I started my career over 40 years ago in the Filing department at an insurance company that’s no longer even in Canada, Prudential Assurance. Right from the beginning, I met so many nice, caring people who made working fun and I (almost always) looked forward to going to work – something I have been lucky to feel throughout my career.
I quickly moved through several different roles, from Filing to Dispatch to Endorsement Clerk – job titles that no longer exist in our industry. Regardless, these opportunities provided me with valuable experience, opened up opportunities for continuing education and gave me a solid introduction to the world of insurance. I then transitioned to the Underwriting department where I spent over half of my career, working my way through various roles and leadership positions.
During the past four decades, I have had the chance to work in almost every kind of department that an insurance company can have, in one way or another. This has given me a great appreciation of the diversity of roles, skills and capabilities that exist within our industry. Insurance is full of exciting opportunities and there is always room for talented, ambitious people with fresh ideas to make their mark.
I hope my experiences and career can show others in our industry – and people wishing to join it – that working hard, taking on new challenges and treating people right really can bring you to wherever you wish to go.
Something I definitely did right was joining Gore Mutual in early 1994 as the manager of our Personal Lines Underwriting department. From there, I went on to have roles as Vice President of Underwriting, Vice President of Claims and Chief Operating Officer before accepting the position of President and CEO in the summer of 2014.
It has been a huge privilege to have been part of this company’s fantastic evolution. I am proud of our many accomplishments over the past six years in particular. We have built a culture of innovation, delivered genuine personal service and have invested in the best talent in critical areas of our business, like underwriting, claims, technology and data and analytics.
Together with our broker partners, the Gore Mutual Foundation has supported communities across Canada, yielding a social return on investment of more than $42 million over the past 20 years. We have also helped our customers recover from floods and wildfires, and have always been there for them in their time of need.
As I reflect back on my career and beginnings at Gore Mutual, this is certainly a very different organization today in every way. I feel very confident that I am leaving this company in good hands as I move on to my next adventures.
Our new executive team is the strongest and most capable leadership this company has ever seen. They have quickly shown their unity, strength, values and vision.
As Andy Taylor steps into the President and CEO role, I have every confidence that he and his team will successfully steer this company as we continue to move forward with our bold Next Horizon strategy. This will set Gore Mutual apart from the industry as a purpose-driven, digitally led national insurer with a high-performance operating model and leading talent.
I am proud to have helped lay the foundations for our Next Horizon strategy which will transform our business at a magnitude and scale that this company has never experienced before. To say this is an exciting time at Gore Mutual is a huge understatement.
It has been my sincere privilege to work with everyone at Gore Mutual. It is always people and relationships that make the biggest difference in business. The people at Gore Mutual are truly special and are united in their values, their caring and their belief in simply doing what’s right for our customers, communities and broker partners.
Thank you to everyone at Gore Mutual, our business partners, the charities we have been lucky to work with and our customers for your support and partnership over the years. Until we meet again …
