Excel Insurance Group has announced that it has appointed Sarah Hirst as its new executive director.
Hirst has extensive experience serving the boards of organizations such as IINA, NARIMS, and Blue Goose. She has also served as a national past president of CIAA. Professionally, Hirst has served as the manager of claims for rural municipalities of Alberta and was a district manager at ClaimsPro LP. She has both FCIP and CRM designations, and is currently working to attain an MBA.
Having spent most of her career in the independent claims adjusting sector, Hirst has a passionate outlook on supporting independent ownership and advocacy in promoting local operations. She will leverage her provincial and national professional experience to strengthen corporate operations, which would increase efficiency and excellence for Excel Insurance Group’s member firms.
According to a release, Hirst’s employment with Excel Insurance Group began in September 2022. She will report directly to Excel’s board and will serve as a key point of contact for insurers, member firms, and new partners.
“Sarah’s technical background in claims and operations brings a new skill set to our team,” said Robyn Young, president and CEO of Excel Insurance Group and Y Insurance Services, and chair of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC). “She is the right leader in bringing focus on growth for Excel Group and a sense of support to our firms in their own individual goals.”
“We are excited that Sarah has joined the team,” added Karen Dyberg, CEO of Dyberg Insurance Group and past president of IBAA.
“As independent brokerages face pressure to join conglomerates to preserve their voice with carriers, we believe she is someone who can show a different path forward for Principals who want to remain a part of the businesses they have spent a lifetime developing,” said Lareese Graf, partner & general manager at Excel Lloydminster.
Founded in 2014, Excel Insurance Group is a Canadian insurance group representing 13 independently owned and operated broker firms and more than 150 brokers in Western Canada.
