ICEF2024 Faculty

• Session: Climate Change and the Urgency of Resilience

As Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, Kathryn assesses the impact of climate change on specific industry sectors and the broader capital markets. She is developing guidance to help investment professionals to integrate climate change and extreme weather risk into forward-looking portfolio analysis to minimize associated risk. By extension, her research will influence companies to adapt to climate change in an effort to minimize risk/exposure.

Kathryn holds an Honours B.Sc in Biological Science, University of Toronto, specializing in Environmental Science. In her previous role, Kathryn worked with an affiliate of Raymond James Financial, where she developed a strong understanding of financial principles and practices. While obtaining the Canadian Securities Course certification, Kathryn initiated and developed a framework for integrating Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) factors into investment portfolios. She also led business analysis, and development of advisory and client platforms, across Canada and the United States.

Kathryn spent several years with the Insurance Industry in Canada. She speaks frequently to professional audiences, and she is a guest lecturer to graduate students at various universities.

• Moderator

In 2022, John retired as Chief Operating Officer at NFP Canada, where he led the integration of five predecessor firms including systems, facilities, compliance and policies & procedures to create NFP Canada, one of the largest property & casualty, life, benefits and wealth management brokerages in the country.

When enticed out of retirement, John provides advice and support on strategy development and implementation, mergers & acquisitions, and business process improvement together for property and casualty insurance brokerages and carriers.

• Session: Easing the Pain of a Bad Flight

Patrick Doyle is Chief Commercial Officer at FlightClaim and brings more than two decades of global experience in the travel management and corporate payments industries to his role leading FlightClaim’s commercial strategy. Doyle was Vice President and General Manager for Canada at American Express Global Business Travel, prior to joining FlightClaim. During his tenure, he oversaw the strategic account management, traveller care and loyalty teams in Canada. Under his leadership, American Express Global Business Travel became one of Canada’s leading travel management companies, servicing over 500 client relationships across various industry verticals.

Patrick's industry involvement also includes the Global Business Travel Assocation Canada’s Advisory Board, Hope Air’s National Advisory Council member, the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable, and the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Advisory Council.

• Session: Innovation Minute: Managing Construction Risk With IoT

As the Director of Project Development with Brickeye, Michael works with leading real estate developers, contractors, and insurance providers to assist with de-risking vertical construction projects from water damage. Helping to protect project margins, and reduce insurance costs and claims through the adoption of Construction IoT technology. Prior to Brickeye, Michael served as Project Manager in the Nuclear construction industry at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station working on multi-billion-dollar projects from conceptual planning and engineering to materials management and field execution. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Ottawa.

• Session: Innovation Minute: Managing Construction Risk With IoT

Alex Fuentes has over 20 years of experience in start-up and rapid-change environments within the tech industry and is Brickeye’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth and Business Development. He works with leading owners/developers, general contractors, and insurance providers across the U.S. and Canada to help mitigate job site risk and protect project margins through the adoption of construction IoT tech.

Alex holds an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo.

• Session: Time For A Re-Do: Top 10 Trends for Insurance in 2024 and Beyond
• Session: GenAI: The Newest Gadget In Your Toolkit

Denise Garth is Chief Strategy Officer at Majesco. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing, responsible for leading marketing, industry relations and innovation in support of Majesco’s client centric strategy, working closely with Majesco customers, partners and the industry.

She is a recognized Top 50 InsurTech Influencer and industry leader with both P&C and L&A insurance experience as a CIO and business executive with deep international ties in Asia and Europe through her ACORD leadership role. Denise is an acknowledged strategic thinker, innovation leader, international speaker, and author of thought leadership and articles regarding the key issues and opportunities facing the industry today to prepare for the future.

Prior to joining Majesco, Denise held business and technology senior executive roles with leading insurance companies, including Mutual of Omaha, CUNA Mutual and Century Cos. of America. At ACORD, she was vice president, standards and membership driving ACORD’s international expansion and market presence. While at Innovation Group, she was EVP, strategic marketing and global head of market strategy where she re-established the company’s position through market-driven strategy and solutions. Most recently she was Partner and Chief Digital Officer with Strategy Meets Action, leading the Innovation Practice evaluating emerging technologies, outside industry trends, and innovation and their implications and opportunities for the industry.

Denise is a Cum Laude graduate, with a BS in Math and Computer Science from Central College in Iowa, MBA work at the University of Northern Iowa and attended various executive leadership programs.

• Host and Moderator

Doug Grant has been helping the insurance industry in Canada make effective use of technology for many years. From a business-impact and application perspective, he has helped individual companies and cross-industry groups in both Property & Casualty and Life insurance.

The progress of technology from the the basement computer room to the desk-top terminal and PC, to portable laptops to smartphones and tablets and now BYOD has been a fascinating journey. Processes extended to business partners through connected systems has continued to improve efficiency and timeliness.

The web brought the customer directly into the equation. Social functions have enabled new levels of connectedness, triggering the current focus on customer experience and engagement, which can paradoxically both enhance loyalty and increase freedom of choice.

Doug is a founding partner in Insurance-Canada.ca, a leading Canadian Insurance resource centre for consumer and insurance professional alike. He organizes and hosts regularly scheduled Insurance-Canada.ca conferences and other events.

Married with two sons, Doug is a recent migrant from house to condo (too much stuff – not enough space), both in the heart of downtown Toronto.

• Session: TBA

Gerald Legrove is the managing partner of Insurance-Canada.ca.

He is president of DGA Careers, an executive recruitment firm serving the Canadian P&C industry, and a past member of the Alumni Board of the Rotman School of Business, and is also former president of the Toronto Junior Board of Trade.

Gerald has held senior executive positions with a successful commercial insurance company and a large international insurance brokerage firm. He holds a Bachelors Degree in commerce and an MBA.

• Session: Providing a Platform for Brokers and MGAs to Innovate

As CEO of Rival Insurance Technology, Greg guides a team of dedicated professionals committed to revolutionizing the insurance industry through cutting-edge technological solutions. Throughout a his 30-year career in insurance technology, he has consistently delivered value to clients, partners, and stakeholders globally.

His expertise spans strategic planning, corporate transformation, operational excellence, organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, marketing, digital marketing, digital transformation, data monetization, and consumer segmentation. He has played a leading role in advancing AI deployment, both as a development tool and within application features. Collaborating with industry leaders and experts across various disciplines has allowed him to infuse the best ideas and innovations into Rival's insurance solutions.

At Rival, our mission is to be the preferred partner for insurance providers in search of cost-effective and transformative solutions that confer a competitive advantage. By combining strategic planning, operational efficiency, and cutting-edge technology, we aim to continually deliver unparalleled value to our clients.

• Session: How Embedded Insurance Is Revolutionizing The Industry

Josh was recently appointed Chief Distribution Officer at Foxquilt.

He joined Foxquilt three years ago as Vice President of Partnerships, in which role he was P&L owner for Foxquilt’s partnership divisions across the US and Canada. Accountable for B2B enterprise, wholesaler, insurer carrier, agency and broker partnerships.

Previously, he worked at Aviva Canada for a decade, where he rose through a number of roles to become Associate Vice President of Group Insurance where he was the General Manager to Aviva's group and affinity insurance business across the Broker and RBC portfolios.

• Session: GenAI: Progress and Potential at Aviva Canada

Joining Aviva as a Senior Manager of Data Science, Fahad has taken on increasing responsibilities to his current role as VP, overseeing data science and AI at Aviva Canada.

Previously he was at Verisk in the position of Lead Data Scientist.

Fahad is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, and of York University with a Master of Business Analytics and Data Science.

• Session: Innovating Insurance For Agriculture

Robin is the visionary CEO of First Acre Insurance, where she has pioneered Canada's first-ever farm-focused insurtech Managing General Agent. Under her leadership, this tech-driven startup has revolutionized agricultural insurance, propelling it into the 21st century. By spearheading innovative strategies, her team has not only grown the First Acre Insurance brand across Canada but has also redefined how farmers protect their livelihoods. Robin's role involves guiding a team of highly skilled leaders to continually push the envelope in agricultural insurance.

Before her groundbreaking work at First Acre Insurance, Robin served as Managing Director for Duuo, a partnership between The Co-operators and Slice Labs. There, she delved into digital, direct offerings for emerging sectors like the sharing economy and on-demand insurance. Her tenure solidified her reputation as a forward-thinking leader in the startup and insurtech arenas, demonstrating her ability to build successful insurance practices and has established herself as a dedicated, passionate leader in the emerging digital space.

Robin's journey in digital innovation began at Berkley, where she established a Technology and Cyber underwriting practice accompanied with a digital underwriting tool. She continued to break new ground at Sovereign General Insurance, revitalizing their Technology Underwriting Practices and launching a National Cyber practice.

Robin holds a Master’s in Innovation and Technology from the DeGroote School of Business, underscoring her commitment to leading the insurance industry into a digital future.

• Session: Leading Change: Nurturing Innovation in the Insurance Industry
• Session: GenAI: The Newest Gadget In Your Toolkit

Daniel is an experienced strategist with a focus on innovation and disruption within the financial services industry. Passionate about all things Fintech/Insurtech.

Before insurance, he worked in the customer experience, technology innovation and fintech areas of the banking industry. Skilled in Strategy Execution, Consensus Building, and leading Mid-Large Scale Enterprise-Wide Transformation Projects.

Daniel graduated from the Schulich School of Business with specializations from Wharton Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Session: How Embedded Insurance Is Revolutionizing The Industry

Renée is the Chief Operating Officer at Foxquilt, having joined the company in early 2021. In her current role, Renée is responsible for overseeing the design and execution of the overall corporate strategy, with a keen focus on operational excellence and profitable growth.

With over 15 years of professional and leadership experience across Canada, USA and Germany, Renée has specialized in global project and portfolio management, business operations, program design and implementation, and change management initiatives.

Prior to joining Foxquilt, she was the Head of Portfolio Management at Munich Re Specialty Insurance, and Digital Partners, focusing on launching key insurance technology businesses across North America, bridging the gap between innovation, technology, and insurance within the ever-evolving digital MGA market.

With a proven track record of spearheading operational excellence and driving transformative growth, Renée is passionate about bringing technology innovation to the forefront of insurance and finding new strategies to simplify the insurance journey for businesses and consumers.