Insurance Business Canada Awards 2018

Award of excellence to the outstanding brokerage network/cluster of the year for its commitment to its broker members, clients and support to the insurance industry as a whole.

Criteria

• Demonstrated evidence of value proposition to the member offices
• Excellence in majority of the following areas: training and education, marketing, commission and profit share, access to more companies and products, claims support, customer service support, access to niche and non-traditional markets, administrative support, recruitment of talent
• The “corporate personality” including industry reputation

Description

This award recognizes the best brokerage in the Canada. The number of staff includes all brokers writing business (license holders or authorised representatives) and support staff. To be eligible your brokerage must be independently branded and headquartered in Canada.

When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered from an overall business perspective:

• Number of staff (including all brokers writing business, license holders, authorised representatives and support staff) is 10 or more
• More than 50% of revenue must be derived from commercial
• Client retention
• Customer service proposition
• Financial results including total revenue, percentage of new business and growth in client and staff numbers
• Staff development and retention
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award recognizes the best brokerage in the Canada. The number of staff includes all brokers writing business (license holders or authorised representatives) and support staff. To be eligible your brokerage must be independently branded and headquartered in Canada.

When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered from an overall business perspective:

Criteria

• Number of staff (including all brokers writing business, license holders, authorised representatives and support staff) is fewer than 10
• More than 50% of revenue must be derived from commercial
• Client retention
• Customer service proposition
• Financial results including total revenue, percentage of new business and growth in client and staff numbers
• Staff development and retention
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

Award of excellence for the outstanding Business Development Manager within the insurance space who is pushing the envelope, demonstrating success in setting and exceeding business development goals while maintaining in-depth knowledge of markets and the competitive landscape.

Criteria

• Standout achievements over the last 12 to 18 months
• Demonstrated excellence in client relationship building
• Shows continuous effort to understand clients’ business models and assist in attaining their objectives
• Shows continuous effort to understand the competitive landscape and applies market knowledge and marketing prowess in business development practice
• Strong presentation skills in a group or one-on-one
• Shows responsiveness to clients’ needs
• Brings new ideas to clients and providing strong alternative recommendations to clients

This award of excellence for digital innovation recognizes the brokerage or insurer that has best harnessed technology to enhance the user experience for clients and other relevant industry stakeholders.

Criteria

• Overall use of digital and multimedia platforms
• Innovative content
• Audience engagement and performance analytics
• User friendly experience
• Digital marketing strategy and implementation
• Finalists will be invited to provide samples of website, mobile, and/or video solutions performance in 2017, including performance and user engagement analytics such as visitor traffic reports, click rates, etc.

Customer service is an important measure of any brokerage’s long-term sustainability and success. This award recognizes the best brokerage office or branch that has maintained consistent and sustainable customer service standards over the past 12 months.

When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered from the individual office/branch perspective:

Criteria

• Overall customer service proposition
• Responsiveness to changing market demands
• Product knowledge
• Product offering
• Positive impact on client retention and customer satisfaction
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award of excellence recognizes the standout property and casualty insurance broker of the year. This accolade goes to the individual who has best exceled at pushing the envelope with innovation and growth, garnering industry’s attention including the respect of peers. This broker demonstrates commitment to clients, portrays exemplary customer service skills and manages to build and cement long-term business relationships.

Criteria

• Must be a property and casualty broker
• Career development within the insurance space
• Relevant accolades and standout achievements in 2017
• Demonstrate customer service above industry standards and active growth through industry news, developments, product offerings, etc.
• Demonstrate best use of technology/innovation in reinforcing business strategy and client relationship
• Revenue contributions to the business

This award recognizes a company's commitment to building a workplace that recognizes excellence and supports career growth for all. This award recognizes the company that has won the reputation to be called an employer of choice within the insurance industry.

Criteria

• Must have >50 employees in Canada
• Committed to building a workplace that recognizes excellence and supports phenomenal careers for all
• Provides the right relationships, challenging and meaningful opportunities, and flexible work options to help people develop their full potential
• Demonstrates a commitment to provide a supportive and innovative workplace for their employees
• Finalists will be asked to provide an overview of their people philosophy, workplace culture, employee testimonials and other relevant reasons explaining they should win this award

Award of excellence presented to the outstanding insurer in Canada that provides top-tier life and health insurance products to consumers and businesses in Canada, while demonstrating industry best practices in customer service

Criteria

• Must be an insurer in Canada offering life and health insurance, critical illness and/or disability products
• Organizational accolades and standout achievements in 2017
• Client retention
• Customer service proposition and strategy for success
• Financial results including total revenue, percentage of new business and growth in client and staff numbers
• Staff development and retention
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

Award of excellence for the MGA that offers superb service to brokers and is consistently proactive in educating brokers on products, while maintaining in-depth knowledge of financial markets and the competitive landscape of all product offerings.

Criteria

• Must be an MGA in Canada
• Organizational accolades and standout achievements in 2017
• Client retention strategy and success
• Demonstrates superior support service and stakeholder engagement/communication
• Provides value-added ideas and marketing support to brokers

This award recognises the best brokerage operation with more than 100 staff (or full-time equivalents) in Canada. The number of staff includes all brokers writing business (license holders or authorised representatives) and support staff. To be eligible your brokerage must be independently branded and headquartered in Canada.

When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered from an overall business perspective:

Client retention
Customer service proposition
Financial results including total revenue, percentage of new business and growth in client and staff numbers
Staff development and retention
The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award celebrates the outstanding contribution of time, leadership and financial support of a company who set new benchmarks of excellence in the acts of charity, giving and volunteering.

Criteria

•  Open to any company within the insurance space
•  Must have active involvement in philanthropic efforts and community service whether in local, regional, national and/or international scale
•  Displays a clear statement of how any initiative is aligned with the company or organizations’ strategic and business goals towards the betterment of community
•  Demonstrate a commitment to philanthropy through financial support and the encouragement of others to take roles toward philanthropy
•  Demonstrate a coherent and integrated approach

Award of excellence recognizing the best outstanding property & casualty insurer in Canada.

Criteria

• Must be an insurer in Canada focused on risks that result in loss to property and possessions
• Organizational accolades and standout achievements in 2017
• Client retention
• Customer service proposition and strategy for success
• Financial results including total revenue, percentage of new business and growth in client and staff numbers
• Staff development and retention
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award of excellence recognizes the standout life and health insurance advisor of the year. This accolade goes to the individual who has best exceled at pushing the envelope with innovation and growth, garnering industry’s attention and the respect of peers. This advisor demonstrates commitment to clients, portrays exemplary customer service skills and manages to build and cement long-term business relationships.

Criteria

• Individual accolades and standout achievements in 2017
• Client retention
• Customer service proposition and strategy for success
• Financial results including total revenue contributions, number of policies written, client numbers
• The business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry as a whole through visionary people management strategies and leadership. This award will acknowledge someone with an established history of distinguished service to the insurance profession and who has exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others in the sector while putting the interests of the industry at the top of their priorities. 

We accept nominations in this category with the editorial team at Insurance Business magazine making final selections based on editorial research and industry feedback. 

There are no Finalists selected and announced in this category. We will contact the recipient via email or phone a month before the ceremony.

Award of excellence for the outstanding advertising campaign over the last 12 to 18 months directed to insurance professionals. This award recognizes the outstanding individual campaign directed to brokers and/or advice professionals in terms of its effectiveness, reach, currency and creativity.

Criteria

• Must be an advertising campaign directed to insurance brokers and/or advice professionals
• Must have run during the last 12 to 18 months
• The success of the campaign’s key objectives and strategy, its marketing mix and both the quantitative and qualitative evidence of its success, including all evaluative metrics
• Impact and value added relative to advertising spend
• Campaign's timeliness and relevance to the insurance industry

The Finalists for this category will be determined through nominations as well as an online poll via Insurance Business online of the most popular advertising campaigns targeting insurance professionals.

This award acknowledges the most outstanding service provider with a proven track record of providing insurance professionals and/or offices with superior service/support. 

Criteria

• Any company or individual that provides a service to the insurance industry (including but not limited to: coaching, training, databases ,websites, apps, big data, analytics & CRM systems, marketing & customer service support)
• Ability to innovate traditional processes to improve efficiency
• Must demonstrate a sustained effort and commitment to the advisor channel
• Client retention strategy and growth
• Repeat and referral business strategies

The Finalists for this category will be determined through nominations as well as an online poll via Insurance Business online of the most popular service providers of the year, servicing those working in the insurance profession.

Description

This award recognizes excellence and stand-out performance within risk management and will be presented to the team that has excelled at protecting the assets of their company or the company they consult for, by identifying exposures that may result in accidents or losses.

Criteria

• Open to any risk management team
• Demonstrated success in protecting the assets of their company or their clients’ company
• Actively recommends and implements innovations to minimize costs and losses
• Provides exemplary service and is a team player
• Inspires their team and offers creative thinking to the risk management community as a whole

This award of excellence recognizes the outstanding young insurance broker in the insurance industry who has shown the highest potential for greater leadership and has exceled at pushing the envelope with innovation and growth, garnering industry’s attention and the respect of peers.

Criteria

• Must be a young insurance broker who is 40 or younger as of January 1, 2018
• Must be currently working as an insurance broker
• Professional accolades and standout achievements in 2017 (business initiatives in which the nominee played a critical role, new business brought to the company, innovative ideas, etc.)
• Distinctive new business development strategies, including unique ways of utilizing technology
• Exceptional relationship management
• Achievements could include: unique ways of utilizing next-generation technology to build and cement client relationships, distinctive new business development strategies, exceptional customer service skills, innovative branding and marketing strategies to attract new clients and/or creative ways of taking the company to the next level

This award acknowledges insurances companies, offices and independent adjusting firms with a proven track record of providing their clients with superior support. Whether it is providing best-in-class assistance or reducing turnaround times, customer support is essential for client satisfaction. This award recognizes the industry player that has mastered that service and is number one on all fronts.

Criteria

• Open to any insurances companies, offices and independent adjustment firms
• Finalists will be asked to provide details on how they go the extra mile to provide excellent claims service
• Criteria for judges include: interpersonal communication strategies, telephone and face-to-face service
• Demonstrated success in client retention, growth and overall business development

Description

Award for women in the insurance industry whose astounding personal and professional achievements have earned them a place among the industry’s best.

Criteria:

• Professional accomplishments in the last five years (business initiatives in which the nominee played a critical role, new business brought to the company, innovative ideas, etc.)
• Leadership of professional associations
• Other accomplishments (charitable work, accomplishments outside the industry, etc.)