ibaa photo gallery · photo gallery annette hubick message from the editor l to r.: chris morris,...

Cdn Publication Mail Registration 40018149June - July 2011

IBAAConvention

Photo Gallery

ALBE ARTRTTHE

Man on aMission

Dean BaileyFocusing on

MemberEngagement

Page 6

A WorldWithout

Associations?DANGER:

Familiar Territory

Phot

o: Tr

acy

Gra

bow

ski

www.axa.ca

we can’t keep thingsfrom breakingwe just fix themwhen they do

At AXA, we believe your clients deserve exceptional service to help them deal with all manner of claims, big and small. Our experienced adjusters strive to put the smiles back when precious things get broken. It’s our promise to you.

claims service

I’m a small business owner too, so I appreciate the sacrifice of time and energy (two of an insurance broker’s most important commodities) that IBAA members make when they decide to step up and take a leadership role in their association. “Giving back … Doing my part … Make a difference … Pride and passion for my industry …” are what president-types say when asked why they do what they do. The cynic may think “cliché,” but after interviewing 15 of them now, I’ve come to realize these state-ments are universal truths. Despite their shared motivations, IBAA presidents have come from different backgrounds and brought unique strengths to their role. Turn to page 6 discover those of the newly minted IBAA 2011-12 president, Dean Bailey.

Thank You:1. To Caleb Maksymchuk from Ravenhill Agencies for sending me a photo (on this page) of his cheque presenta-tion to Edmonton inner-city Spruce Avenue School. Caleb had written the winning entry in our Making a Difference contest in the youth category, and the brokerage won a $1000

donation to the cause of its choice. The school has earmarked the funds to purchase its final gym mat for the cheer program, which fosters healthy activity and character growth. Caleb is

Publisher and Editor Annette HubickPrinting McCallum Printing GroupDesign and Layout Ron LeckeltAdvertising Michele Schuldhaus 780.448.2890 [email protected]

The Alberta Broker welcomes articles about the insurance industry and its people. Letters to the Editor are welcome.The opinions and viewpoints expressed in The Alberta Broker may not nessisarily be those of the assosiation and its members.

Material in The Alberta Broker may be reproduced with the credit to the author and the following: “Reprinted from the Insurance Brokers Assosiation of Alberta’s magazine - The Alberta Broker (date).”Please send a copy to the publisher.

Published six times annually by:

9249-48 Street Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2R9T: 780.448.0936 • F: 780.465.6201E: [email protected]

The Alberta Broker is the official publication of the

President Dean BaileyChief Executive Officer Harold Baker

3010 Calgary Trail, Edmonton, AB T6J 6V4T: 780.424.3320 •1.800.318.0197F: 780.424.7418 • www.ibaa.ca

June - July 2011

6

IN THIS ISSUE

The Alberta Broker June - July 2011 3

Cover Story:Dean Bailey Focusing on Member Engagement

3 Message from the Editor 4 2011 Insurance Industry Golf Tournaments 6 Man on a Mission10 More about Dean11 WICC Alberta12 Legal-Ease ExclusionNullifies EndorsementCoverage

14 Imagine... A World Without Associations 18 IBAA Convention Photo Gallery

Annette Hubick

Message from the Editor

L to R.: Chris Morris, principal of Spruce Avenue School;Caleb Maksymchuk, Ravenhill Agencies.

continued on page 4

22 PYIB Perspective KeepingSchoolCool

24 Banker’s Box TalkingAboutMoney

26 Commercial Break LeasedVehicles.Who’sonFirst?

28 Chinook Country Report 30 Know E&O DANGER:FamiliarTerritory

32 Focus on Education BreakingOutoftheClassroom

34 Alberta Finance Appoints New Supertendent

4 TheAlbertaBroker June - July 2011

Message from the Editor continued from page 3

in this issue twice — you can read his thoughts on education in the “PYIB Perspective” column on page 22.

2. To reader, and ex-columnist, Donna Lee Genge of Roberts McClure Insurance for suggesting a topic idea: the changes to Alberta’s Insurance Act as it pertains to primary insurance status on rented and leased vehicles. Well, ask and you shall receive! Check out “Who’s on First?” on page 26.

3. To all the convention sponsors and exhibitors for making the IBAA’s fun-tastic convention possible. Good food (and drink!). Excellent ideas. Amazing scenery. Great company. For a photographic walk down memory lane, turn to page 18,

which is followed by a list of the fine organizations whose support made it happen.

4. To our readers and advertisers who had such good things to say about The Alberta Broker’s new look and style. We appre-ciate your kind words and welcome your suggestions to propel our efforts to create a relevant, interesting and effective link between the IBAA and its members and industry partners.

Tee it Up2011 Insurance Industry Golf Tournaments

Thank you to Chris Lewis, Peace Hills Insurance, for compiling the majority of this list.

Organization Date Golf CourseIntact June 1 Cougar CreekBlue Goose – Alberta June 2 LacombeJim Sinclair June 6 CottonwoodClaims Managers June 8 SturgeonNorth East Local Council June 9 Wainwright Edmonton Local Council June 16 Stony PlainCrystal Kids Golf Tournament June 21 The LinksPeace River Council June 22 The DunesCalgary Local Council June 23 Woodside GreensNARIMS June 24 BroadmoorEast Central Local Council July 6 Drumheller

Organization Date Golf CourseFairways For Hope July 11 BlackhawkCentral Local Council July 21 InnisfailPeace Hills Insurance August 11 Wolf CreekAll Industry Golf Tournament August 15 BlackhawkAXA Pacific Insurance August 18 Kananaskis Insurance Institute of N. Alberta August 22 The RanchPeace Hills – Claims August 24 BroadmoorYellowhead Local Council August 28 Drayton ValleyInsurance Professionals of Calgary September 1 WoodsideLethbridge Local Council September 8 Paradise CanyonMedicine Hat Local Council September 1 Connaught

Left to right standing: Dennis Milligan, Derek Connick, Rosalie Cederstrand, Scott Treasure, Larry Costen, Dean Bailey, Chad Hudson, Gord Enders, Matt Zakresky, Sheldon Bos, Darren King. Left to right sitting: Shelley Dueck, George Hodgson, Mardene Watson, Jackie Doel. Missing: Debra Cartier.

2011-2012IBAA Board


By Annette Hubick

he newly-elected IBAA president has one goal in mind for his year at the helm of the 86-year-old insurance brokers associa-tion: member engagement. So, what exactly does “member engagement” look like? “Members taking an active role in their local councils, participating in meetings, joining our lobby effort with government and utilizing the services that the association provides,” Bailey envisions. Bailey reasons that due to a relatively stable marketplace in recent years, apathy has been developing within the brokerage community. “Members aren’t feeling the squeeze so they aren’t as involved, and consciously aware of IBAA’s value, as when we had auto reform and the Bank Act review.” It is a perilous stance for brokers to take, he contends. “The fact is that our competitors continue to lobby govern-ment to open the market to bank and credit union sales of insurance through their branches, and we need members actively involved.” He warns against waiting to get involved until the threat is imminent. “The fact is that if the only time they (politicians) see you is when you’ve got an issue, they’ll get tired of listening to you,” Bailey says. “The association has also spent a great amount of member money developing quality education, but we haven’t seen the uptake we had hoped for. There is a lot of competition for the business, but I firmly believe that IBAA’s product offering is vastly supe-rior — we have work to do in proving that value to our members.” That last statement underscores what Bailey’s approach will be – it’s not about what the members “should be doing.” It’s about what the association’s

Man on a MissionDean Bailey Focusing on“Member Engagement” as 2011-12 President

staff and leaders need to do in order to revitalize the membership. “The execu-tive, board and office staff are develop-ing plans to drive improved member engagement. We will once again have a dedicated education director promot-ing our suite of courses; the director of member services is continuing to lead the development of our E&O program as well as other benefits available to members. The board and executive will be meeting with broker principals throughout the province to find out what their needs and concerns are and how we can energize the association.” Sounds like a busy year ahead for Bailey, who lives in Canmore and oper-ates the sole insurance brokerage with a Banff address. As one would expect for someone who lives “in the most beauti-ful part of Canada,” when not in the office or on IBAA business, Bailey can be found on the ski slopes in the winter and on the golf course or campground in the summer. He lives with his wife of 30 years, Susan, and the pair not only share three grown children, but also the

ownership of the six-person brokerage, Rocky Mountain Agencies, which they purchased in 2002. Susan manages the underwriting side of the business, a ser-vice it provides as an Intact Insurance Westnet broker. “Not a lot of brokers go home with their underwriter,” says Dean. “But after being married for thirty years, there’s not much we haven’t figured out how to work through.” The son of a doctor and nurse, Dean Bailey was born and raised in Montreal and has fond memories of the city’s vibrancy during Expo 67 and of child-hood vacations in the Laurentians just north of Montreal (sowing the seeds of his love for the mountains). After

Dean BaileyIBAA President 2011-2012

Photo: Tracy Grabowski

T

studying business administration at Montreal’s Concordia University, he was offered two jobs: one with an iron ore company in IT; the other was insur-ance. “Insurance won because it wasn’t IT,” Bailey explains of his choice, which turned into a life long career. It was 1976 when he began working as a personal lines underwriter with Canadian Universal, transferring to To-ronto two years later. In 1981, he joined General Accident where he met, and later married, Susan and was there for almost a decade before moving over to AXA for two years. Then, the opportu-nity to move to Calgary with Western Union came up. “We jumped on that as we always wanted to live in the west,” Bailey says. Finally, in September 2002, the Baileys bought Rocky Mountain Agen-cies and transitioned to the brokerage side of the business. “I always thought the broker side would be interesting — with the companies, I was always working on projects and planning and the thought of dealing with the general public was appealing. I have always thought that a brokerage with five to eight people would be great — as the owner, you can be hands on and stay close to the customer without having to have the entire infrastructure that larger operations do.” After becoming a broker, Bailey joined IBAA and a few years later stood for election as a director-at-large. “As I saw the important and interesting work that they did, I decided to get more involved,” he explains of his decision to seek a position on the association executive. Bailey recently sat down for a Q&A session in order to offer members in-sight into IBAA’s 2011-2012 president.

What do you like best about being an insurance broker? I really like dealing with people, and being a broker puts you right in there. It is one of the few businesses left that is all based on relationships and theopportunity to interact with people


every day. It also gives me a chance to work with Susan.

Least? Honestly, in the past eight and half years I haven’t had a bad day. There have been some challenges with placing the odd account, but that’s actually part of the fun.

What is your businessphilosophy? I believe that as a consumer-oriented business our goal each day is to provide

an exceptional customer experience. While we may not be successful in placing the business all the time, I want clients to leave feeling like we truly cared and tried. I also want the environ-ment to be such that the staff enjoys being there and that translates into how they will deal with the customers. Two of our CSRs have over 15 years experi-ence and we inherited them with the business. It’s been five years since we’ve had to hire someone.

continued on page 8


What are the challenges ofoperating a business in atourist destination? Being in a tourist town is great. Because we get between three and four million visitors a year, we have far great-er services and restaurants than a town of 7,000 would normally have. From a business point of view, I find the town has two different types of clientele. The vast majority are the permanent residents who own the homes and busi-nesses or work for Parks Canada, and then there are the kids from all over the world who come to work and enjoy the park for a season. Some brokers don’t like to write that part of the business, but we put work processes in place and it’s as good a piece of business as any. Auto reform has simplified it. You have to build your business model to satisfy each market.

How do you try to distinguish your brokerage from thecompetition? I believe in customer service. We an-swer the phone, we return calls and we do our best to place the business, and when we can’t, we tell the client right away. Everyone focuses on the client from reception through to Susan and me.

What’s been the greatest challenge you have faced as a broker and how did you over-come it? As with all brokers, the greatest chal-lenge is the efficient use of technology. When we bought the brokerage, the broker management system was out-dated and inefficient for the staff. We upgraded the BMS and implemented new workflows. As a result we have increased the business by 67% without adding additional staff, the staff is hap-pier and the customers are better served.

Have you ever made an insurance claim? How was the experience? Did you learn anything from it?

Yes, we have had a few over the years, especially with kids driving. Know-ing what to expect and who to call if it didn’t go right, the experience was good. I learned the importance of empa-thy. We do this every day, but for our clients it is probably a once in a lifetime experience. As brokers we have to stay involved through the process so that it is a positive experience. If it goes well you will have them for life. When a cli-ent has a claim, we get on the line with the adjuster and stay on the line for the initial call. We follow up in a couple days to make sure everything’s alright, that they understood everything. We’re selling the promise that there will be coverage if there’s a claim, so we should be involved.

Complete this sentence: “If I was an insurer, I would…” (in dealings with brokers) concen-trate my technology efforts on finding the SEMCI solution improving con-nectivity through the broker’s BMS and not through my portal. (in dealings with clients) focus my claims staff on customer service and the rest of my staff on servicing the broker.

Recount one or two stories of deal-ings with clients that stand out.

I remember my first policy I wrote after we bought the brokerage. The market was in the midst of a hard cycle and rates were going up significantly. I spent a lot of time meeting the com-mercial clients and convincing them the increases weren’t due to the purchase of the brokerage, but due to the market. I’m pleased to say that we retained almost all and of those that left a few have come back.

Who are your mentors and what did you learn from them? There are three individuals who stand out as mentors: Derek Iles – one of his greatest strengths was his ability to build a team environment that focused on achieving individual goals work-ing for the common good rather than individual benefit; HughMctavish, who never met an idea that couldn’t be brilliant and who had an ability to think outside the box; and Gord Mansfield for his thoughtful analysis and reasoned approach ensur-ing proper due diligence is done before proceeding.

What skills and abilities doyou bring to the role of IBAA president?

continued from page 7

TheAlbertaBroker June - July 2011 9

I think the years of company and brokerage experience allow me to understand the differing priorities of each group, but more importantly, the common interests that we share, and I hope to be able to strengthen those for the benefit of all.

What experience have you gained as a member of the board and executive committee that will help you be an effec-tive association president? I want to continue the collaborative approach that the board takes where members actively participate in com-mittees and work together to the benefit of the association.

What have you learned from your predecessors that you would like to incorporate as IBAA president? The passion they bring about the business and association. Cy, Ken, Karen and Mardene are all successful business people who donated their time because they recognized the importance of the association in maintaining the broker distribution model in Alberta.

What was the greatest insight into IBAA you gained as a broker member by joining the board/executive? The varied things the association is involved in that most members may not be aware of. The amount of time we spend on government relations was eye opening, as well as the effort to run such successful conventions. I was also surprised at the time invested in IBAC.

How have you (personally) and your brokerage benefited from your involvement on IBAA’s executive? I have had a chance to work with some of the smartest people in the business and to develop contacts with insurance company executives and government decision makers.

How does your brokeragebenefit most from yourassociation membership? Access to affordable and quality edu-cation, a broad and cost-effective E&O policy and the successful lobby efforts of the association on my behalf.

What are the key legislative/regulatory issues for IBAA? What do you expect on the political front?

TILMA and the New West Partner-ship as they relate to financial services are still key issues. IBAA supports free trade as long as it is fair trade. We will continue to lobby on behalf of consum-ers against banks and credit unions retailing insurance from their branches and banking websites. Because of the banks’ financial position and history of dominating the financial businesses they are in, limiting choice for

continued on page 10


consumers, we don’t believe such a system would be in the best interest of consumers.

What are the emergingissues/trends with consumers and what will the impact be on brokers? The use of the Internet by consumers for purchasing home and auto insur-ance will continue to evolve. While I do not agree that personal insurance prod-ucts are commodities and easily under-stood, our challenge will be to continue providing the advice consumers need in the efficient and available manner they are seeking. What we bring to the table is advice and impartial knowledge. To keep that value in the broker channel, we have to find someway to do that in the tech-mediums, to expand beyond the 9 to 5, Monday to Friday brokerage service model. For example, perhaps an insurer could establish a call centre and online chat service on behalf of brokers. Maybe these are not feasible, but the fact is we need to explore strategies together.

What are the emerging issues/trends with insurers and what will the impact be on brokers? Insurers are developing multiple distribution channels and we need to maintain the broker distribution model as the dominant delivery system within their operations. The vast majority of consumers still prefer this model. We need to work together to find efficien-cies that benefit both parties while addressing changing consumer needs. We need to keep brokers relevant in the insurer’s plans.

What is the association’s role, if any, in assisting its members in capitalizing on, or dealing with, these issues/trends? We need to assist brokers as they develop their Internet strategies by de-veloping best practices models they can integrate into their operations. As the

continued from page 10recognized voice of the broker distribu-tion model, we need to continue the dialogue between insurers and brokers as the model evolves.

What are the key challenges and opportunities facing IBAA as an association?

With over 90% of eligible brokers be-ing members of the association, IBAAcontinues to be a strong and respected voice for the industry with government and our insurer partners. The challenge is to continue to earn that trust with strong member engagement.

Favorite Movie?Any good adventure movie

Favorite TV Show(s)?Harry’s Law and CSI

Favourite Food(s)? BBQ

Favourite Musical Artist(s)?Phil Collins, Supertramp

Favourite time of day? Morning

Favourite sport to watch? Football

Favourite candy bar?Dairy Milk

First Car? ’68 Ford Falcon

If you could build a house any-where, where would it be?Bow Valley

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Europe

What’s the last CD you bought or song you downloaded?Let It Be by the Beatles

At which single store would you choose to max out your credit card? Future Shop

If you could meet anyone, alive or not, who would it be and WHY? Brian Mulroney, because he was a fascinating politician during an interesting time in our history.

Where would you want to retire to? I’m already there, just not retired yet, despite what some people think!

What did you want to be when you were little? Football player

What is your best childhoodmemory? Summers in the Laurentians

What would people be surprised to learn about you?I’m quieter than I appear at meetings.

More About Dean


Darrel Verbonac, AXA Pacific Insur-ance; Bev Pilon, IBAA director-at-large (accepting for IBAA); Terry Connell, On Side Restoration; Sherre Newell, Intact Insurance; Mike Bradley, Ding and Bradley, and Diane Jones, Silver-crest Insurance (shared award); Wayne Gamester, Alberta Fire Flood Restora-tion Service; Scott Tolk, Enterprise Rent-a-Car; and Jim Sinclair, Jim Sinclair Charity Golf Tournament Committee. In December we gave the Canadian Cancer Society a Cheque for $150,000. Our running total to the CCS is $1,157,000. Thank you all. With Stampede right around the corner, WICC is fortunate to receive the funds from a number of events. Look for us at the pre-Stampede party on July 7th at Bookers hosted by Dave Smith of Alberta Fire and Flood and a few other industry supporters (didn’t have the line up at print time). Belfor Restoration is again hosting an event on Tuesday July 12th at Buzzards to the benefit of WICC Alberta. Speaking of Belfor Restoration, Mal-colm MacDougall called me last week and advised they had purchased a chip

tent for the Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival. All we have to do is provide a few volunteers, sell some chips and water and enjoy a great day. Hope to see you at the festival or during Stampede.Watch for the WICC Flame at the many golf tournaments being adver-tised this summer. What a fun time we had at theSwing into Spring sponsored by the Sinclair golf committee. I suppose it didn’t hurt to have the five firefighter calendar stars sitting with us, working the ladies-only crowd. Just sayin’! There are so many runners out there and I applaud you all. Want to run or walk for a good cause? Run for WICC in the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. There is no exchange of funds; the amount you raise is simply credited towards our total donation at the end of the year. So really you’re supporting both the Canadian Cancer Society and WICC Alberta. Just show on the regis-tration form you are supporting WICC Alberta and let us know for our records. Please email Amy Foggin: amy.foggin@ canproglobal.com. Until next time …

WICC Alberta Donna Brown

I’ve so much to share, so I’ll get right to it. In January, to thank our support-ers and celebrate our donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, we hosted over 350 people at Stampede Park for our Gold Flame Awards Lunch. It was a wonderful event with Sandra Jansen of Tenmen Communications returning to emcee. She told me that of all the events she does, she likes “her insurance pals best.” Thanks Sandra! Thanks to Sherre Newell, regional vice president at Intact Insurance who shared with us some confessions and information about her ongoing treat-ment, which will finally be completed by the time this goes to print. We don’t often laugh when we talk about cancer treatment, but Sherre was able to make us do just that! The executive director of the Canadian Cancer Society, Dan Hollinda, also shared his own recent ex-perience with the disease and thanked WICC for our donation. I missed thanking our photographer, Andre Madden of Western Site Tech-nologies (maddenphotos.com); he’s helped us for a number of years and we really appreciate his support. Our comedian Trent McClellan was a scream. He filled in on short notice and, after hearing him, I’m surprised he was available! WICC thanks all supporters; it’s al-ways so hard to choose our winners but I’m happy to thank them one last time. Accepting on behalf of their organiza-tions, listed as shown in the photo from left to right: Dan Nakonecy, CNA Canada; Sylvia Jensen, DS Cook and Associates (recipient of the David C Smith Award); Chris Miller, Sintra Engineering (representing the “All Industry Tournament” out of Edmonton);


Legal-Ease Shelley L. Miller and Terry J. Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Cabell’s home has an outdoor in-ground swimming pool that was badly damaged as a result of hydrostatic uplift pressure. The pressure was due to the build up of groundwater, which caused the pool to lift out of the ground. This displacement of the pool caused the pool to crack. The Cabells had purchased property insurance from The Personal Insurance Com-pany (“Personal”). Part 3 of the policy is headed “Common Exclusions” and includes the following exclusions: We do not insure:…(11) settling, expansion, contraction, moving, bulging, buckling or cracking of any insured property, except resulting damage to building glass.…

(18) loss or damage:…— to outdoor swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, saunas and their equipment, their specific fittings and decks or patios attached to the swimming pools, hot tubs, spas or saunas but detached from the building; However, the Cabells had purchased Endorsement 33b that provides as fol-lows:Outdoor Inground Swimming Pool, Hot Tub, Spa and Sauna Coverage (Endorse-ment 33b)…We insure your outdoor inground swim-ming pool, hot tub, spa and sauna, their equipment and specific fittings and decks or patios attached to the swimming pool, hot tub, spa or sauna but detached from the building, against all risks of direct physical loss or damage, including damage caused

by freezing or the weight of ice, snow or wet snow. We will also pay for the cost incurred to repair or replace the damaged property. All other terms and conditions and ex-clusions of this policy remain unchanged, including the exclusions regarding: … (Endorsement 33b then lists four spe-cific exclusions relating to flood, wear and tear, faulty material or workman-ship and vermin.) When Personal denied coverage on the basis of Common Exclusion 11 for “settling, expansion, contraction, moving, bulging, buckling or cracking of any insured property…” the Cabells sued. However, a judge found that Common Exclusion 11 applied and excluded coverage. On appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Cabells argued that Common Exclusion 11

At Cross Purposes Exclusion NullifiesEndorsement Coverage


[email protected]

SHELLEY L. MILLER and TERRY J. WILLIAMSarelawyerswith

FraserMilnerCasgrainLLPandpracticeintheprofessionalliabilityinsurancearea.

[email protected]

virtually nullifies the coverage under Endorsement 33b and should therefore not be given any effect. The Ontario Court of Appeal held that even though an exclusion clause may be clear and unambiguous, it will not be applied where: (1) it is incon-sistent with the main purpose of the insurance coverage and where the result would be to virtually nullify the coverage provided by the policy; and (2) where to apply it would be con-trary to the reasonable expectations of the ordinary person as to the coverage purchased. The Ontario Court of Appeal had no difficulty in finding that Common Exclusion 11 would render nugatory the coverage for the most obvious risks for which Endorsement 33b was issued since it excludes coverage for “set-tling, expansion, contraction, moving, bulging, buckling or cracking.” It was difficult to conceive of any damage or loss to an in-ground swimming pool that would not come within Com-mon Exclusion 11, especially the word “cracking.” The Ontario Court of Appeal noted that risks such as theft or fire have no obvious application to an outdoor in-ground swimming pool. The Ontario Court of Appeal ob-served that the only loss that might be covered by Endorsement 33b and not excluded by the Common Exclusions was marring or scratching. However, given the $500 deductible, it hardly seemed likely that the Cabells would have purchased Endorsement 33b if they knew it covered only marring or scratching and only if the marring or scratching was caused by the impact of a land vehicle, aircraft, satellite, space-craft, riot, vandalism, hail, windstorm or theft, none of which seemed very likely candidates for damage to an in-ground outdoor pool. Even less likely had they known that if the impact resulted in cracking it would not be covered be-cause of Common Exclusion 11.

In the result, the Ontario Court of Appeal held that the application of Common Exclusion 11 to Endorse-ment 33b would virtually nullify cover-age. Such a result could not have been

within the reasonable expectation of the parties. The Ontario Court of Appeal, therefore, granted a declaration that the Cabells had coverage for the damage to their pool.


Third Week of January Your provincial legislature, now several weeks into its new session, is considering a bill that would signifi-cantly increase regulatory requirements in the human resources area. You call your MLA several times. You travel on four different occasions to the provin-

cial capital to walk the halls, pleading your case that took countless hours to prepare. Each time you return, frustrat-ed: while legislators and aides listen to you, no one will take a stand in support. And there’s no one available to identify and organize everyone affected by the proposed legislation.

Mid-February You come upon a consumer infor-mation brochure that one of your colleagues in another community has developed. You realize with a sigh that many customers have approached you over the years seeking general informa-tion about your industry and product

By Richard E. EnsmenImagine for a moment a world without any trade or profes-sional associations. In this world, no farsighted, vision-ary people took the time to organize their peers or set far-reaching agendas for their industry. Commerce and busi-ness would still exist in this ficticious world and, in some cases, even thrive. But consid-er for a moment what a yearin your business life might be like without your association...

A WorldWithout

Associations

Imagine ...

continued on page 16

line — but nothing is available. You’d like to use your colleague’s brochure as a model for your own, but face it — it’s a significant expense. What if a national federation could develop publications and promotional materials?

First Week of March Technology has been advancing rapidly over the last several years, and a computer sales rep contacts you to find out whether you’d like state-of-the-art software applications that might help you become more productive. But it looks like no one worked with the soft-ware vendor to ensure that the software specs “fit” your industry. And aside from private trainers, there’s no one avail-able to provide training. With another sigh, you realize that the same lack of training and support exists in non-tech-nology areas as well. No central source of education and training exists for your people.

Mid-April As you prepare a springtime pro-motion, you realize that your peers and competitors use many different product standards than you. In fact, you sense that there are no industry-wide standards of quality. You wonder: How many customers do you lose as a result? Wouldn’t it be great to be part of a national organization that develops industry-wide standards?

Fourth Week of May You read in the newspaper that three graduates of a nearby university are moving into research positions within a nearby company. In your industry, you know that some of the larger organiza-tions have produced research and inno-vation, but those results haven’t always trickled down to other firms. You’d like to take advantage of industry-sponsored research, but no group exists to initiate or manage it.

Mid-July You meet several acquaintances from other industries at a golf club. It feels great to chat with other business people and to share some of the challenges you face. You’re thinking: Maybe in the year ahead you could set up a simple lunch-time gathering once a month for people in your industry. It would be a great networking and educational opportu-nity. But then again … it would take time and effort, commodities in short supply. What if a regional or national group could set up these networking opportunities?

Fourth Week of August You receive your annual health insur-ance invoice. Rates have jumped 22%! You know that health-related costs are skyrocketing everywhere, but you can’t help but think that if you had an industry-wide health insurance program you might be able to minimize those increases. And you think, too, about



continued from page 15other cost-saving tools: IT service dis-counts, group purchasing arrangements and employee benefit programs. If only there was a national or regional federa-tion that could provide these.

Early September School has begun. Over the last year you have talked with several students about careers in your field. You under-stand the strengths and weaknesses of college curricula in your area – yet you have no way to influence how students are prepared for your industry. No national curriculum support. No scholarship programs. No academic consultations.

Second Week of November One of your employees comes to you with a great idea for streamlin-ing inventory and work-in-progress recording. The problem: You’d have to release that employee (and others) from

regular duties in order to develop it. You can only dream of a national group that could serve as a source of support for innovation, sponsor idea exchanges, or develop recognition programs.

End of Year The year draws to a close. It’s been a moderately successful year but, as you look back to all that’s happened, you wonder how much greater success you would have achieved if only you could have collaborated with like-minded peers more extensively. And while you’re glad to be part of the profession you’re in, you feel that a rightful sense of pride is lacking. If only an organiza-tion of peers existed that could foster that pride …

Fortunately these ruminations are just that. It goes without saying that trade and professional associations are an integral part of the life of virtually every business and industry. They provide

valuable services, opportunities for collaboration and mutual support, and professional pride. Most significantly, they’re driven at the grassroots level — driven by you. Whatever your needs, concerns, and dreams, your association is standing by, ready to redirect itself toward the needs and opportunities you encounter in today’s real world.


2011-2012 IBAA Convention PhotoGallery

Entertainment &SpeakersMatt Day, Jeremy Gutsche, Bill Isley, Karen Rutherford, Rapid Fire Theatre


2011-2012 IBAA Convention PhotoGalleryPhotos: Tracy Grabowski

The BusinessAGM and Tradeshow


Photos: Tracy Grabowski

The PartiesPeace Hills Party, President’s Ball, Hospitality Night

2011-2012 IBAA Convention PhotoGallery

PYIB Perspective Caleb Maksymchuk, BA, B.Ed.

Staying Current I was fortunate to attend IBAA’s Social Media and Web Strategy semi-nar with Jack Zenert. There was great attendance here in Edmonton, which underscored the popularity of the social media buzz. There was also some diversity amongst the attendees. Many appeared to be principals or senior em-ployees of brokerages. There were many basic questions regarding social media such as: I have heard of it, but what is it really? Where do I start? What can I do with social media? In order to get started, principals should think of taking a technologi-cally confident or savvy young broker from their offices and assign her the challenge of developing a social media strategy. The young broker gains the opportunity to show initiative, build leadership qualities and maybe to move to the next level within his brokerage. This process would all start with at-tending one education course. There are many reasons that young brokers need to, or should, attend the multitude of courses available, but they all boil down to: 1) to better them-selves and 2) to better their brokerage. As a young broker, education should not simply be about getting hours to maintain our credentials; hours should be serving a purpose for personal gain from each course taken. As time is needed to take these courses, it is important to take ones that you are interested in and that you are able to apply in your daily duties.

New Mediums of Delivery With any course, what matters most is the quality of the information pre-sented, as well as the manner in which it was presented. Having industry leaders and experts on topics is essential to a quality course. The next step is the attempt to reach as many people as you

can. With young brokers, technology is key to working smarter and faster. Using Internet-based presentations and online course material will help to “sell” the course to young brokers. Bridging convenience, price point and quality is a difficult task in any service. While living in a world of immediacy, there is a need for continued progression to advantageous methods of delivery not only for continuing education hours, but for personal development courses (CAIB, etc.) as well. Trying to reach all corners of Alberta is difficult. Through my CAIB courses, I have had the pleasure to meet many people from all over Alberta. Some had to make a generous journey to attend the course and write the summative

test. Alternate methods of delivery and testing can make these tasks much easier to attain.

Lifelong Learning We have the opportunity to continu-ally take advantage of our professional development education requirements. Currently there is a need to be more informed. Clients are becoming more informed, thus we can better serve our clients if we maintain a current level of knowledge of new regulation, recognize upcoming changes and highlight new products. With increased knowledge for young brokers comes greater confidence when speaking with clients and advising them on risks, coverages and claims. Con-fidence within a young broker sparks initiative and greater problem solving skills. It is important for young brokers to show that they are willing to take on more complex risks and larger accounts with the confidence. This way, the principal identifies that they are able

A Young Broker’s Thoughts on Education

Keeping School Cool


to handle diverse facets of this business with ease. The course should provide personal gain. One way to do so is to pursue a designation course. These courses give great credibility to young brokers and also provide employment benefits when applying for positions. Everyone has their own learning styles, strategies and content prefer-ences. Offering multi-dimensional courses will be a successful future plan for learning opportunities. The world is now outside the box; educating andeffective learning need to follow suit. This will ensure that we as brokers maintain the edge in our competitive business.


[email protected]

CALEB MAKSYMCHUKBA,B.Ed.

PYIBDirector

According to a 2008 survey com-missioned by BMO Bank of Mon-treal, nearly half of Canadians are less comfortable talking about money than they are about politics, religion and yes even their love life. While talking about money isn’t a necessity in social circles, it is an important ingredient for couples looking for long-term financial and perhaps even marital success. Talking about money is important at all stages of a couple’s relationship. Early on, couples may be wary of hav-ing open discussions about money, for fear of discovering that they might be financially incompatible. Yet money is not something that will take care of itself and might even get in the way of an otherwise healthy relationship. Talk-ing openly — about long-term goals, how to manage finances, whether one is a saver or spender — will bring forth some important items. For couples who have been together for a long time, regular discussions about money matters can help reduce related arguments. These talks can include establishing and monitor-ing progress against long-term goals and agreeing to how to handle daily responsibilities. Some couples may choose to maintain separate accounts

and split common expenses such as loan payments and insurance. Others may pool all resources into one account and designate one to manage daily money matters with the other being responsible for running the household. No one way is the right solution and ultimately it is about what works for the couple, but taking time to discuss money is impor-tant. Open discussions are also very helpful in contingency planning. No one wants to think about the potential of los-ing one’s life partner, but not discuss-ing ‘what if ’ scenarios will not make this potential go away. To have these discussions, a full inventory of all things financial should be kept and each spouse should meet and know the couple’s key advisors. Also, a review of what each spouse does daily and through the year such as bill payments, child care and scheduling maintenance should be writ-ten down. Think of it as documenting what you have and what you do; things that your spouse would need to know should you no longer be there, even some of the more mundane matters that keep a household running. These exercises would, of course, be in addition to a properly prepared will.

JOHN KNOTEKNationalManager,

[email protected]

Banker’s Box John Knotek

Something toTalk About

To get discussions going or keep them going, consider the following:• Establish monthly meetings to discuss finances (perhaps over a favourite beverage) including all assets and liabilities plus monthly expenses.• Review progress against financial plans.• Record all information and contacts for bank accounts, investments, loans, key advisors, wills, identification, insurance policies, etc.• Obtain a credit rating for each spouse at least annually.• Set aside ‘fun money’ for each spouse to do with as each pleases. So when it comes to money, couples should always have something to talk about. By being proactive and not just reacting to the latest credit card state-ment, these talks can be productive, enhance the relationship and perhaps even be enjoyable.



To add to the list of changes of which you should be aware, we now have a cap on the liability of vehicle lessors, and changes to the priority of insurance for “leased” vehicles in Alberta.

The Issue In 2007, the Traffic Safety Act was amended to cap the liability of vehicle leasing companies when their vehicles are operated by lessees. In 2009, the Act was further amended to cap liability of vehicle rental companies when their vehicles are operated by renters. These amendments affect Section 650 of the Insurance Act which states that insurance under a valid owner’s policy is first loss insurance and insurance pro-vided by any other valid motor vehicle policy is excess insurance only.

The applicable legislative changes came into force on March 1, 2011, through the Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment Regulation, which essen-tially does the following:a) implements a $1 million limit on the liability of owners of leased, rented conditionally sold or financed vehicles when such vehicles are operated by a “lessee,” “rentee” or buyer of the vehicles; andb) changes the priority of which mo-tor vehicle liability insurance policy is excess insurance. The new regulations state that a leas-ing or rental company’s owner’s policy is first loss insurance (but only to the extent of the $1 M cap) unless the rentee or lessee has liability coverage under any other motor vehicle liability policy.

The regulation outlines which con-tract is primary, and it should be read. Examples are provided for illustrative purposes:Case 1: Business Vehicle Rental Employer has auto liability policycovering employee If an employee rents a vehicle in the course of employment, then any motor vehicle liability policy issued to the employer that provides coverage to the employee will be primary, including the individual owner’s policy or an owner’s policy in the spouse’s name. Coverage for the vicarious liability of the em-ployer would continue to be provided by the SPF 6, Non-Owned Automobile Liability Policy.

Case 2: Business Vehicle RentalEmployer does not have autoliability policy covering employee In this case, if an employee rents a vehicle in the course of employment and does not have coverage from the employer, the employee’s own policy (or policy in the spouse’s name) covers the rental, provided that the owner’s policy has been rated for business use. The SPF 6 continues to cover the vicarious liability of the employer.

Case 3: Personal RentalRentee has auto liability policy If an individual rents a vehicle for personal purposes and has an owner’s policy (or policy in the spouse’s name) this policy covers third party liability for the rental.

Commercial Break Karen MacWilliam

Leased Vehicles — Who’s On First?


Case 4: Personal or Business Rental Rentee does not have auto liability policy If an individual rents a vehicle for personal or business purposes and does not have an owner’s policy (either of his own, his spouse, or his employer), the lessor’s policy is primary.

Implications for Lessors Claims costs will go down over time, because of the change of priority of insurance and because of the $1 M cap; however, I suspect that claims will take far longer to be settled. There will be a game of 20 Questions to see what other insurance exists. Some rentees may be from non-Canadian, non-North American jurisdictions and, therefore, each rental agreement may have a different answer to “who’s on first?”

Implications for Insurers The regulation states that if an insurer wrongfully fails to respond to a

claim or civil action on behalf of a les-see, rentee or driver, that insurer is liable to indemnify another insurer that does respond to the claim or civil action for any liability, costs and expenses incurred as a result of the first insurer’s failure to respond. Since the risk profile of many policy-holders will change, more detailed underwriting information about the number of rental agreements entered into in a typical policy year may be required.

Implications for Brokers The regulation, along with Bulletin 01-2010, issued by the Superintendent of Insurance on November 26, 2010, is recommended reading. Insurers should be consulted to see if any endorsements are required, and clients should be questioned to see how many rental vehicle agreements are entered into on an annual basis, since the number changes the risk profile for the insurer.

Clients involved in accidents in rental vehicles causing damage or injuries should notify their broker, who should assist the client in determining which insurer(s) needs to be notified. Remember, this applies in Alberta only (BC and Ontario have similar rules), so your advice to your client depends on the jurisdiction where the rental occurs. The liability of the lessor is limited to $1 M, so you may need to arrange excess coverage for your clients, both commercial and personal. And you thought you had it all sorted out.

[email protected]

KAREN MacWILLIAMisainsuranceandriskmanagementconsultant

Who? What? Where? Darrell Verbonac

Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers opened a Calgary office in early March. The office is located downtown on the 15th floor at 140 4th Avenue SW and is headed up by Paul Constance, who was previously with Renfrew Insurance. Joining Paul are Robin Albert, Marga-ret Penford, Catharine Vance and Laura Coombs. Another new brokerage on the Calgary scene is Tredd West Insurance Brokers who opened a shop down in the southeast part of the city. At Jones Brown, new staff includes Ashley Feader, who was with Aon,Stuart Hallstead who transferred in from the Vancouver office and Alex Boyd. As well, long-time industry veteran Dave James retired at the end of March. New to Rogers Insurance are Tracey Brauer and Natasha Courtney. Con-gratulations to Carol Vale on the birth of twin girls Megan Ann and Brianna Mary on January 27th, and to JoeMcBurney on the birth of a son, Ken, on January 22nd. In other news around town, Richard Collins left Renfrew to join Aon, Les Todd retired from Toole Peet and Joe Stark left Western Financial Group. New faces include:• Debbie Lasalle, Palliser Insurance • Cindy Pierson, Jardine Lloyd Thompson• Sharron De Champlain, Silvercrest Insurance In news from Lethbridge, the new manager of Alpine Insurance is Jeff Moroz, and congratulations to John Howe of Schwartz Reliance Insurance and his wife Monique on the birth of their first child, a daughter named Payton. Over in Medicine Hat, another round of congratulations go to Thomson

Schindle Green’s Jolene Perrault and her husband Frank on the birth of their first child on April 10th, a son, Raydon. Up in Red Deer, new at All Service Insurance is Natasha Buxton, who came over from Clarke Insurance Services, and new to Platinum Insurance is Craig Chrisenson, moving from the Coopera-tors in Camrose. At Mooney Insurance, new staff include Chantel Bogg, who was with the local Western Financial Group office, and Alexandra Chmil. As well, Barb McCracken, the Red Deer Brokerlink manager, has added the role of Brokerlink’s Wetaskiwin manager to her duties. In company news around Calgary, new personal lines underwriters at AXA Pacific are Andrea Guss and Corrine George, who was with CJ Campbell. As well, congratulations are in order for surety underwriter An-drew Zagorski and his wife Joanna on the birth of their first child, Olivia, on February 7th.

New at Zurich are Marjorie Jeeves, who was with Travellers, and Shelly Keller who was with Western Financial Group in Langdon. Leaving Zurich was George Hammer who joined CNA as claims manager. At Wawanesa, both Catherine Hatch and Suzanne Contois came from Aviva as personal lines supervisors, and Barry Way returned as an auto underwriter. Effective at the end of March, Dennis Gartner stepped down as the longtime Superintendent of Financial Institu-tions and Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Enterprise. Dennis is moving on to a new posi-tion within the government with the Alberta Pension Services Corporation. Mark Prefontaine was appointed his successor in early May. April 7th was “insurance night” for the 20th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area Bowl for Kids. A total of $10,000 was raised, with the top fundraising team being the crew from Alberta Fire and Flood.

darrell.verbonac@axa-pacific .ca

DARRELL VERBONACMarketingManager,

CalgaryBranchAxaPacificInsurance



Procuring a new insurance policy for an existing customer is an important part of any successful broker’s business. Whether placing coverage for a newly acquired snowmobile or a vacation cottage, this aspect of a broker’s busi-ness is fraught with landmines that often explode into errors and omissions (E&O) claims. More than 21% of the E&O claims reported by insurance bro-kers in Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ broker E&O program involve placing new business for an existing customer. Consider the following scenarios that illustrate brokers need to be just as careful in dealing with existing clients as they are with new clients. Able, a licensed broker working primarily with personal lines customers, has been obtaining Gladys’ auto and homeowners coverage for several years. Gladys called Able late last year to tell him that she had just married Homer after a whirlwind romance. She had purchased a brand new car for Homer as a wedding gift and she wanted to add the new car to her policy, naming Homer as the principal driver. Gladys told Able that Homer had his own auto policy through a different broker, but they were planning to sell Homer’s old car and cancel his policy. Able wished Gladys and Homer the very best in their new life together and added the new car to Gladys’ auto policy with CarStar Auto Insurance Co. Three months later, Homer was driving the new car when he hit a public transit bus. Homer and three passengers on the bus were seriously injured. CarStar’s investigation revealed that Homer had several prior driving convictions which were not disclosed on the application that Able submitted. CarStar took the position that Homer did not meet its underwriting guide-lines due to his poor driving record and voided the policy from inception.

Homer and Gladys were left without coverage for the accident, which was determined to be Homer’s fault. Homer and Gladys then brought suit against Able and his firm for failing to obtain coverage for the new car. It is absolutely crucial for brokers toinvestigate each new risk before sub-mitting it to the carrier. In this case, although Able was quite familiar with Gladys and her driving record, he was not at all familiar with Homer’s past driving experiences. Able should have investigated Homer as thoroughly as he would have vetted a new customer be-fore placing coverage for the additional auto. At a minimum, he should have re-viewed the application with Homer and obtained a copy of his driving record to confirm that his record was in line with the insurer’s underwriting requirements. Even if a newly added vehicle is owned and operated by the same named

insured, the broker should still carefully inquire about the intended use of the vehicle to determine if the new vehicle will be used for a purpose that complies with insurer underwriting guidelines. For example, is the added vehicle to be used solely for personal use or will it also be utilized in connection with the insured’s business? In sum, the more the broker investigates the usage of the added vehicle, the less opportunity there is for a mistake in the underwrit-ing of the risk and, accordingly, the less chance of an E&O claim against the broker. Unfortunately, Able’s errors didn’t end with Homer’s new car. Able had also placed the homeowner’s insurance for Gladys’ single family home. Shortly after their marriage, Gladys contacted Able and told him that she and Homer were purchasing a vacation cottaglocated near a lake in a remote area,

Know E&O Brian Butcher

DANGER: Familiar Territory

several hours from her home. Able did not have any experience placing cover-age for second homes, so he simply added the cottage to a standard hom-eowner’s policy. Two months later the home burned down. The insurer dis-claimed coverage because the investiga-tion revealed that the fire originated in the wood burning stove and the policy excluded coverage for losses associated with wood burning stoves. Brokers who are experienced in placing coverage for seasonal dwell-ings know that the risks associated with these properties differ from the typical risks to a principal dwelling. For example, seasonal homes may have an alternative heating source, such as a wood burning stove, which creates a higher risk of fire. Seasonal dwellings are also more frequently vacant and, as a result, face a higher risk of freezing pipes and vandalism. The cost of repair and replacement is often much higher for a seasonal home than for a principal dwelling, so the broker should always make sure the seasonal home is insured with adequate limits. Brokers with little or no experience in procuring policies for seasonal homes should seriously consider referring the business to a broker who specializes in handling seasonal home policies. At the very least, an inexperienced broker should work with a knowledgeable colleague so that the client is informed and protected. Adding new coverages for a cur-rent client provides fertile ground for broker errors. In order to fully protect and advise the client, and minimize the chance of an E&O claim, the broker should treat the addition of a new risk as if the client were also new. The key lies in conducting a thorough investiga-tion into the nature of the risk, being knowledgeable about the coverage that is being offered, and understanding the carrier’s requirements. Brokers who fol-low this path will be less likely to find themselves at the courthouse steps.

This article is intended to be used for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any par-ticular purpose. Swiss Re shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained or referenced in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be


considered legal, accounting or professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice.

BRIAN BUTCHERVicePresidentofClaims

andLiabilitiesSwissReCorporateSolutions

www.swissre.com/eo

This year at IBAA, we’ve successfully experimented with new methods of course delivery.Online Courses We expanded our online courses to improve access to professional qual-ity and timely educational material for all—those in outlying areas as well as anyone with a busy schedule. The online format enables us to deliver the quality course content you’ve come to expect from IBAA and to remain an economi-cally competitive alternative. Watch for upcoming developments in fall 2011. The webinar format for seminars has proven very effective in terms of par-ticipant satisfaction and quick schedul-ing of timely topics such as Legislative Changes: Leased/Rented Vehicles, effective March 1, 2011. We plan to expand the number of webinars and to offer packages that will save you money. For those of you who expressed inter-est in half-day and full-day classroom seminars, don’t worry; we will continue these as well.

Video Online Training (VOLT) was expanded in 2010–11 from Personal Lines to include two series for Com-mercial Lines and three packages in the Producers and Managers Series. This expansion increases professional op-tions for personal and commercial lines courses, brokerage management courses and study tools for CAIB and CPIB students. These videos have received high praise. One registrant wrote in response: I finished the Commercial Lines Mod-ules through VOLT. I found them very interesting and a good review for me. In my opinion, it would be very beneficial for anyone taking ... CAIB to use these modules—lots of information and good examples, and the claims point of view was very interesting. I enjoyed seeing [local people and familiar environments*].

— Shirley Adams(*Names excluded for privacy.)

Field Trips The new field-trip commercial lines

seminar series has been highly praised for quality content and practicality. These field trips provide practical grounding in the issues that the course wordings address by on-site visits. The first of a four-part series, Drilling for Clients in the Oil Gas Business, was very well attended and received member support for more courses of this type. One participant appreciated details applicable to commercial insurance in general, not just to the oil and gas field: Thanks again for the oil and gas seminar you did in Red Deer. I had a really great time and feel that I learned a lot. I also feel I have taken some things from the seminar that I will use in all parts of my career, not just in working with the oil and gas sector. ... I look forward to getting my hands on some of your worksheets and creating my own from the ideas you shared. The ones I am most interested in would be the CGL comparison chart and the BI worksheet. I also seem to remember you having a sort of definitions ‘Master List’ of insurance terminology.” —Mitch Holst Another participant appreciated the “great information” not available else-where and requested copies of …the Excel wording policy comparison spreadsheet for liability, GL, property, and kits; your flip presentation as an example to show my commercial lines team; any relevant cheat sheets and checklists. — Chad Leibel The following testimony speaks to rel-evance and practicality of the informa-tion related specifically to oil and gas and in general to E&O processes: I really learned a lot, and you have given me a lot of raw material to mould into a process to go after some of the oil and gas sector. Now, I just have to identify a couple of great markets and products and do it! ... I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of all the templates, checklists, and worksheets you have. I will gladly pay for these. ... It may come as a surprise to you, but stuff like this is NOT readily avail-able, and I think you could sell this in a package form to many brokers after they take an E&O seminar. ... There are hun-dreds if not thousands of brokers across the country that are more like my operation

Focus on Education Ellen Quigley

Breaking Outof the Classroom


IBAA gets ravereviews for

online coursesand field trips

And, yes, the participants did receive the materials requested.

Going Forward Watch this space, the IBAA website, and the emailed IBAA Education newsletters for upcoming fall courses.


ELLEN QUIGLEYCommunicationCo-ordinator,

[email protected]

than there are of the big houses that pre-sumably have this stuff available already! ... I have used varying in-house checklists on my system that I can manipulate to the specific client, but I understand and respect the importance in becoming the ‘process’ not the exception. ... When you put up all those checklists yesterday, I started salivat-ing. You would save me hours and hours of work, and I could incorporate many of them starting next week.” —Lorne Rye A final participant speaks not only to the materials but also to Karen Ruther-ford’s excellence as a facilitator: Thank you for a wonderful two days of education. I have talked to my manager with nothing but good things to say about you and the course, and we will keep our eyes open for training that you offer in the future. I would love it if you could email me a copy of your liability wording Excel spreadsheet as I plan to make my own and would like to use yours for cross reference. I would also love to have copies of some of your checklists. ... Thank you so much for the training. I can’t wait to have an opportunity to take training with you again.” —Trent Gabrielle


On May 1, 2011, Mark Prefontaine BA, MA, CFP, CFA became the new Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Regulation and Policy with

Alberta Finance and Enterprise. This position includes the roles of Superin-tendent of Pensions, Superintendent of Insurance, and Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Mr. Prefontaine has been with Alberta Finance and Enterprise since 2003, joining the pension area first as a Senior Compliance Officer, then Senior Manager, Risk Management; and most recently as the Deputy Superintendent of Pensions, since August 2007. Prior to joining Alberta Finance and Enterprise, he worked in a family financial plan-ning practice for eight years, and prior to that, he was an officer in the Cana-dian Armed Forces for five years. Mr. Prefontaine received his under-graduate degree in Honours Economics and Commerce from the Royal Mili-

Alberta Finance AppointsNew Superintendent

tary College of Canada in 1994 and his MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Royal Roads University in 2008. He is a Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

ibaa photo gallery · photo gallery annette hubick message from the editor l to r.: chris morris,...

Documents