IBAO Congratulates 2022 Awards of Excellence Winners

IBAO congratulates the winners of its 2022 Awards of Excellence, which were given out at the IBAO Convention last night. Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding achievement across Ontario’s broker channel.

“All of this year’s Finalists were very deserving and I’d like to congratulate all of them,” said IBAO Colin Simpson. “This event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the exceptional talent we have in Ontario’s broker channel.”

2022 IBAO Awards of Excellence Winners

Brokerage of the Year—Over 25 Licensed Brokers | McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers
McFarlan Rowlands has roots dating back to 1896 and now spans 18 locations across Ontario—balancing organic growth with acquisitions. Over $100,000 is invested in McFarlan Rowlands’ communities on an annual basis—their support has gone to over 125 causes since 2021.

Brokerage of the Year—25 and Under Licensed Brokers | BrokerUnion
In just over two years in 2022, BrokerUnion Insurance transformed from an exclusive Agency model to the Brokerage model, starting from a zero-dollar book of business and has grown to be an $8.5M brokerage. BrokerUnion is focused on bringing in talent from various backgrounds to help enrich the broker channel—the staff can provide service for their clients in 18 different languages.

Diversity Leader | Sheldon Williams, Nacora Insurance Brokers
Sheldon is a Licensee Office with Nacora Insurance Brokers and is the Chair and Co-Founder of the Canadian Association of Black Insurance Professionals. He’s also the VP of the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton and is heavily involved in community events. He launched a program for Black authors in partnership with his local library and celebrates the diversity present in Halton, Ontario.

Future Leader | Thomas Wright, Westland Insurance Group
Thomas started in insurance at 18 and since then he’s risen from an entry level position to Vice President of Specialty Risk at Westland Insurance. He serves as the President of the Young Insurance Professionals of Toronto to support up-and-coming talent in the industry. He also has a passion for volunteer work, regularly lending a hand at the Royal Canadian Legion.

Innovation of the Year | Quandri
Quandri has brought massive innovation to the broker channel by utilizing robotics and artificial intelligence to automate large pieces of daily broker operations, reducing operating costs typically in the range of 50% to 80% on a per process basis. It alleviates the need for hiring, allows brokers to continue to grow without adding more staff and lets them focus on human, revenue-generating activities.