Canadian Insurance

Keynote Speaker:

Larry Rosen
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Harry Rosen Inc.

Eldest son of Harry Rosen, Larry Rosen has worked for the company for more than 25 years in many different areas: on the sales floor, as a buyer, in operations and corporate development.

Larry began learning the business as a teenager, working summers as a sales associate in Harry Rosen stores.  He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and went on to earn a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Western Ontario.

After practicing corporate law in Toronto, Larry joined Harry Rosen as a buyer in 1985.  He then became involved in store operations at a senior management level, and then became Buying Director.

In 1997 Larry was named President and Chief Operating Officer.  He was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2000.

Larry is a member of the Ivey Advisory Board, the Ivey Entrepreneurship Advisory Council and the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation Board of Directors.  He spearheads the Harry Rosen United Way campaign and major initiatives to raise funds for prostate cancer research, including Harry’s Spring Run-Off, which have raised more than $2 million to date. 

Sessions and Panelists Speakers:

Mike Berris
Partner, KPMG Enterprise

Mike is a partner in the KPMG Enterprise practice in Vancouver, a practice that specializes in helping private companies and entrepreneurs.

Mike has over 20 years of experience in providing accounting and business advisory services to the Canadian insurance industry. In particular, Mike focuses on providing clients with industry leading advice including:

• Preparation of brokerage valuation reports used for mergers & acquisitions, shareholder agreements, succession planning, litigation and income tax;
  
  
• Expert reports and opinions, including financial analysis, on specific issues encountered by brokerages and insurance companies;
  
  
• Purchase and sale representation for both vendors and purchasers in mergers & acquisitions, including price determination, negotiation, assisting with the drafting of agreements and facilitation between the parties to ensure a successful closing and transition to the acquirer;
  
  
• Due diligence to ensure that a potential purchaser is well informed of both risks and opportunities of an acquisition; and
  
  
• Goodwill impairment and fair value accounting according to the new auditing standards that require a review and determination of fair value for investments in insurance brokerages and books of business.
  
  Mike has taught courses on broker acquisition and succession strategy, developed a training program on profitability management, and contributes articles and papers to various industry publications including insurance publications.
  
  Mike is a graduate of the UBC Sauder School of Business, where he subsequently earned a Chartered Accountants designation.

Steve Borlak
Owner, Borlak Law Office

Steve, since 1985, (in addition to his general corporate-commercial practice) has chosen to devote much of his professional time in the Property and Casualty Insurance industry,  providing extensive and specialized legal commercial assistance to brokers, producers and insurance companies. Steve has written many industry-specific articles and has been involved in and produced numerous seminars. Steve obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from the University of Western Ontario Law School in 1979 and 1976, respectively. He served his articles in Toronto with Borden & Elliot from 1979-1980 (now known as Borden Ladner Gervais LLP) and returned to work in that firm as an associate after his call to the Bar in 1981.  Steve has always been very involved in the community including extensive involvement with the Big Brothers movement and coordinating Out of the Cold programs in York Region.

David Browne
President, Martin Merry & Reid Ltd. Insurance Brokers

David has been in the insurance industry since 1984, and currently the president of Martin Merry and Reid Limited. He was past director of Toronto Insurance Conference (TIC) and presently Director of Pro-Demnity Insurance Company. In 1981, he graduated with an MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business. Born and raised in Toronto, he is a second generation insurance broker.

Colin Clahane
Director Broker Financial Solutions, Intact Insurance

Colin’s primary focus is to provide brokers with expertise and strategic support to help grow their business. He and the Broker Financial Solutions team specializes in creating tailored financing structures that take into account the unique circumstances of each brokerage and transaction.

Before joining Intact, Colin worked in the realms of investment banking, commercial banking, strategic planning, transaction advisory and equity research. Over the course of his career, he has provided M&A advisory services, structured debt financing/loan syndications, raised private equity, advised on corporate restructurings and performed financial forecasting/corporate valuations. Along with earning the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, Colin holds an MBA from McGill University and has completed his CSC course.

Ray Faraone
Partner, President and CEO, Ensurco Insurance Group

Ray Faraone is a partner, President and CEO of Ensurco Insurance Group, a company that he co-founded in 1985. Ray began his insurance career right after University.  One year after graduating, he started the business from the ground up growing the customer base organically. Ensurco currently has offices in Sault Ste Marie, Stratford, Concord and corporate head office is in Markham, Ontario. His main focus is developing and maintaining the strategic direction and vision of the brokerage along with developing and maintaining strong working relationships with outside vendors. Ray has led his company through a number of acquisitions over the last few years and continues to work diligently with his management team to drive production, improve retention and develop efficient service workflows. Ray serves on Broker Council for all of Ensurco’s strategic partners and is considered a ‘key broker’ by his companies.

James Hilton
Managing Partner, Jacox-Hilton Producer Consulting

James Hilton is a Managing Partner at Jacox-Hilton Corporation, a firm that provides data-analysis and business valuation services to the financial services industry. His expertise includes policyholder marketing, in-force policy analysis, direct sales strategy, recruitment, and business development. Previously, James consulted insurance and financial services firms in the Greater Boston Area in the arena of recruitment and internship development. His career started when he assumed the role of Divisional Office Manager for a New York based marketing firm where he was responsible for recruitment, training, and management. James often speaks publicly on topics including business development, entrepreneurship, recruitment strategy, and life insurance production.

Armando Minicucci
Principal, Tax Services Group, Grant Thornton LLP

Armando is a Principal in Grant Thornton’s Tax Services Group.  He provides tax advisory to a diverse group of Grant Thornton’s private and owner-managed businesses, and high net worth individuals.  He is a member of the firm’s national succession and estate planning practice, and leads that practice in Grant Thornton’s Southern Ontario Business Unit.   He uses his more than 20 years of experience to help business owners develop their succession objectives and implement tax strategies to achieve their succession and estate plans.  Armando is a frequent presenter at firm sponsored events and tax conferences and is a regular contributor to Carswell’s Tax Hyperion publication.

Renate Mueller
President, Renate M. Mueller Consultants Inc. 

Renate M. Mueller CA is the President of Renate M. Mueller Consultants Inc. which specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the insurance industry Canada wide. Renate has served as director on many boards in the insurance industry and brings with her a wealth of insurance industry knowledge.

Renate is a member of B.C. Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1976 and was employed by Revenue Canada Taxations as a fraud investigator for tax evasion for 8 years. Renate was awarded the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Community Achievement Award in 2006 due to her many volunteer positions in the community.

As a former insurance brokerage business owner for 14 years her primary focus was on business development and client servicing. Renate was a director of the national board of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada and is Past President of the Insurance Brokers Association of B.C.

Joyce Usher-Mesiano
President, National Brokers Insurance Services Inc.

Joyce began her career over 25 years ago as a commercial lines underwriter/field representative for The Continental Corp. (Continental Insurance/Phoenix Continental), after which she worked for GAN Canada and then joined the brokerage force in 1994.  Joyce and partners formed National Brokers Insurance Services in 1998, an independent privately held brokerage with corporate head office located in Mississauga, Ontario.

Currently, National Brokers’ management team is working with a professional advisory company on acquisitions in order to grow the employee base to service the committed contracts and growth projections.

Joyce is a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization, a board member of the Toronto Educational Opportunity Fund, Chair of the Waterloo Insurance Advisory Council, a member of the National Brokers Council for Economical Insurance, a committee member of the Toronto Construction Association, recipient of the Vaughan Volunteer Recognition Award and works along with various charitable organizations including cancer, community hospice and ALS.

Please stay tuned, more speaker biographies to come.