November 2018 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S We re in this together The Mutuals come together for the annual P M Meeting pg 36 N E W S L E T T E R MARK YOUR CALENDARS LONDON AND OTTAWA FARM SHOWS PG 5 Ontario Mutuals Give Back pg 13
We ve had lots to celebrate this year We re nearly through another year and it s always nice to spend this time recognizing all we ve accomplished in the Mutual community As always Ontario Mutuals have been busy with community giving sponsorships and new organizational developments We ve also just finished our Farm Show season marking decades of Mutual support for the Ag Community We re also back safe and sound from OMIA s annual Presidents Managers Meeting hopefully with lots of valuable information to implement going forward Here s to another year one of many more in this together 2
OM In this issue November 2018 36 FEATURES 4 6 13 A MESSAGE FROM OMIA S CHAIR Brad Vanstone NEW TEAM MEMBERS Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System GIVING BACK How Mutual Companies are Supporting their Communities OMIA s 2018 President s Manager s Meeting 18 ADVANCING WOMEN IN AG 19 MILESTONES 20 LEARN MORE ABOUT OMIA 21 EDUCATION CALENDAR 22 OTHER NEWS EVENTS 28 RETIREMENTS 30 APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES Ontario Mutuals Support Tomorrow s Leaders in Ag Celebrating Achievements Featuring the Training Research Officers OMIA Education at a glance More Mutual News Celebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals Thrive Transforming the Mutuals 18 38 Ontario Mutuals at the IPM 32 10 WAYS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BARN FIRES 34 ONTARIO MUTUALS AT THE IBAO CONVENTION 35 ONTARIO MUTUALS AT CANADA S OUTDOOR FARM SHOW 36 A RECAP OF OMIA S PRESIDENT S MANAGER S MEETING
A Message from OMIA s Chair Brad Vanstone It s hard to believe that my year as Chair is already 7 months in Labour Day has come and gone and we are already into the fall season It has been an honour and a privilege to represent Ontario Mutuals while travelling to many events and meetings over this past 6 months In June I attended the MAMIC Annual Conference in beautiful Prince Edward Island True to form the hospitality of our Maritime Mutual friends was open and welcoming I attended the NAMIC Management Conference in Coronado California where there were great speakers and sessions on current issues facing our industry I also had the opportunity to attend the NAMIC Annual Convention in San Antonio Texas Following that I headed to Victoria B C for the CAMIC Annual Convention We just completed the P M in Niagara Falls and it was once again informative and educational for our membership Every conference meeting and convention that I have attended has been full of new information which benefits us all in our goal to work along side each other and learn along the way I feel it is so important to network and meet our fellow mutual colleagues We are always learning from each other creating many opportunities resulting in lasting relationships which help to promote our mutual values I have been constantly reminded of my theme Embracing Youth and Technology It s quite exhilarating to learn how our technology is ever changing and improving beyond our expectations and how it can affect the way we conduct our business A fresh look into our industry through the eyes of youth is a positive step in keeping up with the times and our technological advancements May your holiday season be filled with the joy and love of family and friends and may 2019 bring you good health and happiness through the year Once again I thank you for the opportunity to represent you as your Chair 4 Yours in Mutuality Brad Vanstone
London Farm Show March 6 8 London ON The London Farm Show is the largest spring farm show in eastern Canada featuring over 320 exhibitors in 230 000 square feet of show space showcasing the newest in agricultural technology Last year there was more than 15 000 agricultural attendees at this three day event Located in the BMO Centre at the Western Fairgrounds Ontario Mutuals will have a 20 foot booth available for members to be ambassadors of mutuality work the prize wheel and hand out giveaways Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Farm Show March 12 14 Ottawa ON The Ottawa Valley Farm Show is a dynamic innovative show that draws exhibitors and visitors from across Ontario The show facilitates sharing information provides networking opportunities and helps build community OVFS18 welcomed 11 675 attendees visiting from across Ontario and Quebec Located in the EY Centre participants at our booth will meet and greet visitors and share the Ontario Mutuals story More information about participation to come in early 2019 2019 OMIA Annual Convention March 20 22 Sheraton Centre Toronto As always the Annual Convention will feature thought provoking speakers and the opportunity to network with other Mutuals More information to follow in the new year Questions Concerns Please e mail marketing omia com Maximize your subrogation recoveries and free time for your staff to focus on more critical adjusting work Specializing in Subrogation We offer affordable contingency flat fee options Please contact us to discuss your subrogation needs Suite 216 762 Upper James St Hamilton ON 905 389 4522 christine sageclaims ca sageclaims ca November 2018 5
NEW TEAM MEMBERS Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System THE COMMONWELL recently welcomed Garth Winterton to the role of Vice President Claims Garth will be responsible for developing and executing claims strategies that align with our overall corporate strategy and will lead our efforts to effectively handle and resolve member claims Prior to joining The Commonwell Garth built a strong career in both direct and broker based sales organizations Some of his positions included National Auto and Property Director of Claims Director of the Special Investigation Unit RBC Insurance and most recently he was leading the Optimization and Fraud team as the Director of Claims RSA He is a certified change leader and is a strong advocate for both the customer and employee experience and how they can connect to achieve strong sustainable results THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We welcome Amber Wells to our agency force Amber is taking responsibility for the portfolio that Don Fergusson built over his many years with the company Don s retirement announcement pg 31 During the transition Don will continue to work with Amber as she meets and serves Don s many clients Usborne Hibbert Krista Bartlett joined Usborne Hibbert Mutual on August 13th as the Accounting Assistant Krista has many years of bookkeeping and customer service experience most recently working for Service Ontario as the Assistant Manager Krista lives in Exeter with her husband and three children Welcome to the team Krista HTM We would like to welcome Andrea Birney to our team With her educational and professional background we believe she will be an excellent addition to our company She will be taking on the role of Underwriting Administration Garth resides in Whitby with his wife Lesley and their two sons Jacob and Ryan Garth will be working from our Lindsay location Please join us in welcoming Garth to our team and mutual insurance Superior Insurance Solutions TITAN WEB ATLAS INSPECT Contact us for your free on site demonstration 6 www sehcomp ca MINDER PRO 1 800 575 9974
NEW TEAM MEMBERS FARM MUTUAL RE Please join us and the Product Services Department in welcoming Anita Caswell to Farm Mutual Re Anita joined us in August in the role of Product Analyst She brings extensive underwriting experience to the department with a focus on commercial lines Anita most recently worked with Gore Mutual as a Commercial Program Underwriter She also has experience working with The Co operators as a Commercial Underwriter Anita has attained both the CIP and CRM designations and is currently working toward her FCIP Welcome Anita FARM MUTUAL RE CO OP STUDENTS AND INTERNS Eugene Samokysh joined the Product Services Department in the role of Product Marketing Analyst Co op for a 4 month term Eugene is a student in Sheridan College s Marketing Management postgraduate program and holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Audit from Kyiv National Economic University in Ukraine He brings a passion for analytical software and sound technical ability with design software to the department Welcome Eugene Shireese McConkey joined Communications in the role of Communications Associate Co op for a 4 month term Shireese is currently enrolled in Sheridan College s Business Administration Marketing advanced diploma program She brings excellent graphic design and communication skills to the organization Welcome Shireese Suomi MacCarthy joined the Analytics Services Department in the role of Actuarial Analyst Co op for a 4 month term Suomi is currently pursuing his BSc Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo Along with a passion for actuarial science Suomi has a background in software development having completed two previous co ops as a Software Developer with Infor Global Solutions and as a Software Test Engineer with Ultimate Software Welcome Suomi Victoria Harmer joined the Reinsurance Department in the role of Reinsurance Assistant Intern for an 8 month term Victoria brings nine years of customer service experience to the department most recently working as a Personal Support Worker with WeCare in Mississauga Victoria is keen on beginning a career in the insurance industry and brings a positive outgoing attitude excellent organizational and time management skills and past leadership experience to the organization Welcome Victoria FARM MUTUAL RE Please join us and the Human Resources Department in welcoming Michelle Bowers to Farm Mutual Re Michelle joined us in the role of Human Resources Supervisor in September She worked closely with Marilyn Paquette Human Resources Manager to transfer knowledge prior to Marilyn s retirement on October 5th Michelle most recently worked with CDK Global in Waterloo in the role of Manager Human Resources Business Partner where she partnered with business leaders to support the organization at a strategic human resources level While at CDK she developed implemented and administered Canadian human resources policies and procedures for just under 300 Canadian employees and assisted in managing 300 additional U S employees Prior to that Michelle gained much of her HR experience with Honeywell Aerospace formerly COM DEV International where she was a key contributor in the implementation of a new Human Resources Management System and during an important period of change when Honeywell acquired COM DEV Michelle attained her Human Resources Management Certificate from Conestoga College and also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Wilfrid Laurier University She is also certified in Personal Profile Analysis and Team Analysis with Thomas International Welcome Michelle November 2018 7
NEW TEAM MEMBERS TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL Heather Campbell is the newest member of our claims team in her role as Auto Physical Damage Adjuster With a degree in Family Studies from Brescia College Western University Heather brings professionalism enthusiasm and commitment to the development of her insurance career Her prior work experience was as an administrator for a national restoration contractor giving her insight into how we interact with our members when they need us most TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL We are pleased to announce Marny Campbell joined our personal lines underwriting team on September 17th She brings several years of Personal Lines Auto Property and Farm experience to the department Marny has attained her CIP designation and we welcome her knowledge and understanding of our Mutual system MCKILLOP MUTUAL is excited to introduce new members to our team in 2018 Erin Blake joined us in March in our Reception Administration role Erin s background managing a busy medical office her prior finance experience and her funloving personality instantly made her a great fit with the rest of the team Kate Boyle joined us in September as our new Senior Claims Adjuster coming to us from a large national independent adjusting firm Kate s 15 years of experience encompasses all lines of insurance Surpassing her technical experience is her passion for providing every member with the best claims experience possible Jamie Turney joined McKillop in August as a Multi Line Underwriter Jamie s experience to date has been on the distribution side of the business where he has experience as an Agent and an Independent Insurance Broker with large national companies The most recent addition to our team is Lindsay Mathonia who joined us in October as our new Claims Administration Jr Adjuster Lindsay previously worked for a large law firm in London as a Paralegal Legal Assistant Her responsibilities included representing Landlords at Landlord and Tenant Tribunals across Southwestern Ontario McKillop Mutual is thrilled to add such talent to an already strong team of professionals Welcome to the mutuals Erin Kate Jamie and Lindsay 8
NEW TEAM MEMBERS AYR FARMERS MUTUAL May VangThao joins Ayr Farmers Mutual as a Personal Lines Underwriter May graduated from Conestoga College with a diploma from the Business Insurance Program and has her CIP as well May was born in a refugee camp in Thailand raised in the heart of California and now lives in Woodstock Welcome May AYR FARMERS MUTUAL Vanessa Roelofsen was hired as the Agribusiness Farm and Commercial Underwriter for Ayr Farmers Mutual Vanessa has experience in Personal and Commercial lines and a degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is working towards her CIP designation Vanessa currently resides in Drayton but is open to relocating closer to Ayr NORTH BLENHEIM MUTUAL is pleased to welcome Tina Pacheco to our team as a licensed Agent Care Representative Tina joined North Blenheim on August 27th bringing with her 20 years of experience in the insurance industry Welcome to the Ontario Mutual family Tina NORTH KENT MUTUAL We are pleased to announce that Tricia Speelman joined the North Kent Mutual Team on August 13th as an Administrative Assistant Tricia came to us from TD Canada Trust in Chatham where she worked for 12 years as a Customer Service Representative Tricia lives in Blenheim with her husband and three daughters Welcome Vanessa AYR FARMERS MUTUAL James Paradis joins us as Manager of HR Services James has over 14 years experience in the insurance industry with over a decade of that in a leadership role A former Claims Department Manager James made the transition into Human Resources He is currently completing the final requirements of his CHRP designation and has a degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario He resides with his family in Kitchener EDGE MUTUAL We would like to welcome five new employees at Edge Mutual Cori Allgeier joins us as a Farm Commercial Underwriter Susan Shaw joins us as a Farm Underwriter Desi Atin as Underwriting Support Jayne Mol as our Receptionist and Dave Martin joins us as a Senior Commercial Underwriter We are happy to welcome them to the Edge Team Welcome James KENT ESSEX MUTUAL We are pleased to welcome Stephen Munro to the K E team as Senior Farm Underwriter KENT ESSEX MUTUAL We are pleased to have Kimberley Schmidt join the K E team as Executive Assistant November 2018 9
NEW TEAM MEMBERS HOWARD MUTUAL Tasha joined the Howard Mutual team on August 6th as a Sales Agent She has a Business Insurance Diploma from Fanshawe College and achieved her CIP designation in 2007 She comes to us with over 17 years of experience in the industry as an Insurance Broker Tasha resides in Thamesville Ontario with her husband and two children Welcome to the team Tasha HOWARD MUTUAL Rachel Vandecaveye has joined Howard Mutual as one of the newest Intermediate Multi line Underwriters She has extensive experience in all lines of the insurance industry During her most recent employment as a Broker she worked with a number of mutual insurance companies and she is very familiar with a variety insurance software programs and wordings She is currently working towards obtaining her CIP designation Rachel resides in Tilbury Ontario with her family We are excited to have you as part of the HW team 10 HOWARD MUTUAL was pleased to welcome Scott Thompson to the Howard Team on August 6th as a Sales Agent Scott was born and raised in the Chatham area and has an extensive background in multiple industries He has an Advertising Diploma from St Clair College with family insurance roots dating back to the 1930 s Scott lives in Chatham with his wife and two children and has been an active foster parent for 13 years Welcome to the team Scott HOWARD MUTUAL is pleased to welcome Amy Lynne Rawlins who joined our team July 9th as an Intermediate Underwriter All Lines Amy comes to us with over 16 years experience in the insurance industry having been both a broker and an underwriter As a broker she completed CAIB and is currently furthering her education by pursuing CIP designation She lives on the family farm with her husband and their 4 sons Welcome to the team Amy
NEW TEAM MEMBERS MIDDLESEX MUTUAL As we continue to grow and settle into our new office building we are pleased to announce the addition of three new employees to our Mutual Team A recent Fanshawe graduate Stephanie Wells joined our mutual family on May 28th as Junior Underwriter and Administrative Assistant Stephanie graduated with a Business Insurance Diploma earlier this year and is working towards completing her CIP designation Stephanie enjoys the small town atmosphere of Ilderton and is familiar with the Mutual setting as her mother also works for a Mutual company A new All Lines Adjuster Emilly Bowerman was welcomed to our office on August 7th She comes to us with a law enforcement background and seven years of insurance experience as an Accident Benefits Adjuster in the Great White North of Sudbury Ontario She achieved her CIP designation this year Emilly has already proven to be hugely beneficial to our claims department and is able to provide customer service on a one on one basis She is currently enjoying the small town lifestyle with her husband daughter and two dogs We are pleased to announce the addition of Ken Poort as an Intermediate Underwriter Ken graduated with his Insurance Diploma from Mohawk College in 2013 and received his CIP designation from the Insurance Institute in 2016 He brings over 5 years of insurance experience most recently as a Commercial Lines Underwriter Ken is a hardworking family man with a wife and three young children Welcome Stephanie Emilly and Ken WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We would like to welcome Alison Simpson to the role of Residential Underwriter Alison grew up on a cash crop farm in Ashfield Colbourn Wawanosh Township and her first taste of insurance was working for a Worker s Compensation Claims Management Service in London After spending a few years in the city she decided to return to the area and soon after found her way back to insurance Alison spent the last three years at a local brokerage and has now traded her Broker License for a General Insurance License and is currently working towards her CIP Designation WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We would like to welcome Jeff Elliott to the role of Farm Commercial Underwriter Jeff was born in Blyth and currently lives in Goderich with his wife and two daughters He is a proud member of the Goderich Volunteer Fire ghters For eight years Jeff worked at one of our local Brokers as a Broker Loss Prevention Officer He has a RIBO designation and is working towards his CIP CRM WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We would like to welcome Laura Phillips to the role of Commercial Underwriter Laura is a graduate of Conestoga College s General Business and Business of Insurance diploma programs She was in the P C world for six years and held various roles while completing her CIP CRM and CPIB In 2016 Laura was awarded the Insurance Institute of Canada s National Emerging Leader award She currently lives in Lucknow with her husband and puppy Baloo WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We would like to welcome Jordan McWhinney to the role of Accounts Receivable Clerk Human Resources Trainee Jordan was born and raised in Ashfield Colbourn Wawanosh Township and currently lives on a cash crop farm She graduated from the Fanshawe College Business Human Resources Program and has an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration Human Resources Recently Jordan received her Certified Human Resources Professional designation November 2018 11
NEW TEAM MEMBERS HALWELL MUTUAL is excited to welcome Ashley Hopkins to the team as our new Underwriting Team Lead effective September 13th Ashley s underwriting career began in Calgary AB with TD Meloche Monnex In her time at TD she fulfilled several roles including Customer Service Analyst Renewal Analyst and Quality Analyst She has also worked at Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Company as a Regional Underwriter and at Wawanesa Mutual Insurance as Senior Personal Lines Underwriter acting as back up team leader supporting brokers and junior underwriters Recently she has been employed as a broker in the Niagara Region and as the Assistant Sales Manager at Youngs Insurance Brokers providing oversight guidance and coaching to the account executives Ashley possesses a Canadian Risk Manager CRM designation a Management Certificate from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and is in the process of completing her Chartered Insurance Professional CIP designation We look forward to seeing Ashley s contributions to our already very skilled and experienced underwriting team HALWELL MUTUAL is excited to welcome Tamrah Brown as our new Data Analyst Tamrah is a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo where she completed her Masters MMATH Actuarial Science Prior to this she grew up in Jamaica where she completed her BSc in Actuarial Science and at 20 years old was the youngest valedictorian of her graduating class at the University of the West Indies She has previous experience in underwriting and is excited for her new role at Halwell She is also currently pursuing her actuarial exams for the Society of Actuaries HALWELL MUTUAL is proud to announce that Tiia Planert has joined the team as our newest Underwriting Assistant She has experience in insurance and as an entrepreneur She was the founder owner of Market Cupcakes Incorporated which she sold in 2015 she actually won Young Entrepreneur Award for Waterloo region in 2011 She returned to school to complete her Honours BA at Queen s University and is now pursuing her CIP designation Most recently Tiia was an Associate Claims Advisor with another Mutual Tiia is looking forward to starting her underwriting career with Halwell Different by Design As Canada s fifth largest professional services firm with dedicated financial services professionals in both rural and urban communities across Ontario MNP has you covered Whether you require accounting consulting tax or technology solutions we are here to support you with a diverse range of personalized services and strategies that get results Contact Jas Chahal CPA CA at 289 293 2371 or jas chahal mnp ca 12
ONTARIO MUTUALS GIVE BACK How Mutual Companies are Supporting their Communities MIDDLESEX MUTUAL Agent Tara McKenzie organized our annual Terry Fox Run which took place on September 16th We are proud of the hard work Tara puts into this event each year It was a beautiful sunny day and many participants came out for the occasion Our small town of Ilderton was able to raise over 15 000 with all the proceeds going to the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research Congratulations to Tara and her team of volunteers MCKILLOP MUTUAL once again offered local community support by sponsoring and driving this year s Seaforth Fall Fair Jr Ambassador contestants in the September parade It made for a cozy ride in the old Ford Model T Middlesex President CEO Nancy Preston with volunteers Jessie Olivia Melisa Jocelyn Kayla Stephanie Event Coordinator Tara McKenzie with her family TRILLIUM MUTUAL was a Gold Sponsor at the Outstanding Young Farmers event held at the 25th Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock This competition is an annual event that recognizes farmers across Canada that promote education around agriculture and recognize farmers that display excellence in their profession This years Ontario winners were Jordan and Alex McKay from Port Perry TRILLIUM MUTUAL Corey Hayter and Joe Dietrich volunteered at the Progressive Ag Safety Day held in Teeswater HOWICK MUTUAL On October 13th Laurie Ruetz and Tammy Hickling of Howick Mutual participated in the Bluewater Radiothon with a cheque presentation of 4 000 The Hanover District Hospital Foundation and the Walterton District Hospital Foundation will each receive 2 000 Hospitals are a vital part of our local communities and we are proud to support them in this way November 2018 13
GIVING BACK LAMBTON MUTUAL President CEO Debbie Van Eyk presented two Lambton Mutual Scholarships for 2018 to Caley Dougan from North Lambton Secondary School and BobbiJacklyn MacDonald pictured from Lambton Central Collegiate Vocational Institute Students are chosen as Lambton Mutual scholarship recipients based on their community involvement volunteerism and academic excellence Like all Ontario Mutuals Lambton Mutual Insurance Company takes great pride in being an active contributor to the community Six 4 H Go For The Gold teams gathered in Toronto on November 3rd at the 2018 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to compete in the provincial 4 H Go For The Gold Competition after qualifying for the competition at the Regional level The team from Peel County representing Region 4 emerged as the victorious team beating out the team from Perth County representing Region 5 in the Championship game Also participating in the competition were teams from Sudbury District Region 1 Carleton Region 2 Durham East Region 3 and Middlesex Region 6 Ontario Mutuals is the Exclusive Sponsor of the Go For the Gold Competition OMIA Director Bob Burley HTM brought greetings on behalf of the Mutuals KENT ESSEX MUTUAL staff happily volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity home this season Pictured Tom French coach Amy Karpenko Melissa Karpenko Caitlyn Kolb Kayla Emmerton Nicole Emmerton and Heather French coach Your Insurance Recruitment Specialist OMIA Members receive 1 500 o your rst hire with Elby Contact Peter Lister to take advantage of this exclusive o er at peter lister elby ca or 519 279 1853 Kitchener Burlington Mississauga 14 855 979 1297 info elby ca elby ca
GIVING BACK MIDDLESEX MUTUAL Our staff volunteers had a great time at this year s Ilderton Fall Fair which took place September 28th 30th The theme of our booth was What is the Mutual Difference and featured a Play Setting up the booth with Penny Melhado Marketing Staff volunteer Bronwen Grieve with it Forward game Product Manager and Nancy Preston President CEO her niece Melayna helping out at the that emphasizes booth how Middlesex Mutual supports our community As always we handed out local apples to fair attendees One very lucky visitor won our raffle for a free 40 TV and a Children s Gift Basket was given to a very happy little girl St Clair Conservation Education Program received the most ballots during our Play it Forward game so we will happily donate 250 to them FARM MUTUAL RE OMIA The Green Team has successfully donated over 150 pounds of fresh produce to our local food bank this year EDGE MUTUAL has once again demonstrated its support for the local food bank Staff recently donated a collection of food items to the Drayton Food Bank The company also made a 250 donation KENT ESSEX MUTUAL was honoured this year to proudly support the Hogs for Hospice event in Leamington that raises funds for the Erie Shores Health Foundation Our Green Team also held a non Perishable food drive and 237lbs of nonperishables were donated KENT ESSEX MUTUAL is a corporate sponsor of CK Positivity Days Captain Positive recently stopped by for a visit November 2018 15
GIVING BACK AYR FARMERS MUTUAL As our 125th Anniversary celebrations continue we re in the home stretch of fulfilling our initiative to provide 125 000 in donations to local groups and projects in surrounding communities Pictured above are presentations being made to some of the many recipients The Drumbo Lions Club received 5 000 towards the Drumbo Splash Pad project The Paris Curling Club received 5 000 towards the installation of a new in floor refrigeration system and Camp Impeesa located just outside of Ayr received 5 000 towards a new fireplace insert and chimney lining Staff enjoying the BBQ Cindy Brewer and Aaron Rodrigues SABS Claims Li ga on NORTH KENT MUTUAL held a BBQ for Positivity Day on September 13th We raised over 560 with all proceeds going to Terry Fox Run North Kent Mutual retiree Cindy Brewer was recognized by Aaron Rodrigues of Postmedia for her volunteering efforts for the Terry Fox Run Congrats Cindy ERIE MUTUAL Insurance held their Annual Golf Tournament at Freedom Oaks Golf Club in Dunnville on September 6th Special thanks to representatives from Cayuga Mutual and Caradoc Townsend Mutual who joined Erie Mutual staff and Board Members for a fun afternoon of golf and dinner Participants at the event donated nonperishable items which were provided to our local food bank at The Salvation Army in Dunnville Commercial Claims Economic Loss Claims Jessy Hawley CPA CGA CFF CIP Gary Phelps CPA CMA CFF CFE advisoryservices davismar ndale com 1 800 668 2167 INDEPENDENT MEMBER FIRM
GIVING BACK TRILLIUM MUTUAL Pictured left Scott Larry Mat Sam Kendra April and Bettina spent a day at the Ronald McDonald House in London and prepared dinner for all the guests We were also proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the LFO Field Day event held in Norwood This event showcased the handling and management of sheep through demonstrations and a tour of the host s progressive farm operation The event provided many educational and learning opportunities for sheep farmers with over 400 in their flock ERIE MUTUAL was pleased to once again support the West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation The 1 500 donation was part of the W H H H F Annual Auction Fundraiser held on October 10th at the Hagersville Community Centre LAMBTON MUTUAL Employees were honoured to spend another special evening together volunteering by making dinner for all the guest families at the Ronald McDonald House in London It was a very humbling experience Left to right Sharon Plunkett Mikayla Verberne Leonie Finch Gale Edwards Paul Van Lieshout and Ramona Bazely We make a living by what we get We make a life by what we give Winston Churchill
Learn more about the Conference at www advancingwomenconference ca ONTARIO MUTUALS INVEST IN THE FUTURE Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference Ontario Mutuals is proud to have sponsored two students and one 4 H Ontario staffer to attend the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference East this year in Niagara Falls October 15th and 16th The Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference is for every woman who is passionate about agriculture and food whether a University student studying agriculture a producer rancher entrepreneur representative of a grower association or corporate agribusiness AWC is for women who want to enhance their family life community career and industry through communications and coaching mentoring and networking financial management and independence health and balance of life strategies career planning and setting goals in all areas Here is a little more information about the two students the Mutuals sponsored Christine Flaherty Animal Biology University of Guelph As a young adult looking to make a living in the agriculture industry I Pictured L to R Christine Flaherty Debbie believe learning from the various impressive women at this conference Van Eyk and Abbey Taylor could be a priceless experience I am looking to develop a career in the nutritional sector of animal livestock but I also want to learn to be a leader in my career in order to open more doors and opportunities to myself I think this conference could have an immediate and lasting impact on how I move forward with my education and career as a woman in agriculture Abbey Taylor Associate Diploma in Agriculture University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus As a young female passionate about agriculture attending the AWC would be a dream come true for me Meeting and networking with successful women in agriculture would encourage me that I too can succeed in this industry I hope that by meeting women from various agriculture sectors I will be exposed to many different career paths and find inspiration for my own future career in the industry My goal is to be a primary producer on my family farm and I am also interested in working in agribusiness I know that attending this conference would open my eyes to the many possibilities that exist for women in agribusiness Most of all I would love to be surrounded by women who share my love of agriculture and I hope to learn as much as I can from their various experiences and pathways to success in agriculture Debbie Van Eyk Lambton Mutual President and Ontario Mutuals representative attended the Student Sponsor Luncheon on October 16th to meet our student attendees We know Ontario Mutuals are proud to support tomorrow s leaders in Agriculture and OMIA will continue to seek opportunities to support that initiative 18
ONTARIO MUTUALS MILESTONES Celebrating Achievements in the Mutual System THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL is thrilled to have surpassed the 100 000 Policies in Force in June A small celebration was held in all the offices acknowledging all the work completed by both all our team members as well as our brokers and agents EDGE MUTUAL would like to congratulate Grace Roelofsen Auto Underwriter on her 40 years of service Grace started on October 10th 1978 back when we were Peel Maryborough Grace is known for her sunny disposition and her outstanding customer service We thank Grace for her dedication and her many contributions to the company Grace is pictured with Edge Mutual President and CEO Carlos Rodrigues CAYUGA MUTUAL Agent Randy Bacher received tickets to a Yankees vs Blue Jays game in recognition of 20 years with Cayuga Mutual Congratulations Randy Cayuga s Rosanne Belliveau presents the tickets to Randy DUMFRIES MUTUAL We congratulate Cheryl Duncan Property Underwriter for working 25 years at Dumfries Mutual as of September 16th We re inspired by Cheryl s hard work dedication and talents that have enabled her to reach this milestone
MEET YOUR OMIA Training Research Officers How long have you worked at OMIA Christine 10 years Janet I am relatively new with OMIA having just started in May 2018 I m not new the Mutual s though having spent my insurance career with Mutual companies How does your department help Ontario Mutuals succeed Christine We are a team that is focused on assisting our Members by providing technical support insurance contracts training and education in all lines of business This enables the Members to focus their resources on operational tasks that support their business strategies Janet I like to think that our department assists in growing experts We research what is happening in the industry in order to develop wordings and resource documents for use by our Members I believe every person working at a Mutual strives to be an expert in their job By facilitating educational opportunities and collaborative roundtable experiences Ontario Mutuals will remain grassroots strong What is your favourite part about your job Christine The Culture Even with the introduction to the use of new methods and technologies of doing business everyone collaborates to get there together Also the diversity of work one project involves drafting policy contracts and yet another developing and delivering training material I love multi tasking so it works for me Janet I would have to say that a favourite part of my job is the opportunity to develop training programs and facilitate the transfer of knowledge amongst insurance professionals Being a life long learner it is very rewarding to meet others who have the same mindset What is one thing you wished Member Companies knew about your department Christine We provide so many services along with training and education We are drafting and editing policy contracts creating supporting material handling technical calls from all disciplines in all lines of business We have a team of competent experienced insurance professionals Janet One thing that I would like Member Companies to know about the Insurance Services Department is that we work within a committee structure The Education and Product Strategy Committees comprised of Member Company representatives have your interests at heart 20 Christine Senior Janet Schmidt What has surprised you most about working at OMIA Christine The breadth and depth of the services we proudly provide as a team Janet There is evidence that everyone at OMIA takes a great deal of pride in their work Our mission at OMIA is to serve and strengthen our mutual insurance community Working as a team I see this happening around me everyday While I shouldn t be surprised it is very refreshing What is one interesting fact about you that you would like to share Christine I strongly believe in Tolstoy s theory that each person s task in life is to become an increasingly better person and that we have to be the change that we want to see in the world Clearly I like meaningful quotes Janet I like to clown around Dressed as a clown you may see me on parade with a piccolo in hand at local Santa Claus parades Then again the purple hair and make up might throw you off Is there anything else you would like Mutual companies to know Janet Don t forget to visit the OMIA website to see our Education Calendar and the Product Strategy Committee Action List I hope to meet many more of you
UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS Subject to change Please refer to www omia com to review a current calendar of courses offered by OMIA Click on Education and then Education Calendar DATE COURSE NAME COURSE DESCRIPTION Nov 28 Privacy Officers Roundtable A group of member company privacy officers meet to discuss issues of common interest Nov 29 Agents Roundtable An affiliate group of point of sale personnel meet to discuss topics of interest to them Dec 4 Board Chairs Roundtable Of interest to Board Chairs Vice Chairs this session focuses on governance and meeting topics of interest Dec 6 Managers Roundtable Mutual company managers meet to discuss issues of interest Dec 11 Moved from Nov 15 Conducting Internal Audits Designed for those who are responsible for internal audits of any operational area of an insurance company Dec 11 12 Farm Liability Coverage Review Live Online A review of the farm liability coverage wording will be conducted over two mornings in a live online format Dec 12 Finance 101 for Mutual Insurance Companies Of interest to mutual company directors and nonfinancial staff this one day program is designed to introduce insurance accounting concepts in an interactive and non threatening way This session does not address IFRS 17 changes Dec 13 14 Commercial Liability Coverage Review Live Online A review of the commercial liability coverage wording will be conducted over two mornings in a live online format Jan 8 9 Residential Property Coverage ReviewLive Online A review of personal property coverage wordings will be conducted over two mornings in a live online format Jan 15 16 Farm Property Coverage Review Live Online A review of farm property coverage wordings will be conducted over two mornings in a live online format Of interest to agents brokers underwriters adjusters Jan 22 Auto Accident Benefits Claims Handling Workshop Accident Benefit adjusters spend the day focusing on issues that they deal with in their role of handling this specialty line of insurance Jan 22 Introduction to Reinsurance Of interest to directors and staff this session will provide participants with an introduction to reinsurance This is a unit in the Directors Certification Program This is a person session There will be live online sessions on February 14 and February 25 Jan 24 Automobile Underwriters Roundtable An affiliate group of mutual company automobile underwriters discuss topics of interest to them Jan 29 30 Commercial Property Coverage ReviewLive Online A review of commercial property coverage wording will be conducted over two mornings in a live online format Feb 14 Introduction to ReinsuranceLive Online Of interest to directors and staff this session will provide participants with an introduction to reinsurance This is a unit in the Directors Certification Program This is a live online session Feb 20 Commercial and Farm Underwriters Roundtable An affiliate group of mutual company underwriters responsible for underwriting commercial and farm business discuss topics of interest to them Feb 21 Considering Products Completed Operations Exposure Of interest to agents brokers underwriters adjusters and loss prevention persons this session will focus on developing an understanding of what could possibly go wrong and how our insurance coverage products might or might not respond November 2018 21
OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS HTM Insurance Company entered a team in a beach volleyball tournament on September 6th hosted by Durham Brokers Association and the Insurance Institute of Ontario Kawartha Durham Chapter It was a great afternoon with beautiful weather HTM Insurance participated in the 2018 Hastings County Plowing Match and Farm Show The twoday event held 200 exhibitors of agricultural technology and services woodlot info and demos crafts family programs antiques Queen of the Furrow and entertainment The weather was great for the event HTM informed many people about their services and provided freezies to all who came to visit 22 NORTH KENT MUTUAL was involved in the 2018 IPM from the very beginning We were the sponsor of the 2018 cookbook which was on sale starting November 2016 NKM sold Cookbooks gala tickets and entrance tickets from our office in Dresden During the week of the match NKM had over 20 staff volunteering at the NKM booth inside the Ontario Mutuals tent and in other areas of the show Sales Manager Dean Muharrem was on the executive for the Plowing match and was in charge of seven committees including lunches which delivered 500 plus lunches a day to volunteers BCM Insurance participated in the Niagara Networks tradeshow in September hosted by all Niagara Chambers of Commerce We spread the word about BCM and the Mutual world of Insurance Photo Heidi McKenna working the booth at the tradeshow TRILLIUM MUTUAL President CEO Joe Dietrich represented Trillium Mutual Insurance on the CEO panel discussion at the ICMIF Conference in Cartegena Colombia The focus of the conference was Insuring Tomorrow Fostering Sustainability and Resilience
OTHER NEWS BCM Insurance participated in the 2018 Grape and Wine Grand Parade in St Catharines for the first time Over 100 000 people were introduced to BCM and our new brand A perfect day HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL held another successful CSR Break Away with record attendance and many accolades from our guests Frontline staff enjoyed a morning together hearing informative presentations from our own executive plus other guest speakers The group was later treated to an entertaining performance of Ghost the Musical at St Jacobs Country Playhouse WESTMINSTER MUTUAL successfully bid on Farm Mutual Re CEO Steve Smith s Hunt Camp auction item to raise funds for the Farm Mutual Foundation A successful hunt and great day was had by all The dogs were the most important and interesting part of the hunt From left to right are Ed Meiering of McConville OMNI Insurance Brokers Goose Smith of the Smith Family Dan Boehm Director of Westminster Mutual Fred Neukamm Director of Westminster Mutual Cocoa Neukamm of the Neukamm Family and Todd Sprague of HWC Insurance Brokers TRILLIUM MUTUAL Tracy MacDonald VP of Corporate Services discussed innovation and what it means for the future of our company in an article by Yahoo Finance It s a really different approach than corporations that have been around for a really really long period of time have taken https ca finance yahoo com news intrapreneurshipchanging business landscape 120632180 html TRADITION MUTUAL In September Tradition Mutual hit the water for the 23rd annual Dragon Boat Festival in Stratford For the second year in a row Tradition competed against four other community teams in a shortened 200m race Although the result wasn t what they had hoped for everyone enjoyed their time and stayed mostly dry November 2018 23
A note about ACCOMPLISHMENTS Congratulating Mutual Members on Their Professional Developments CAYUGA MUTUAL A professional shout out to Agent Krista Neil who recently completed her Canadian Risk Management CRM designation Hats off to you Krista Batter up WABISA MUTUAL Team East and NORFOLK MUTUAL Team West took to the ball field for a good old fashioned softball game Back in July Policyholders of both Wabisa Mutual and Norfolk Mutual voted in favour Amalgamation of the two historical companies This game was one of several team building events planned for the new combined team of NOVA MUTUAL which will begin operating as a new company on January 1st 2019 FARM MUTUAL RE is doing their part to combat plastic waste by replacing plastic straws with reusable metal straws The Green Team continues to incorporate ways to reduce reuse and recycle into our everyday lives SOUTH EASTHOPE MUTUAL Frank Rider CEO of South Easthope Mutual completed his two year term as Chair of CAMIC in October Incoming chair Blair Campbell CEO of PEI Mutual left presents the Past Chair s Award at the CAMIC Annual Meeting held in Victoria B C Blair Campbell left and Frank Rider 24 HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL An expanded booth and new banners made this year s Outdoor Farm Show even better and nice weather always helps too Visitors stopped to chat with our agents brokers and staff during the busy three day show NORFOLK MUTUAL The Norfolk County Fair is the county s pinnacle of fall celebrations Norfolk Mutual is a longstanding Reserve Grand Champion Sponsor of this historical festival In addition to sponsorship Norfolk Mutual team members from various departments had the opportunity to engage fairgoers with a brief survey on home water protection Participants were entered into a draw to win a Fallsview Waterpark Getaway
OTHER NEWS KENT ESSEX MUTUAL Our team won first place at the First Annual Chatham Kent Insurance Brokers Association bowling tournament NORFOLK MUTUAL On a sunny fall morning broker partners of both Norfolk Mutual and Wabisa Mutual gathered at the beautiful Norfolk Arts Centre in Simcoe to hear the latest news on amalgamation An inspiring space filled with stunning works by local artists this National Historic Site was the perfect location for this talk Norfolk Mutual and Wabisa Mutual management shared updates on proposed products pricing and the next steps in the Amalgamation process Brokers especially enjoyed their take home gift of a dozen of Norfolk County s official Apple Cider Donuts LAMBTON MUTUAL We were honoured and proud to be set up in the OMIA tent for the 2018 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Pain Court Ontario Our staff and directors took turns representing the company each day Everyone enjoyed themselves bumping into familiar friendly faces and meeting new contacts We had many wonderful prizes to give away to very happy recipients TRILLIUM MUTUAL VP of Corporate Services Tracy MacDonald represented Trillium Mutual at the CAMIC Annual Convention session on Innovation Labs The panel was full of some great discussion and Tracy was quoted saying In the innovation space you have to get started it doesn t matter what size your company is November 2018 25
OTHER NEWS BCM Insurance had a GREAT time at it s annual Golf Tournament at the end of August NORTH KENT MUTUAL held its 9th annual Golf Tournament on August 8th at Willow Ridge Blenheim 144 golfers turned out for a fantastic day of golf dinner and fellowship TRILLIUM MUTUAL On September 7th Trillium hosted over 100 of our broker partners at the Listowel Golf Club for our annual Broker Appreciation Golf Day The Dream Team Our Underwriting Department from left to right Michelle Hueni Dana Bedell Patti Melhuish Front Tara Richardson LAMBTON MUTUAL staff directors agents and brokers attended the annual Lambton Mutual Agent Broker Appreciation Day Golf Tournament in September We enjoyed a relaxing day of golf and socializing with our fellow colleagues at Widder Station Golf Course Left to right Nicole Hackney Geoff Hodgins Janice Leyten and Director Ross Smith 26 TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL and Goodhand Insurance teamed up for a great day of golf supporting the Strathroy District Chamber of Commerce Pictured Pat Greenway Jennifer Timmermans and Curtis Goodhand Directors Steve Vanek Rich Daly and Agent Brian Ennett with customers and friends
OTHER NEWS OMIA was happy once again to host the Insurance Institute s CIP Society Symposium West The session Challenge Everything Transform the Norm was held in Cambridge on August 23rd Designed by insurance professionals for insurance professionals CIP Society Symposium West is a full day of progressive learning aimed at increasing your skills and knowledge level Now in its fourth year the event provides a full day of professional and leadership development alongside multiple networking opportunities with insurance and business leaders Symposium West is held for insurance professionals in the Southwestern Ontario Hamilton Niagara and Conestoga chapter areas It brings together bright minds to give talks that are focused and on a wide range of subjects to foster learning inspiration and wonder and provoke conversations that matter OMIA President John Taylor was part of the CEO Panel at this year s IBAO Convention in Niagara Falls The panel involved one on one and debate style questions that were posed to executives of leading insurers The panel was moderated by David Coletto Founding Partner CEO of Abacus Data David leveraged current data on next gen brokers insurers and customers to ask CEOs about the future of their businesses Learn more at www insuranceinstitute ca November 2018 27
RETIREMENTS Celebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals Thrive FARM MUTUAL RE The board of directors of Farm Mutual Re have announced that Steve Smith will retire as President and CEO at the end of August 2019 Steve joined Farm Mutual Re as President and CEO in 2003 and successfully led the company through a period of transformation and change Under Steve s leadership the company has created a bold vision and strategy has experienced strong premium growth with an international reach and has renewed the company s core values The latter culminated with the rebranding of the company as Farm Mutual Re Steve recently stated It has been an honour and a privilege to serve Farm Mutual Re and the mutual community for the last 15 years The incredible team of people that I have had the honour to work with has been without doubt the most rewarding experience I could have ever had or wished for The mutual system is an incredible community to be part of and left an indelible mark on me for which I will be forever grateful During Steve s tenure as CEO total equity has grown by more than 288 million to current levels For the fiscal year ended December 31st 2017 the company achieved 191 million in gross written premium and 419 million in surplus In addition to strong financial performance Steve has overseen the implementation of robust strategy capital management corporate governance and risk management frameworks during this time Farm Mutual Re would not be where it is today without the courageous leadership tireless dedication and incredible energy that Steve has provided to our organization said current Chair Jeff Whiting Our people are our greatest strength and Steve s leadership has provided an incredible illustration of strong impact and continuous effort to support our members and our customers worldwide upholding our foundation of trusting and lasting relationships The board of directors will conduct a process to select Steve s successor Steve will continue to lead the company during this phase with the full support of the board and leadership team 28
RETIREMENTS FARM MUTUAL RE Please join us in congratulating Marilyn Paquette as she entered retirement from Farm Mutual Re on October 5th 2018 Marilyn s career path has been varied and intriguing Prior to Farm Mutual Re Marilyn worked in heavy metal Kuntz Electroplating over the airways AM96 Radio and in the jungle African Lion Safari She joined Farm Mutual Re as a Human Resource Generalist on a one year contract in June 2005 Her skills were quickly recognized and within two years Marilyn was promoted to Manager of the HR function Marilyn brought many progressive initiatives to the organization and helped to shape an organizational culture based on our core values She embodied these Farm Mutual Re values and demonstrated leadership as an exceptional role model for all employees THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL would like to congratulate our long time Agent Don Fergusson on his upcoming retirement Don and his wife Marlene have been exclusive agents for The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group and former Lanark Mutual for over 34 years Three generations of Fergussons have been agents of The Commonwell Don took over the agency from his father who took it over from his father We thank Don and Marlene for all of their service over the years and wish them well in their transition to retirement LAMBTON MUTUAL Happy Retirement to Deb Parker Debbie Parker of Lambton Mutual Insurance Company retired after serving the company for 29 years She began a very successful career in September of 1989 in the Underwriting Department where she worked on all property lines of business including farm and commercial She concluded her career in the Loss Prevention Department We thank her for her dedication and wish her all the best in her new retiree status HTM After 35 years of working at HTM Insurance Company Donna Bevan has retired Donna was an integral part of the company and HTM thanks her for all of her contributions Wishing her all the best in her well deserved retirement Donna you will truly be missed CAYUGA MUTUAL Director Jerry Keunen officially retired from his position on Cayuga Mutual s Board of Directors on September 20th Jerry was appointed to the Board in 1997 and served as Chair in 2008 and 2016 We wish Jerry well in his retirement November 2018 29
APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES Transforming the Mutuals HOWARD MUTUAL Jodi Rich President and Chief Executive Officer CEO on behalf of Howard Mutual Insurance Company HMI wishes to announce the appointment of Jenny Menard as Chief Financial Officer effective September 7th 2018 Jenny began her career working 11 years with BDO serving as Senior Staff Accountant in both their London and Strathroy offices and working with numerous Mutual insurers during that tenure She has been working within the mutual system for 15 years She is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelors of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo Jodi Rich stated Jenny is a true professional with excellent credentials including significant experience undertaking similar job responsibilities with other Mutual insurance companies We are delighted to be gaining such quality experience and knowledge of our industry and know her personality and management style will be complementary to our leadership group and the finance accounting team Jenny resides in Strathroy with her husband and five children FARM MUTUAL RE To continue to build Farm Mutual Re s financial leadership and competence Steve Smith President and Chief Executive Officer is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Butler to the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective September 10th 2018 Amy will join the Farm Mutual Re executive team leading the accounting financial reporting investment lending risk management and governance functions 30 HOWARD MUTUAL Jodi Rich President and Chief Executive Officer CEO of Howard Mutual is thrilled to announce that Mark Preston has joined our team as IT Manager effective July 9th 2018 Mark started his mutual journey here with Howard Mutual in the mid 90 s and gained more experience working at MCCG and at another Mutual before rejoining us He has experience creating and testing custom solutions reports implementing new policies procedures and standards and mentoring new staff Mark is a wealth of knowledge and his skill set will be welcomed to continue to move us forward and strengthen the Howard Mutual Team HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL is pleased to welcome Jim Sulston back to our leadership team in the role of Vice President Broker Management Marketing Analytics Jim brings considerable breadth of experience to the organization through his 20 years of P C insurance experience In addition his knowledge of Heartland brings continuity while allowing our practices to advance to best serve our customers needs FARM MUTUAL RE We are pleased to announce that effective immediately Emily McHugh has been appointed to the role of Assistant Corporate Secretary for Farm Mutual Re Emily will transition to Corporate Secretary in March 2019 pending approval by the Board of Directors
APPOINTMENTS OMIA is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Ferguson to the position of Director of Operations effective October 1st Over the past two years OMIA has been focused on developing our strategy and adapting to the needs of our members as they in turn adapt to changes in their organizations This has led to the creation of a detailed strategic plan including strategic priorities and tactical objectives for OMIA s service areas At the same time OMIA committees have focused on planning and long term sustainability and have begun to explore innovation through leveraging the COMPASS Planning process In this newly created role of Director of Operations Jeff will support OMIA s service delivery to members with a focus on those OMIA Departments that most impact members insurance business operations Data Strategy Marketing and Insurance Services In this role Jeff will also work closely with OMIA President John Taylor and the OMIA management team in continuing to develop and push forward OMIA s strategic priorities Jeff joined OMIA in 2010 as Manager of Statistics and Information Technology During his 8 years with OMIA he has worked closely with member companies Farm Mutual Re IBC and mutual systems companies in the collection and analysis of mutual data and in the introduction of QlikSense as a business intelligence and reporting platform At the same time Jeff has led in the development of OMIA s IT infrastructure disaster recovery planning and the transformation to a data strategy environment from a statistics environment OMIA looks forward to Jeff s future contributions as OMIA continues on the path in serving and strengthening the mutual insurance community The Board of Directors of NOVA MUTUAL INSURANCE is delighted to announce the hiring of Gary Anderson as the new company s President and Chief Executive Officer Gary will begin his engagement as President and CEO of Norfolk Mutual Insurance Company effective November 5th and continue with the new company when it begins on January 1st 2019 Gary comes to Nova Mutual with a strong skill set and rich experience from over 35 years working in the P C insurance industry Gary s superb leadership skills and ability to build high performance teams will prove especially valuable as he leads Norfolk Mutual and Wabisa Mutual to form the new Nova Mutual Insurance Company Gary comes to us from Gore Mutual as Digital Projects Manager Gary grew up on a flue cured tobacco farm in Norfolk County He left the area to pursue post secondary education but has many friends still in the area Gary began his career as a personal and commercial lines underwriter and then moved into claims adjusting with Otter Dorchester Mutual and Anglo Gibraltar He spent 12 years as Claims Manager with Cunningham Lindsey restructuring their Burlington and Oakville branches and in their Special Investigations Unit Gary s management and IT expertise then led him into managing project teams and projects related to claims and risk management implementation with Accenture and other firms The broad list of insurers where Gary managed project teams includes Ohio Mutual Insurance Group Mutual Fire Insurance of British Columbia Insurance Corporation of British Columbia RSA Canada and Gore Mutual Insurance Company Gary left Accenture to become Digital Projects Manager at Gore Mutual Insurance where he managed Gore s first fully digital e commerce business product His product was awarded the 2015 HP Visionary Award for Most Sophisticated Application Gary managed several other projects and project teams using agile methodology while at the Gore including contributing to establishing Gore s cloud infrastructure Gary is an exceptional leader and team player who has a lot to offer to Nova Mutual and to the mutual insurance network November 2018 31
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS 10 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Barn Fire Barn fires are an important animal welfare issue impacting farmers and the public perception of farming in Ontario Financial losses from barn fires in Ontario have exceeded 100 million over the last four years in structures alone not including animal and production losses This is a significant loss to the productive capacity of the industry and an animal welfare issue that erodes public trust in Ontario agriculture The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs OMAFRA estimates that 40 of barn fires are the result of faulty electrical systems for example corroded electrical connectors The risk of electrical fires can be reduced by replacing worn and weathered connectors with the new standard NEMA 4 water proof connectors on fixtures like fans and heaters Farm Food Care Ontario along with commodity organizations fire departments and insurance companies have been working to help address this problem A fact sheet called 10 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Barn Fire has been developed that highlights ten ways to reduce the risk of barn fire Farm Mutual Re and Heartland Farm Mutual contributed photos and information to help create the sheet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Focus on housekeeping Limit the use of Temporary Electrical Equipment Regularly Inspect and Maintain Permanent Electrical Systems Perform Hot Works Safely Participate in a Risk Reduction Assess with Insurance of Fire Departments Prepare and Implement a Fire Safety Plan Regularly Inspect and Maintain Fire Walls Fire Separations and Attic Fire Stops 8 Regularly Maintain Heaters 9 Store and Maintain Motorized Equipment Away from Livestock 10 Store Combustibles in a Designated Location Away from Livestock Figure 2 Temporary electrical equipment plugged into receptacle in livestock area Source Heartland Farm Mutual Ontario 32 Figure 3 Thermographic picture of an electrical panel Source Heartland Farm Mutual Ontario Figure 1 Equipment room free of clutter dust and debris Figure 4 Grinding piece of steel in close proximity to combustible materials
To see the full fire prevention fact sheet please visit www omafra gov on ca english engineer barnfire fireprevention htm Figure 5 Inspection of electrical equipment by insurance company Source Heartland Farm Mutual Ontario Figure 6 Fire Safety plan stored on site Figure 7 Example of an intact firewall that did its job and prevented fire from spreading through the barn Source R Drysdale Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan Figure 8 Radiant tube heater suspended in barn Figure 9 Equipment stored away from livestock housing Figure 10 Separate storage building for hay and bedding Source Farm and Food Care Canada s Insurance Replacement Specialists Preferred rates for insurance partners DIAL user friendly reservation system for varied accounts 24 7 live agent QuickCarTM rental kiosks Free customer pick up and return Direct billing to insurance carrier Canada s largest combined fleet of cars and trucks Interested to learn more We d love to hear from you Contact Courtney Thompson at cthompson discountcar com November 2018 33
Ontario Mutuals at the IBAO Convention The IBAO Convention has set the standard for providing the most powerful networking opportunity available to Insurance Brokers OMIA supported this important event again on behalf of Ontario Mutuals This included activity at the trade show booth and hospitality night The trade show ran on October 17th and 18th at the Scotiabank Centre in Niagara Falls Member Company representatives staffed the booth throughout the event taking the opportunity to meet and greet their broker partners The busy hospitality suite hosted by 11 Ontario Mutuals was held at Fallsview Casino on October 18th We look forward to attending again in 2019 October 23rd 24th in Toronto 34
Canada s Outdoor Farm Show Ontario Mutuals sponsored a trade show booth for the 25th year in a row at Canada s Outdoor Farm Show from September 11th to 13th in Woodstock As the country s largest outdoor agricultural trade show Canada s Outdoor Farm Show has many unique offerings all geared to showcasing new technologies and innovations in an outdoor setting complementing the farming lifestyle We were given extra promotion and recognition leading up to the event because of our 25 year status We ve always enjoyed the event with it s many opportunities to connect with insurance customers This year Chuck Salvalaggio participated at the booth with the popular fire extinguisher simulator a fun and informative game for young and old We re looking forward to sharing the details of next year s show once they re available IN MEMORIAM
WE RE IN THIS TOGETHER 2018 President s Managers Meeting The 2018 President Managers meeting took place overlooking the scenic Horseshoe Falls at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls Ontario from October 21st to 23rd Our keynote speaker this year was best selling author and Business Visionary Dr John Izzo who spoke about The Purpose Revolution and connecting consumers while embedding purpose in your organization During our Monday afternoon sessions Alexander Cameron a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP discussed Cybersecurity and Privacy Incident Response Planning Mark White CEO FSRA discussed The Future of Regulation and shared the vision for the new regulator in a constantly evolving regulatory environment Our second day featured Peter Hughes from KPMG on Digital Governance The closing Keynote speaker was Andrew Au who spoke on the themes of demographic change in both the marketplace and workplace with a focus on the next wave of managers and leaders See you next year in Ottawa from October 27th to 29th 36
WE RE IN THIS TOGETHER The 2018 P M Speakers Keynote Speaker Dr John Izzo on The Purpose Revolution and connecting consumers to your purpose Speaker Mark White on The Future of Regulation Speaker Alexander Cameron on Cybersecurity and Privacy Incident Response Planning Speaker Peter Hughes on Digital Governance Keynote Andrew Au on Millennials in the workplace and the marketplace 2018 Distinguished Service Award The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the farm mutual system over the course of their career The 2018 winner Iris Brown is the 33rd recipient of this award Iris s career in insurance began in 1972 but her mutual insurance career began with Germania Mutual in Ayton Ontario in 1991 By 1997 the Brown family had relocated closer to London Ontario and this created an opportunity for Iris to join Yarmouth Mutual Iris led Yarmouth Mutual in establishing a new office in St Thomas implementing their first computer system adding staff and agents and increasing their positive impact on St Thomas and the surrounding areas Iris joined the OMIA Board in March 2006 as the Group 2 Director She played a vital role as Chair of the Marketing Committee introducing the Ontario Mutuals brand in 2008 Iris was Chair of the OMIA Board in 2013 14 and her theme was We re in this Together This theme emphasized Iris s strong belief in the value of working together as friends and colleagues and a deep level of care and respect for policyholders staff and fellow mutuals Iris reflected on the importance of family her mutual friends and colleagues and her ongoing belief that the policyholder is the most important person in the mutual system Congratulations Iris November 2018 37
WE RE IN THIS TOGETHER 2018 International Plowing Match The 101st IPM Rural Expo took place from September 18th to 22nd in Pain Court Chatham Kent and Ontario Mutuals was once again a Presenting Partner of the event Even though the match had to close one day due to muddy conditions the Ontario Mutuals tent was as busy as ever as people lined up for their chance at a Mutuals yardstick Lambton Kent Essex and North Kent all had booths within the tent and Mutual participants from across the system took turns participating at the prize wheel and kids games The match will be moving north next year to Verner West Nippissing from September 17th to 21st See you there
WE RE IN THIS TOGETHER
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