Mercer Canada has appointed new heads for its wealth practices in Toronto and Quebec. Todd Nelson is the firm’s new wealth leader for its Toronto office and Yanick Chainey will lead the wealth business for the province of Quebec. Before joining Mercer Canada as a principal in January 2018, Nelson was at Willis Towers Watson […]
Ellement Consulting Group is merging with AQ Group Solutions to create an enhanced offering in the Canadian employee benefits market. The merger will combine AQ Group Solutions’ customer service, group benefits and retirement solutions with Ellement’ actuarial consulting experience. It will be operated under the Ellement brand. Laura Lomow, president of AQ Solutions, will become a partner […]
British Columbia’s College Pension Plan board of trustees selection panel has appointed Bita Jenab as its director of research and analysis for the college and public service pension plans. Jenab has more than 30 years of consulting experience and extensive experience as a consulting actuary working with jointly sponsored pension boards. She will provide the board with strategic […]
U.S.-based brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is acquiring Canadian benefits, retirement and compensation consulting firm Accompass Inc. The acquisition will provided the Toronto-based consultancy with Gallagher’s tools and resources, noted a press release. For Gallagher, the move will facilitate the expansion of its business capabilities in Canada. Sarah Beech, president of Accompass, will continue to lead the Accompass team. […]
Mercer is acquiring the investment consulting, alternatives consulting and wealth management operations of Pavilion Financial Corp. Pavilion, a global investment services firm with about 300 employees, is headquartered in Winnipeg with offices across North America, in London, England and in Singapore. “In only a few years, we have assembled one of the industry’s top consulting […]
BFL Canada Consulting Services Inc. has appointed Jean-Daniel Côté as vice-president of retirement. Based in Montreal, Côté will play a senior consulting role for a range of employer clients and contribute to the growth of BFL Canada’s retirement consulting team, according to a news release. With nearly 30 years of experience in retirement and investment consulting, […]
Hub International Ltd. has acquired Windsor, Ont.-based retirement and benefits firm the Benefits Company Inc. The deal follows a recent string of acquisitions by Hub International over the past few months, including Burnaby, B.C.-based Pointbreak Consulting Group Ltd.; Kitchener, Ont.-based GMS Insurance Inc.; and Dallas, Texas-based IPS Advisors LLP. “By joining Hub, brokerages have the opportunity to expand as […]
With markets showing signs of potential extreme volatility in recent weeks, how can employers address the many questions that arise from pension plan members? When speaking to members, consultants usually emphasize advice on asset allocation based on age and risk tolerance. Many members aren’t honest in their responses, often overstating their tolerance for risk because markets are typically on the rise. […]
Global insurance brokerage Hub International Ltd. has acquired the shares of GMS Insurance (SWO) Inc., a Kitchener, Ont.-based benefits consulting firm. Providing services to the southwestern Ontario and greater Toronto area, GMS Insurance works with a number of companies ranging from small startups to large national or international organizations. The company didn’t disclose the terms […]
A new group has emerged to oppose the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s new guideline around disclosing compensation paid to intermediaries in group benefits and group retirement services. The National Coalition of Benefit Advisors has taken shape over the past six weeks, according to Robert Taylor, managing director of Vancouver-based TRG Group Benefits & Pensions […]