GREG MARKELL President and CEO RIDGE CANADA CYBER SOLUTIONS Age: 32 Location: Ontario
CHRISTOPHER WIENS Vice-president and account executive AON RISK SOLUTIONS
A self-described ‘crypto geek’ and ‘insurance nerd,’ Greg Markell names becoming a Lloyd’s coverholder and being granted cyber underwriting authority as one of his most notable recent accomplishments. Having captured a strong share of the Canadian standalone cyber market, Ridge Canada Cyber Solutions expects to double its GWP in 2018. The company is also in the process of launching a partnership with a global risk management firm and a national law firm to offer an integrated cyber underwriting model. Markell’s other notable accomplish ments include teaching the Insurance Business Cyber 101 continuing education course, contributing a chapter on cyber risk management to a Canadian textbook now being used by several post-secondary institutions, and serving as keynote speaker, panelist or moderator at various conferences. He also advises a number of organizations, including the Canadian Advanced Technologies Association, and has been involved in shaping the federal government’s national cybersecurity strategy.
Age: 33 Location: Manitoba
CHRIS COSACK Broker CREWSON INSURANCE BROKERS Age: 29 Location: Ontario
Chris Cosack has only been in the industry for two years, but those two years have been quite busy as Crewson Insurance Brokers undertakes multiple transformation initiatives to reinvent itself as a modern, agile brokerage. “While the industry focus has definitely been on deploying technology to improve client experience,” Cosack says, “for us the motivation is in leveraging those tools to create a scalable business that’s unlike anything we’re competing against in our market right now.”
After graduating from the University of Manitoba, Christopher Wiens joined Aon’s construction services group in 2010. In his first five years, he focused on driving new business within the Manitoba construction sector. During that time, Wiens grew his book of business to more than 100 insurance and surety clients and over $1 million in revenue. In search of a new challenge, Wiens relocated to Toronto, where he played a critical role within Aon’s head office by focusing on client retention. Acting as an ambassador for Aon’s construction services group across Ontario and at a variety of construction association events across North America, Wiens managed accounts from Ottawa to Kitchener and as far north as Sault Ste. Marie. Wiens recently returned to his home city of Winnipeg as a member of Aon’s risk management practice, and he looks forward to continued success within the Manitoba marketplace.
Since joining Crewson, Cosack has passed the RIBO exam, earning the Donald W. Lambie Award for the highest score in 2016. He completed his CAIB designation in 2017 while also leading Crewson’s conversion to paperless operations. Cosack also helped develop a new corporate website and acquired the technical skills needed to troubleshoot the company’s broker management system. On top of managing back-end technology, Cosack has been busy building his own book of business while also assisting with the management of another book worth $2 million. “Chris has become an indispensable analyst of our performance numbers and emerging issues in our operations, as well as the marketplace,” says principal and co-owner Ed Crewson. Outside of the company, Cosack is active in his local IBAO chapter, has helped raise funds for the local hospital and has assumed a leadership role in the DufferinCaledon Federal Liberal Association.
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