Executive Team Profiles
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Karen Gavan, FCPA, FCA, ICD.DPresident and chief executive officerKaren was appointed president and CEO in June 2011. Previously, she was a director of Economical Mutual Insurance Company since 2008 and served as Chair of the Special Committee with responsibility for Economical's demutualization since 2010. She was formerly the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Transamerica Life and AEGON Fund Management Inc. Prior to that, she held senior management positions with Imperial Life Assurance Company and with Canada Life Assurance Company during its demutualization. |
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Jennifer Allan, BBA, MA, MHRM, CHRP, CCPVice-president, HR programs and corporate communicationsJennifer's portfolio includes responsibility for the firm's HR programs and corporate communications, public relations and media relations. She has been with Economical for 17 years and was formerly assistant vice-president, corporate human resources services. |
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Jorge Arruda, B.Comm.Senior vice-president, sales, distribution and underwriting operationsJorge has overall responsibility for business development and underwriting operations for each region in Canada. In addition, he is responsible for the sales and distribution support for Economical nationally. He also oversees Family Insurance Solutions, a Vancouver-based managing general agent acquired by Economical in 1999. Jorge was previously the chief transformation officer; senior vice-president, SBU and delivery management; senior vice-president, operations; and vice-president, claims. Jorge has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience and has been with Economical since 1995. |
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Dean Bulloch, MBA, CHRPSenior vice-president and chief human resources officerDean executes the company's strategic-level human resource management initiatives, including organizational effectiveness, talent identification, and leadership formation. Dean also has oversight and leadership of corporate services, corporate marketing, and corporate communications. He leads the organization's focus on employee engagement and corporate social responsibility. Dean started with Economical in 1996. Prior to joining Economical, Dean held a number of management positions in the retail banking sector since 1984. |
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Innes Dey, B.Sc. (Hons), LL.BSenior vice-president, chief legal officer and corporate secretaryInnes oversees Economical's legal function and provides counsel on capital markets, M&A, strategic investments, regulatory affairs, corporate governance and non-claims litigation. He joined Economical with more than 14 years of legal experience and 10 years in advisory and senior management positions within Canada's financial services sector. He previously served as vice-president, corporate affairs and corporate secretary of Northbridge Financial Corporation, and as a senior legal advisor to Canada Life Financial Corporation during its successful take-over defence and privatization. |
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Pamela Derksen, BA, FCIPVice-president, commercial insurancePam has leadership accountability for Economical's commercial insurance portfolio and leads the development and implementation of the commercial insurance strategy. She also has oversight of Western General. Previously, Pam was manager of commercial insurance in the Western region and was most recently division vice-president of Western General. |
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Wayne Edwards, FCASVice-president, corporate actuarialWayne comes to Economical from Partner Reinsurance Company where he worked for nearly 10 years as a senior actuary in the group actuarial unit in their Bermuda office. He has broad experience in capital allocation and return modeling, loss reserving and financial reporting. His knowledge of reinsurance pricing and underwriting and experience with acquisition valuation and integration from the corporate actuarial perspective are an asset to Economical.<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /> |
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David Fitzpatrick, BAVice-president, Economical FinancialDavid has more than 25 years of experience, the majority having been gained in the general insurance industry. He joined Economical in 1995, and has held positions as the vice-president, human resources; vice-president, field operations; vice-president, corporate services; and vice-president, sales and distribution. |
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Michael Gagnier, B.Comm.
Senior vice-president and chief information officerWith more than 22 years of leadership experience, Michael is highly skilled in process re-engineering, organizational design and technology in the financial services, retail, manufacturing, and software sectors. Michael most recently served as executive vice-president, sales with MD Management. Prior to that, he was the vice-president and chief information officer with MD Management and led their technology transformation. He also held executive-level IT positions with Novator, Citigroup and Indigo Books and Music. |
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Linda Goss, B.Sc. (Hons), FCIA, FCASSenior vice-president and chief actuaryLinda was appointed to the position of senior vice-president and chief actuary in January 2005. Prior to this, she was the chief actuary. She joined Economical in July 2000 as the assistant vice-president, actuarial services and became vice-president, actuarial services in July 2001. Before joining Economical, Linda held positions with two other large insurers as assistant vice- president, actuarial services and vice-president, pricing actuary. Previous to those senior positions, she was a consulting actuary with a large actuarial consulting firm. Linda has more than 27 years of actuarial experience.
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Robert Gow, CCLA, CFEVice-president, Ontario regionRobert Gow is responsible for Economical's business development and underwriting operations in the Ontario region. On joining the company in 2006 until his current appointment in 2013, he grew and strengthened Economical's presence in the rapidly changing western Canadian market where he served as vice-president, Western region. With more than 35 years of insurance industry experience, Rob has held many executive level positions within the property and casualty industry. |
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Bharat Kannan, B.Math., CA, CFAVice-president, finance and controllerPromoted from the position of director, performance measurement, Bharat oversees the company's strong control environment while setting and sustaining Economical's strategic financial posture. His record of success in leading the company's performance measurement activities is a key enabler of his department's contributions to Economical moving forward. Bharat started with Economical in 2001 and has more than 15 years' financial experience. |
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Pamela Marson, FCIPVice-president, personal insurancePam has leadership accountability for Economical's personal insurance portfolio and leads the development and implementation of the personal insurance strategy. Formerly operations manager of the Ottawa branch, Pam also has oversight of Economical Select and Perth Insurance. |
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Philip Mather, CA, B.Sc. (Hons)Senior vice-president and chief financial officer, president of Economical FinancialAs CFO, Phil provides the leadership team and the broader organization with strategic financial counsel and support and has overall responsibility for procurement and reinsurance. He is also president of Economical Financial, the company's broker financing arm. Prior to joining Economical in 2011, he was a partner in the audit and assurance group of global professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, specializing in financial services and, in particular, property and casualty insurance in which he has more than nine years' experience. |
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Rocco Neglia, BA (Hons), CIPVice-president, claimsRocco was appointed to the position of vice-president, claims in January 2005. He also has oversight and accountability for the claims operation at Family Insurance Solutions Inc. Prior to his appointment, Rocco was the national technical claims manager and was instrumental in developing and supporting Economical's claims strategy. He joined Economical in May 1996.
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Michael O'Neill, BA, MBA, CFAVice-president, investmentsAppointed vice-president, investments in November 2001, Mike is responsible for Economical's investment activity and develops strategy to position investment activities and achieve growth and risk/return objectives for the short and long term. Prior to this appointment, Mike was the manager of fixed income. Before joining Economical Mike was employed with investment dealer Gordon Capital and Royal Trust. |
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Mayssa Rifaï, BA, CIPVice-president, Quebec regionMayssa is responsible for the business development and underwriting operations in the Quebec region. Previously, she was regional vice-president, commercial insurance in Quebec. Before joining the company in 2010, Mayssa held a number of management positions with renowned insurers and brokerage firms, including Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Canada and Marsh Canada Limited. |
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Dan Spears, FCIPVice-president, Atlantic regionBased in Bedford, NS, Dan has led the business development and underwriting operations in the Atlantic region since 2004. He has more than 30 years experience in the property and casualty insurance industry in management, underwriting and claims with major insurance companies across Canada, and has spent more than half his career in Atlantic Canada.
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Chris Van Kooten, FCIA, FCASVice-president, pricingChris Van Kooten is vice-president, pricing, overseeing all personal and commercial actuarial product and pricing, as well as rate and rule engine support. Chris joined Economical in October 2008 and has provided very strong support and leadership in his role as vice-president, corporate actuarial. Before joining Economical, Chris worked at The Co-operators doing both corporate and pricing work in their actuarial department. Chris's knowledge of planning, solvency and strategic perspective is helping to guide the pricing unit to support the corporate, personal and commercial strategies.
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Chris Weber, BA (Hons), MAVice-president, Western RegionBased in Calgary, AB, Chris Weber is responsible for Economical's business development and underwriting operations in the Western region where he spent three years as regional claims manager from 2005 to 2008. Formerly vice-president, analytics, Chris helped establish the analytics collaboration office. In late 2012 to early 2013, as vice-president, transformation, he played an integral role in the company’s ongoing business transformation program.
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