CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Dec 2, 2002 (CCNMatthews via COMTEX) — Hub International Limited (NYSE: HBG and TSX: HBG), a leading North American insurance brokerage, today announced a corporate partnership between Hub Financial Inc., Hub International’s Canadian life and financial services operation, and the Canadian Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CAIFA). With this partnership, Hub Financial will provide support for the continuing education of insurance brokers and financial planners through sponsorship of various CAIFA forums including its National Conference, CAIFA National Schools and several regional Sales Congresses.
“We are excited about this new relationship with CAIFA,” said Terri DiFlorio, President, Hub Financial Inc. “This partnership provides a valuable resource for Hub Financial. Direct sponsorship of educational forums assists in the training of professionals in our field and increases the Company’s exposure to a very targeted audience of insurance and financial professionals throughout Canada.”
The Canadian Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CAIFA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit professional association whose members, gathered in 50 chapters, are represented in most major cities and towns across the country. CAIFA members provide financial advice, and market and sell financial products to over nine million Canadians. In September 2002, CAIFA and the Canadian Association of Financial Planners (CAFP) voted in favor of merging their two organizations to create a single organization representing professional insurance and financial advisors. The CAIFA/CAFP merger will become official in January 2003, and the new organization will be known as Advocis.
A leading North American brokerage, Hub International has grown rapidly since its formation in 1998 through mergers, acquisitions and organic growth. It provides a broad array of property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits and investment and risk management products and services through offices located in the United States and Canada. Hub International’s strategy is to expand its market share in the highly fragmented North American insurance broker industry by acquiring quality brokerages in key geographic regions serving middle-market commercial businesses, to leverage its decentralized approach in order to differentiate its services and to capitalize on its scale to provide broad product offerings to its clients through multiple distribution channels.
Additional information on Hub International can be found at its website: www.hubinternational.com.