Westland Insurance has named Alberta commercial insurance veteran Valerie Cusano as vice president, commercial lines, for the province.
Cusano, who was born and raised in Edmonton, will lead Westland’s commercial lines practice in Alberta, support the execution of the brokerage’s national commercial strategy, help develop commercial talent and drive further growth of its client base in the province.
She brings a mix of brokerage and MGA experience to the role. After starting her career in law, Cusano moved into broking with Marsh in Calgary, building expertise across energy, municipal and financial lines. She later founded Iridium Risk Services, a Calgary-based energy-focused brokerage, which she grew over a decade before selling. Cusano then launched Palm Insurance Canada, an MGA specialising in energy risks, and has most recently been involved in establishing a captive insurance company.
“Valerie is an exceptional addition to Westland’s Alberta Commercial Lines practice, and her appointment reflects our continued investment in strong regional leadership,” said Don Thompson, chief operating officer at Westland Insurance. “Her technical depth across complex risk environments, and proven ability to build high-performing teams make her ideally suited to this role. We’re thrilled to welcome a leader of Valerie’s calibre to the Westland team.”
Cusano said she’s “delighted” to join Westland, noting Alberta’s status as a “dynamic and complex market” and adding that she’s eager to work with the team to “continue delivering exceptional outcomes” for clients in the province.
