they serve and the channel itself. “The foundation has already elevated itself. So if you start building on this elevated foundation, it goes even higher,” she suggests. “My era of colleagues fell into their careers. Now it’s a career choice and I’m so proud of that because the profession has elevated itself to the extent that now we actually have insurance programs, not only at the college level, but also at the university level,” Linda says. Education is not just key for brokers looking to advance their careers, but also as a means for meeting customer demands and expectations, which
seem to be growing ever higher. “Because our society is changing so rapidly and information gets to people so quickly, you need to be one step ahead of that,” Linda advises. “You need to have the facts in order to give the proper advice to your clients,” she says.
Risk rewards Providing advice figures prominently in what Linda currently does. She has always tended to lean towards commercial or corporate insurance as opposed to personal insurance, and that stands today. Linda began with smaller businesses, such as retail stores, contractors and apartment buildings, but now deals mostly with large commercial clients, including health care, municipalities, public sector, international manufacturers and financial institutions. “As my clients evolved, and as I started to educate and promote myself, I was given opportunities to work on much larger, more complex types of accounts where insurance is still very important, but risk management came in the picture,” Linda relays.
Realizing she wanted to work in the commercial space, Linda began educating herself through risk management courses and designations. She now deals with large commercial clients with very complex risks that have very high self-retention levels. “We do a lot of work trying to manage those risks so we don’t have the losses, and if we do have the losses, there’s adequate insurance in place to pay for that,” Linda says. “I’ve never been able to make a decision to specialize because I’ve had such great relationships with these customers that are so varied that I don’t want to give them up,” she laughs. “The whole idea is everything you do is about managing your risks so that you can meet your ultimate goals,” she says. Two things that have not changed in the last 30 years, Linda says, is the need for brokers to know the products and know the companies involved. “What has changed is the delivery of service.” Focusing on education, further professionalizing brokers and meeting customer wants and needs are likely to help in that regard. January June 2014 / The Ontario Broker 09
HR update Diane Aires, CHRP HR Manager ENGAGE HR
Developing Your Leaders Chances are, at some point in your career, you have met or worked with a great leader. It is fully apparent upon your first meeting. Great leaders engage, gain trust, inspire and enable progressive change. But what is often a bigger challenge than developing oneself as a leader is developing others as leaders. People can be leaders at any level. It is not about rank; it is about truly owning what you do, and inspiring others in the process. As brokers, you may ask: “What can I do to find that potential leadership talent, nurture it, allow it to unravel and then translate to the bottom line in my brokerage?” 1. Define, seek, and ye shall find: Decipher what “leader” means in your organization. Some possible descriptors
include “creative thinker”, “challenger of the status quo”, “great relationship builder”, “positive influencer”, or “passionate for our cause”. Look at existing employees through a new lens to identify “high potentials” exhibiting defined leadership traits. Use those traits or “competencies” as one filter through which hiring and promotion decisions are made. 2. Communicate and inspire: Talk to “high potentials” and tell them you recognize leadership traits in them. Be authentic, and inspire a shared vision for the future. Listen to their feedback, ideas and, especially, their desires for the future. If there is alignment with your vision, produce a personal development plan with them, and for them. Everyone wants to be on a winning team — let “high potentials” help define the “wins” and what it will take to get there. Provide feedback, recognition and encouragement along the way. 3. Empower: Fear of making mistakes can paralyze development. Empowering someone shows your trust in his or her ability and judgement such that you need not be involved in every decision. Certainly this creates the risk of errors, but do not the greatest lessons derive from past, preferably minor mistakes? Allowing a measured risk to play out
will pay for itself 10-fold in terms of learning, trust and character-building. 4. Let go: Once those leaders are in place, inspired by your vision and the part they played in its evolution, step back and create an environment where great ideas can come to fruition. You will see the culture of your organization shift dramatically. Be prepared to let go of the reins for some projects — you cannot do it all. And the truth is, you should not want to. Let your leaders help you. That is the point, right? In the words of Simon Sinek: “There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.” In a perfect world, those with position power are also those who lead. If you are in a leadership role, trust, empower and inspire your budding leaders to help drive collective results. If you are an aspiring leader, surround yourself with people who are great at what they do, and whose eyes are open to seeing the leader in you. We love supporting leaders and those who want to lead. Take advantage of your one-hour/month IBAO Member benefit by calling ENGAGE HR’s Advantage Helpdesk 905/306-8111, Ext. 240, or e-mail me at diane@engagehr.com.
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POLITICAL UPDATE Arthur Lofsky Government Relations, IBAO
Ontario Election 2014 – Long Campaign ends with Majority Government Surprise The old election cliché “campaigns matter” was never truer this time around. By all accounts, the 11-year-old Liberal government was out of gas, mired in scandal and budgetary trouble. On May 5th, after the first full weekend of the campaign, poll aggregator website ThreeHundredEight.com had the Tories with a slight lead at 36.3%, the Liberals at 33.2% and the NDP at 22.9%. Later that week, the campaign found its narrative when PC leader Tim Hudak announced that the PC “Million Jobs Plan” would begin with the layoff of 100,000 public sector jobs. Up to this point, and despite their budget plan, the Liberals lacked a coherent message and were weighed down by “scandal” baggage. However, Hudak’s “strong medicine” provided a rallying point for moderate to left of centre voters that Liberals could exploit. This, combined with a slow start for the NDP that included discord among the traditional NDP “old-guard”, saw the Liberals slowly climb in the polls making gains amongst NDP inclined voters switching to the Liberals. The final outcome was a Liberal majority called relatively early in the evening. 54 seats are required for a majority. The Liberals won 58 seats, the PCs won 28, and the NDP 21. The Liberals received 38.7% of the popular vote. The PCs and NDP received 31.2% and 23.7% of the popular vote respectively. Voter turnout was 52.1%. What surprised most pundits were the poor results for the PCs. Their plurality declined by 4% since the 2011 vote which precipitated a 10 seat loss.
What’s Next? The Legislature is returning on July 2nd with a Throne Speech, exactly 20 days after the election as Wynne committed in the campaign. Wynne has indicated that they are planning to reintroduce the May 1st budget with which they campaigned. Procedural constraints mean that the earliest the budget could be introduced would be July 10th. Readers will recall that the May 1st document committed to ban the online retailing of unauthorized insurance products. The IBAO expects the Liberal government to fulfill that commitment when the budget is reintroduced. The May 1st budget also committed to the package of reforms on auto insurance contained in legislation formerly known as Bills 171 and 189. Those bills died on the order paper when the election was called. We expect these to be reintroduced quickly as the changes contained within are vital if the govern-
ment is going to try and reach their auto rate reduction targets. Indeed it is possible that these bills could be grafted on to the budget bill in order to get the reforms implemented quickly. The government already has a significant challenge given the delays caused by the election.
Stability The good news is that the wise voters of Ontario chose to restore the stability of majority government. The minority of the last three years was volatile and uncertain which made it difficult to get stuff done. Case in point: Bill 171. Despite containing important reforms to lower auto rates for consumers, political games were played delaying the legislation and ultimately killing it. Now we can get on with it. The IBAO will endeavour to continue our advocacy, education, and outreach with the next parliament. July 2nd is not that far away.
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QUEEN’S PARK AWARENESS DAY IBAO sent a strong contingent of delegates to meet with Ontario MPPs on April 28 for Awareness Day 2014. Delegates met with almost 40 MPPs that day to discuss passage of Bills 171 and 189. In additional IBAO delegates advocated for the banning of online retailing of unauthorized insurance products, which was timely given the reference to the issue within the budget introduced just three days later on May 1. Once again, IBAO got to see our provincial representatives just under the wire, as the election was called later that week on May 2. IBAO representatives with the Ontario Legislative Internship Program (OLIP) interns, sponsored by IBAO.
Brett Boadway, Debbie Thompson, MPP Michael Prue, Johanna Allen and Matthew Carr
Jacquelyn Schulz, Scott Goodison, MPP Jagmeet Singh, Traci Boland and Randy Carroll
Randy Carroll, MPP Vic Fedeli, Gillian Van Kempen and Scott McDermott
Scott McDermott, Gillian Van Kempen, Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley, Michael Brattman and Dennis Howden
12 June 2014 / The Ontario Broker
Members of the Young Brokers Council: Matthew Carr, Greg Kruk, Monica Dale, Scott McDermott and David Elliott
Rick Orr, Greg Kruk, MPP Teresa Armstrong, Randy Carroll and David Elliott
Dennis Howden, Doug Heaman, Speaker of the House Dave Levac, Monica Dale and Arthur Lofsky
Monica Dale, MPP Mike Colle and Gillian Van Kempen
MPP John Yakabuski
Dennis Howden, Monica Dale, MPP Soo Wong and Doug Heaman
January June 2014 / The Ontario Broker
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COMMUNITY VIEW Cooking up support McTaggart Armstrong Dewar & Owen Insurance in Aylmer, Ontario held its annual BBQ and silent auction May 30 to raise both funds and awareness related to Jesse’s Journey, and more specifically, Ducharme Muscular Dystrophy. Almost $1,300 was raised from donations, the barbeque and donated items for the silent auction. Photographed is Trace Walker, whose mother Melissa is an employee at the McTaggart Armstrong Dewar & Owen Insurance Brokerage. Left to right: Trace Walker and Bipper.
Nastassia Michael
HEADLINE? Peterborough Brokers Association donated a $500 bursary to Sir Sandford Fleming College. This is their second time donating this bursary. To qualify for this bursary the eligible student must be in business studies at the college and residing in the Peterborough area. Left to Right: Linda from Sir Sandford Fleming College, Melody Mireault president of Peterborough Insurance Brokers Association, and Nicky Burns a director of Peterborough Brokers Association
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Education Administrator, National Programs, Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario is pleased to welcome Nastassia Michael in the role of Education Administrator, National Programs. Nastassia will be responsible for all Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) national designation programs (CAIB, CPIB, CCIB, Best Practices) in Ontario on behalf of IBAO. This will include all organization, planning, administration, facilitation and communication. Coming from the education management industry, Nastassia’s experience is varied, bringing insight and experience from the test prep and fitness certification industries. She has primarily worked with students in various capacities and been instrumental in event implementation and relationship management and development, with a high priority on customer service. Nastassia moved here as an international student for university and now calls Canada home. She is an avid bookworm and a cat lover, and is working towards running a half-marathon in the future.
14 June 2014 / The Ontario Broker
TIME MA
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14-06-12 10:03 AM
IBAO Education FOR BROKERS BY BROKERS
WHAT’S HAPPENING RIBO Basic Broker l Level 1 Licensing Date I July 21 – August 1 Time I 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Location I IBAO Toronto Fee I $615
This two-week course is for individuals who would like to become insurance brokers and have limited industry experience. The course takes students through the required RIB Act, insurance fundamentals such as the principles of indemnity and insurable interest, personal property and personal automobile principles. It examines OAP 1 wordings and the RIBO Homeowners, Tenants and Condominimum Unit Owners Form. There is also a short portion on Travel Insurance.
Basic Broker l Weekend Warrior Date I August 9 – 24 Time I 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Location I IBAO Toronto Fee I $800
This course combines the benefits of classroom facilitation with the flexibility of weekend training. Specifically designed for individuals who are unavailable on weekdays, this format allows participants to complete the Basic Broker program over three consecutive weekends. The program’s objective is to review specific subject matter covered in the RIBO Level 1 Licensing examination.
WEBINARS Commercial Umbrella Policy Date I August 7 Time I 9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Accreditation I 2 Technical Hours Fee I $125 (group rates available)
For individuals looking to attain information on the use, needs and coverage available for umbrella and excess coverage. This webinar provides details of standard coverages and options available; it discusses scenarios for when these options are recommended and the reasons for recommending this coverage, as well as any limitations involved; it also examines reasons for choosing either the umbrella or excess insurance and how this affects the broker’s discussion with the client.
Crime Insurance Date I August 12 Time I 9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Accreditation I 2 Technical Hours Fee I $125 (group rates available)
www.ibao.org/events/event-calendar
For individuals looking to attain information on the use, needs and coverage available for commercial crime insurance. This webinar provides details of standard coverages and the options available; it discusses scenarios for when these options are recommended and the reasons for recommending this coverage, as well as any limitations involved; it also examines reasons for choosing from the various types of crime insurance and how this affects the broker’s discussion with the client.