The Ontario Broker - April 2018 - 6

GROWTH ALL WAYS
APRIL 2018

COLIN SIMPSON, IBAO CEO

E

ven as markets continue to struggle with
Ontario Auto, there are so many angles to
create growth in the broker channel here
in Ontario. The many developments never
cease to amaze me - which seem at this point almost
daily events. When you layer all the advancements
across the industry as a whole, we see a fast-paced,
exciting, innovative business, and an increasingly
attractive option for the next generation of brokers
- in this issue we wanted to focus on these stories.
BrokerTeam, IBAO Brokerage of the Year, has
experienced incredible growth from both a customer
acquisition and general business perspective.
They've grown to eight different brands and ten
offices spanning three provinces, and service 60,000
policyholders in 17 different languages. Established
little over a decade ago, this is no small feat.
Belleville's McDougall Insurance & Financial
has expanded to over 30 branches in
Eastern Ontario, becoming one of
the fastest growing brokerages in the
province. They've recently completed
three acquisitions, which follow the
current pace of M&A activity we've seen
in the province over the past year.
We continue to see brokerage
succession between generations. Staebler
Insurance has been in business almost
150 years. They're currently in the midst
of transitioning to the third
generation of the second
family to own the business
- in ownership since 1980
- while simultaneously
embracing change and
growing alongside their
community.
When we talk about
growth, we must also

talk about opportunity. As technology continues to
evolve, and business risks continue to change, cyber
privacy insurance has quickly become one of the
fastest growing products and biggest opportunities on
the market - one that every business owner should
pursue.
Growth has become a key theme for us here at the
IBAO. From growing our partnerships with insurers,
politicians, technology vendors and industry
partners, to evolving our relationships with IBAO
members and volunteers, our focus on expanding
member value has only become stronger.
We partnered with Gore Mutual to redesign our
classroom, a space where over 600 students pass
through each year to train for their RIBO Level l
and ll licensing exams. We're also launching a new
Learning Management System later this year to offer
greater online delivery of courses to our members.
We're growing our grassroots approach to advocacy,
both on the political scene and with consumers across
the province. We recently hosted caucus lunches
with the three major political parties, connecting
MPPs with brokers from their constituencies to
address issues that affect their specific communities.
We're also creating a new wave of broker advocates
through recent PR initiatives to enrich the voice of
brokers across Ontario.
We continue to grow our membership experience
through IBAO events and initiatives. Our Young
Brokers Conference takes place early June - an event
in celebration and support of the next generation of
insurance brokers in Ontario.
Combined with the fresh new talent we've hired here
at the IBAO over the last 6 months, we continue
growing all ways, and look forward to contributing
to the ongoing growth and development of our
members as they transform alongside their evolving
clients and communities.

WHEN YOU LAYER ALL THE
ADVANCEMENTS ACROSS THE
INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE, WE
SEE A FAST-PACED, EXCITING,
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS, AND AN
INCREASINGLY ATTRACTIVE
OPTION FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION OF BROKERS.
6

WWW.IBAO.ORG
http://WWW.IBAO.ORG
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - April 2018
