Canadian CEO takes to the global stage with a
vision for a better future
GUELPH,
ON, Oct. 26, 2022 /CNW/ - Co-operators is
pleased to announce that Rob
Wesseling, President and CEO, was appointed Chair of the
International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF)
today for a four-year term.
The announcement was made during the Federation's General
Meeting, which took place at the ICMIF Centenary Conference –
Leading with Purpose – which is now underway in Rome.
"I'm delighted to take on this role at what is an important time
in our sector. Through our work at ICMIF we've demonstrated that
the cooperative and mutual insurance sector is critical to building
a better future," said Wesseling. "Together, we're actively working
towards a resilient, sustainable, and equitable future and I
believe that, by working towards ambitious and aggressive targets
in areas such as disaster risk reduction, sustainable development,
and responsible investing, we will have a catalytic impact on the
global insurance industry and, eventually, the economy as a
whole."
ICMIF is comprised of 197 purpose-led, people-focused insurance
companies in 60 countries serving more than 350 million
members/policyholders and employing more than 226,000 people. The
mutual and cooperative sector has grown by 39% since 2007,
exceeding the total worldwide insurance market growth by 11.9
percentage points, and has seen the share it holds of the total
insurance market increase to 26.3%.
"Co-operators is a leader in the Canadian and global cooperative
community and is actively working towards building a more
sustainable and resilient future," said Shaun Tarbuck, the Chief Executive Officer of
ICMIF. "This is a time of considerable opportunity and challenge
for the global mutual and cooperative insurance market. I am
delighted that Rob has accepted the position of ICMIF Chair, and I
look forward to working closely with him over the next four
years."
Wesseling is also the Chair of the ICMIF Foundation, the
charitable arm of ICMIF that provides support to reduce poverty,
vulnerability, and inequality through community empowerment. The
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the ICMIF
Foundation today launched the Insurance Innovation Challenge Fund.
The Fund, initially funded with USD
600,000, will enable mutual insurance initiatives to
strengthen financial resilience of people with low income.
In his new role as ICMIF Chair, Wesseling is chairing the
Leadership Panel today at the Conference. Other Co-operators
employees participating at the Conference are Chad Park, VP of Sustainability, who will be
presenting tomorrow as a panelist at the Inclusive Resilience
Through Protection and Prevention session, and Eileen Devlin, AVP Finance, who will be
participating as one of 60 global delegates who are part of the
ICMIF Young Leaders Program.
About Co-operators
Co-operators is a leading Canadian
financial services co-operative, offering multi-line insurance and
investment products, services, and personalized advice to help
Canadians build their financial strength and security. The company
has more than $61.5 billion in assets
under administration. Co-operators has been providing trusted
guidance to Canadians for the past 76 years. The organization is
well known for its community involvement and its commitment to
sustainability. Achieving carbon neutral equivalency in 2020, the
organization is committed to net-zero emissions in its operations
and investments by 2040, and 2050, respectively. Co-operators is
also ranked as a Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizen in
Canada. For more information,
please visit: www.cooperators.ca.
SOURCE The Co-operators Group Limited