Headquarters:
1100 Burloak Drive, Suite 300, Burlington, ON, L7L 6B2
Year founded:
2019
Number of employees:
17
Phone:
905 332 2332
Email:
info@uniquerisks.com
Website:
uniquerisks.com
LinkedIn:
ca.linkedin.com/company/unique-risks-ltd
"We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork"
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Read on
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UNIQUE RISKS
J.D. Farquhar
President and CEO
Vesna Fable
Chief Underwriting Officer
Rodney Spurrell
Managing Director
Leadership
J.D. Farquhar is the founder, president and CEO of Unique Risks, where he is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the firm. He has over 20+ years of experience in the insurance industry and previously held senior executive roles with two large MGAs.
He studied business and communication studies at the University of Ottawa before obtaining a Business of Insurance diploma from Algonquin College. He holds FCIP, CRM, and ERM designations and a Level 3 RIBO license (Principal Broker).
President and CEO
J.D. Farquhar
Vesna Fable joined Unique Risks in 2020 as chief underwriting officer, responsible for underwriting standards, training, direction, and broker relationships across Canada. She has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and has worked with large national insurers and MGAs. She has extensive underwriting experience, with specialties in commercial property and casualty. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Vesna Fable
Rodney Spurrell joined Unique Risks in 2021 as managing director, responsible for programs and business development. He has over 27 years of experience in the insurance industry and has held many senior roles with MGAs and large national insurers. He has extensive underwriting experience in umbrella, environmental and professional lines. Spurrell obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Business from the University of Newfoundland (Memorial).
Managing Director
Rodney Spurrell
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“We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Read on
Award Winner
Leadership
SPECIAL REPORT
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Bio
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
“We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Read on
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SPECIAL REPORT
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Roula Jabra
Finance Manager
Roula Jabra joined Unique Risks in 2020 as finance manager, responsible for overseeing all of the company’s financial duties. She has over 12 years of finance experience in the insurance industry and various other companies. She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Notre Dame University in Lebanon.
Finance Manager
Roula Jabra
Damian Palovick
Senior Vice President of Underwriting
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Damian Palovick is a senior vice president of underwriting in the North American P&C Programs Unit. He is responsible for the profitable performance and growth of the property and specialty portfolios, strategic planning, and team management.
Damian has 30 years of industry experience in all lines of underwriting with three national carriers. He has spent most of his career in delegated authority program management and is skilled in portfolio and relationship management for large books of business. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Psychology from Swarthmore College, as well as a CPCU designation.
Senior Vice President of Underwriting
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Damian Palovick
Unique Risks is a managing general agent established in Spring 2019. The company’s goal is to find creative insurance solutions for risks deemed “unwanted, unloved or misunderstood”.
“Unique Risks has a specific appetite for tough-to-place liability risks,” says JD Farquhar, president and chief executive. “For those accounts most insurance markets tend to run away from, those we run towards. Our experienced underwriting team will craft wordings, endorsements, and rating structures that work for our clients to satisfy their needs, as well as supporting our capacity partners. To date, that mindset of solutions-based underwriting has worked for us, and we continue to write tough business while remaining profitable doing so.”
Originally, Unique Risks’ expertise was in commercial general liability and umbrella and excess. Since then, the company has expanded and now offers a property facility with a focus on realty, office packages, construction, small retail, renovation projects and course of construction (COC). A wrap-up facility has been launched to complement property and COC.
Despite being known for writing tougher-to-place (unique) risks, Unique Risks has an appetite that is constantly expanding, and now entertains most classes of business regardless of complexity. The company aims to continue expanding its product offerings over the years to become a true “one-stop shop” for its valued broker partners.
Unique Risks continues to increase the number of new staff, almost doubling year over year. The company strives to provide a great environment for its employees and has embraced the hybrid model to allow for a mix of office- and home-based work to ensure an excellent work-life balance.
As an independently owned and operated MGA, Unique Risks has no direct affiliations with any insurance company or brokerage.
“Unique Risks has one specific goal, and that is to be a single insurance solution for all our broker partners’ needs, allowing them to support their clients,” says Farquhar.
“To do that, we need to grow our product offerings. To keep pace with this goal, we are launching our property program in Fall 2022. We will also be expanding to focus on errors and omission, pollution, and cyber liability shortly after this. We are grateful to have the support of Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company in enabling Unique Risks to reach these goals by being a true partner in our growth.”
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich
School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at
The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and
Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Sonia Ahuja
Chief Operating Officer
Sanjay Mehta
EVP and Chief Market Officer
John Laurie
Chief Partnership Officer
Anthony Dippolito
Chief Wellness Officer
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the
Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years
of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation
of the company’s internal customer
service department.
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Damian Palovick
Senior Vice President of Underwriting
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Dr. Mary Lavoie
Head of Risk Management and Senior Vice President
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Mark Bernacki
Chief Underwriting Officer
Ryan Armijo
Chief Operating Officer, Underwriting Division
Bob Petrilli
President, Underwriting Division