What differentiates your brokerage from the competition?
Western’s ability to manufacture its own specialized products – supported by both domestic and foreign markets – allows for better-tailored coverage for customers and quicker turnaround time for quicker binding. Over 300 specialized support staff help our insurance experts deliver all our products with best-in-class service, as shown by our exceptional NPS scores.

What 2020 accomplishments are you most proud of?
Our success in navigating the uncontrollable impacts of COVID-19 while staying focused and dedicated to our customers is a real source of pride. In response to COVID-19 restrictions, Western underwent a rapid adaptation of our business model, pivoting the work practices of over 1,800 employees to ensure our customers’ needs were met.

What made 2020 a banner year for your brokerage?
Finding innovative ways to cover our hospitality customers in a difficult market helped protect hundreds of Canadian businesses. We are proud of these efforts and of our Western Financial Group Communities Foundation for returning over $500,000 to our communities. Our robust pandemic response was recognized by media and contributed to an employee engagement score eight points above the industry average and above Canadian retail best-in-class scores.

What’s the biggest challenge facing brokers in 2021?
Accelerated by the pandemic, our industry is adapting to the digital age, and customers expect to access a broad set of products and services easily over multiple channels. When you layer on a hard market, it is crucial to provide expert advice through a variety of touchpoints to ensure adequate coverage for customers and build customer confidence and security.