2026 EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Award Categories
- Best Claims Management Firm
- Brokerage of the Year (Fewer Than 10 Staff)
- Business Development Manager of the Year
- CEO of the Year
- Claims Team of the Year – Insurer
- Claims Team of the Year – MGA
- Cyber Insurer of the Year
- Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Insurance Broker of the Year (Regional – AB & BC)
- Insurance Broker of the Year (Regional – Atlantic, Prairies, Maritimes)
- Insurance Broker of the Year (Regional – Eastern)
- Insurer Innovation of the Year (Technology)
- Life & Health Advisor of the Year
- Life & Health Insurer of the Year
- MGA of the Year (50 Staff or More)
- MGA of the Year (Fewer than 50 Staff)
- Outstanding Customer Experience Award
- P&C Insurer of the Year
- The Burns & Wilcox Award for Big Brokerage of the Year (100 Staff or More)
- The CNA Canada Award for Excellence in Philanthropy & Community Service
- The Definity Award for Brokerage of the Year (10-100 Staff)
- The Echelon Insurance Award for Digital Innovation in a Brokerage
- The FIRST Insurance Funding of Canada Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Insurance Industry
- The Insurtech Canada Award for Best Insurtech Firm
- The PAL Insurance Brokers Award for Young Achiever of the Year
- The Steamatic Canada Award for Woman of Distinction
- Underwriter of the Year
BEST CLAIMS MANAGEMENT FIRM
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- ClaimsPro
- Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc
- Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc.
- Royal Claims Services Ltd
- Specialty Claims Canada
THE INSURTECH CANADA AWARD FOR BEST INSURTECH FIRM
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Applied Systems Canada
- Cemiar Inc.
- CoverGo
- CSIO
- EIS Corporation
- Guidewire Software
- Life Design Analysis
- Modular Solutions
- PolicyMe Corp
- Walnut Insurance
THE BURNS & WILCOX AWARD FOR BIG BROKERAGE OF THE YEAR (100 STAFF OR MORE)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Axis Insurance
- BFL CANADA Risk and Insurance Services Inc.
- Billyard Insurance Group
- InsureLine
- McDougall
- Navacord
- Oracle Insurance Risk Management Services Inc.
- OVC Inc.
- Western Financial Group
- Westland Insurance
- Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc.
BROKERAGE OF THE YEAR (FEWER THAN 10 STAFF)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Ambroziak & Rao Insurance Brokers Inc.
- Benfluent Advisory Inc
- Kilgour Bell Insurance
- Novinger Insurance Corp
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Asad Malik - Modular Solutions
- Brandon St. Peters - HSB Canada
- Debra Copeland - Northbridge Insurance
- Feodor Ploujnikov - April Canada Insurance
- Katie Pollock - BOXX Insurance
- Kristina Booi - Agile Underwriting Solutions
- Kyle Tramble - Northbridge Insurance
- Marcus Grima - CFC Underwriting
- Marius van Reede van Oudtshoorn - Trinity Underwriting
- Preet Kochar - Allianz Global Assistance Canada
- Tracey Paish - PAL
- Victoria Hanson - Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
CEO OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Cameron Copeland - SPG Canada
- Darin Nessel - The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
- Florian Chabanette - April Canada Insurance
- Grant Ostir - Western Financial Group
- Jamie Lyons - Westland Insurance Group Ltd
- Michael Malfa - Boardwalk Insurance
- Rob Marsh - Liberty Mutual Canada
- Rowan Saunders - Definity Financial Group
- Sarah Johnston - Atlas York Insurance
- Sébastien Dupuis - Assumption Life
CLAIMS TEAM OF THE YEAR – INSURER
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aviva Canada's Claims Team
- Co-Operators Claims Team
- Definity Financial Group
- Desjardins General Insurance Group
- Federated Insurance
- Fenchurch General Insurance Company
- FM Canada Operations Claim Team
- Northbridge Insurance
- Nova Mutual Claims Team
- The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
CYBER INSURER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Beazley
- BOXX Insurance
- CFC
- Coalition
- HDI Global SE - Canada
- HSB Canada
THE ECHELON INSURANCE AWARD FOR DIGITAL INNOVATION IN A BROKERAGE
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Boardwalk Insurance Corporation a division of Oracle RMS Inc.
- FCA Insurance Brokers
- InsureLine Brokers Empire
- Sharp Insurance
- Solutions Insurance Group
EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Carte Risk Management Inc.
- InsureLine Brokers Empire
- Pacific Blue Cross
- SCU Insurance Services Ltd., a Vancity company
- Securian Canada
- Solutions Insurance Group
- SPG Canada
- Tokio Marine Canada
- Western Financial Group
- Westland Insurance Group Ltd
- Zurich Canada
INSURANCE BROKER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – AB & BC)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Brendan Nickles - Brokerlink
- Derek Henneberry - Westland
- Fardin Ahmed - LINK Insurance
- Gary Dhillon - InsureLine Brokers Empire
- James Clay - Axis Insurance
- Jamil Karimani - BFL CANADA
- Laura Barker - B & W Insurance Brokers Ltd.
- Lily Williams - Aon
- Raj Kumar - Billyard Insurance Group
- Ryan Greenwood - Billyard Insurance Group
- Terence Cairns - Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services, A Gallagher Company
INSURANCE BROKER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – EASTERN)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aslam Abdulla - Billyard Insurance Group
- Cassandra Backhouse - Covalen Insurance
- David Blow - Jones DesLauriers | Navacord
- Katie Andruchow - Aon
- Kayla Squires - GTI Broker Group - Action
- Kiran Kaur - Wellcare Insurance - Burlington South
- Mani Saeed - JT Insurance Group
- Mathieu Huard - Hub International
- Morgan Roberts - RH Insurance
- Ravi Grewal - Diamond Insurance Group
- Sampath Kumar Katragadda - Solutions Insurance Group
- Stephanie Tremblay - Hub International Quebec
- Uzair Zamir - Billyard Insurance Group
INSURANCE BROKER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – ATLANTIC, PRAIRIES, & MARITIMES)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Bobbee Wood - Atlas York Insurance
- Bruce Flook - Aon
- Fran Luchenski - Tom Agencies Ltd.
- Leah Jurgens - Atlas York Insurance
- Mark James - HUB International Ltd.
- Mike Hatfield - Insureline Brokers Cornerstone
- Mike Peristerakis - La Salle Insurance Ltd
- Ronald Reider - Kilgour Bell Insurance
- Rose Freeman - Willow Insurance Corp.
- Ryan Suderman - Keystone Insurance Brokers
- Tony Curtis - Stanley Elliot Insurance
INSURER INNOVATION OF THE YEAR (TECHNOLOGY)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- BMO Insurance
- CFC
- Definity Financial Group
- FM
- Gore Mutual
- RBC Insurance Services Inc.
LIFE & HEALTH ADVISOR OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Blake McGarry - Axis Insurance
- Chris Gory - Orchard Benefits
- Lyn McGaughey - Atlas York Insurance
- Raman Grewal - Diamond Insurance Group
- Sam Beales - Benefluent Advisory Inc.
LIFE & HEALTH INSURER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Assumption Life
- BMO Insurance
- Canada Life
- Desjardins General Insurance Group
- Medavie Blue Cross
- Primerica Canada
- RBC Insurance Services Inc.
- Securian Canada
- Sun Life
- The Co-Operators
MGA OF THE YEAR (50 STAFF OR MORE)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Agile Underwriting Solutions
- Burns & Wilcox
- CHES Special Risks Inc.
- Premier Canada Assurance | Premier Marine
- South Western Insurance Group
- Special Risk Insurance Managers
- SPG Canada
- Victor Canada
MGA OF THE YEAR (FEWER THAN 50 STAFF)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Apollo Insurance
- APRIL Marine
- Aurora Underwriting Solutions
- Modern Specialty Insurance
- PAL Insurance Brokers Canada
- SIGNAL Underwriting Inc.
OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Alberta Blue Cross Customer Services Team
- APRIL Marine
- Assumption Life
- Axis Insurance
- Federated Insurance
- InsureLine Brokers Empire
- Medavie Blue Cross
- The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
- Western Financial Group
- Xodus Travel Services Inc.
- Zurich Canada
P&C INSURER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aviva Canada
- CNA Canada
- Definity Financial Group
- Ecclesiastical Insurance
- FM
- iAAH
- Northbridge Insurance
- Sovereign Insurance
- The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
- Trillium Mutual Insurance Company
- Trisura
THE CNA CANADA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PHILANTHROPY & COMMUNITY SERVICE
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Assumption Life
- Definity
- Masters Insurance Limited
- Northbridge Financial Corporation
- Sharp Insurance
- Western Financial Group, Michelle Mak, Director, Western Communities Foundation
- Zurich Canada
THE FIRST INSURANCE FUNDING OF CANADA AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY
The recipient of this award will be revealed at the Insurance Business Canada Awards gala.
CLAIMS TEAM OF THE YEAR – MGA
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Agile Underwriting Solutions
- APRIL Marine
- ARAG Legal Solutions
- BOXX Insurance
- Burns & Wilcox Canada
- SPG Canada
THE PAL INSURANCE BROKERS AWARD FOR YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Brayden York - BFL CANADA
- Charles Beckley - Axis Insurance
- David Blanchard - Salus Insurance Services Inc.
- Gurnaik Singh - Wellcare Insurance Corp.
- Harsha Sivalanaka - Solutions Insurance Group
- Logan Chrisie - BrokerLink
- Manmohan Singh - PeakPlus Financial Services Inc.
- Marc-Anthony Manion - Burns & Wilcox Canada
- Nicholas Cece - Carte Risk Management Inc.
- Tyler McConnell - Axis Insurance
THE STEAMATIC CANADA AWARD FOR WOMAN OF DISTINCTION
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Brigid Pelino - Definity Financial Group
- Dorothea VanHerwaarden Dowling - Axis Insurance
- Laura Doddington - Zurich Canada
- Melissa Carruthers - Deloitte Canada
- Nicole Seymour - Lloyd's Canada
- Rose Freeman - Willow Insurance Corp.
- Sarah Johnston - Atlas York Insurance
- Sarah Suschkov - Trinity Underwriting
- Shari Dodsworth - Northbridge Insurance
- Susan Williams-Bonet - Wawanesa Insurance
THE DEFINITY AWARD FOR BROKERAGE OF THE YEAR (10-100 STAFF)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Beyond Insurance
- Diamond Insurance Group Inc
- InsureLine Brokers Empire
- Keystone Insurance Brokers
- La Salle Insurance
- Peak Plus Financial Services
- RH Insurance
- SCU Insurance Services Ltd.
- Sharp Insurance
- Solutions Insurance Group
- Tom Agencies Ltd.
- Wilson M Beck - Alberta
UNDERWRITER OF THE YEAR
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Andre Prasad - CHES Special Risk
- Erin Paulsen - Totten Group Insurance
- Hans Choi - SPG Canada
- Joshua Richards - HDI Global SE Canada
- Julie Bryant - The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Company
- Karen Rivera - HSB Canada
- Marli Baluk - Trans Canada Insurance Marketing Inc.
- Melinda Parker-Thompson - TriPoint Insurance Underwriting
- Ruth McCann - Axis Insurance
- Shannon Gilby - Agile Underwriting Solutions
- Steven Olsoen - Navacord
- Tania Dicaire - CHES Solutions Spécialisées
