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Board & Staff
BOARD
VALERIE GILLIS
CAFII CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SVP, HEAD OF LIFE, HEALTH AND CREDIT PROTECTION
TD INSURANCE
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Valerie Gillis, SVP, leads TD Insurance’s (TDI) Life, Heath and Credit Protection business working with the team to set the strategic direction and growth opportunities for the business, deliver profitable financial results within risk appetite and ensure client service excellence. Her business helps safeguard customers’ financial well-being through providing credit protection plans, offers direct life and health insurance as well as travel insurance. TDI’s reinsurance business also reports into Valerie.
Previously, Valerie has held both Risk and Finance TD senior leadership roles, first as the bank’s Controller & Chief Accountant for 5+ years and most recently as Chief Risk Officer for TD Insurance and Wealth Management. As CRO, Valerie provided strategic advice and credible independent challenge to these businesses to enable them to sustainably grow within TD’s risk appetite. The corporate actuarial and Wealth Market and Credit Risk management teams also reported into her. While in Finance, she led Finance through many complex transformational and regulatory initiatives, most notably, Finance transformation and IFRS 9. Prior to joining TD in 2015, she was a partner at KPMG, LLP, nationally leading its Risk Consulting practice for Financial Risk Management with predominant financial services clients in Life Insurance, Banking and Large Public Pension Plans.
Throughout her career, Valerie has distinguished herself through her business acumen and strategic thinking. Valerie is well known for her expertise in asset liability management, financial instruments and derivatives. While at KPMG, Valerie led many projects with LifeCos and banks structuring derivative hedging strategies to manage interest, FX and inflationary risks, global risk governance projects and oversaw financial instrument valuation and life actuarial modelling teams. Further, at TD, the IFRS 9 project required oversight of changes to accounting, technology and credit risk modelling for provisions of credit losses. She participates/ed as a key senior executive on various transformative projects including: IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts, Client Focused Reforms (CFR), and TDAM Global Expansion amongst other strategic initiatives.
Valerie embraces TD’s shared commitments and works to inspire her teams to take an ownership mindset, provide legendary customer experience, embrace innovation and execute with speed and impact. Advancing inclusion and diversity is an area that Valerie is particularly passionate about. She plays an active role in mentoring and sponsoring diverse talent into increasingly senior roles and is committed to building diverse teams. Valerie lives in Toronto with her husband, her two children and they enjoy a variety of sports together.
PAUL COSGROVE
CAFII BOARD VICE CHAIR
PRESIDENT & CEO
ASSURANT CANADA
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During his 30-year career at Assurant, Paul has held various leadership roles, with oversight of the Connected Living, Global Auto and Financial Services business. Paul moved into the position of Vice President, Business Development and Client Management in 2004. In this role, Paul was responsible for the growth of the Canadian portfolio through the addition of key strategic products and services, the development of new partner relationships, product development and direct marketing. Paul assumed full responsibility for the Canadian Business in 2020.
In his current role, Paul is also President of Assurant Services Canada Inc., and Chief Agent in Canada for both the American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida and the American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida.
Paul is active in the insurance industry through his engagement with CAFII and sits on the Board of the American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida.
PETER THOMPSON
CAFII IMMEDIATE PAST-CHAIR
PRESIDENT & CEO
NATIONAL BANK INSURANCE
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Peter began his career with CIBC Corporate Banking in Montreal in 1989. After obtaining his MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario in 1993, he joined RoyNat where he specialized in terms, subordinated debt and equity financing.
In 1998, he joined National Bank of Canada to start up a Structured Finance group, serving all of the bank’s commercial banking centres throughout Quebec. In 2000, Peter was appointed Vice President of Commercial Banking for Ontario and Western Quebec, based out of Ottawa until 2006. He returned to Montreal where he was Vice President of the bank’s International division from 2006 until 2009. He then served as Vice President Commercial Banking for Laval, Northern & Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario until 2012. He was then named Vice President Real Estate Financing for Canada where he built a strong team and business across the country.
In April of 2018, Peter was appointed President & CEO of National Bank Insurance, overseeing all of National Bank of Canada’s Insurance operations.
Peter is a board member of St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, Sun Youth Organization and the Montreal St. Patrick’s Foundation. He has been married to Laurie for over 30 years and is a proud father to Madison, Grayson, Malcolm and Kevin.
KONSTANCE ALLAIN
CAFII DIRECTOR
AVP, CREDITOR INSURANCE
CIBC INSURANCE
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Konstance is currently Associate Vice President, Creditor Insurance, CIBC, providing leadership of all aspects of the Creditor Insurance business including product, acquisition and direct channel teams. Konstance’s mandate is to drive greater value into CIBC Creditor Insurance protection product offering and to maintain and build on the delivery of consistent and quality protection conversations with CIBC clients.
Konstance is a seasoned insurance professional and has been with CIBC Insurance for over 21 years. She has held senior roles across CIBC Insurance including leadership within the product, strategy and risk teams within CIBC, CIBC Life Insurance Company, CIBC Insurance Agency and including Life & Health, Home & Auto, Travel & Creditor Insurance.
Prior to CIBC, Konstance worked in multiple insurance sectors including CIGNA Insurance Company and Aon Direct Group where she led various teams accountable for product, sales, marketing and relationship management. Konstance holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Brock University and is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP).
Outside of work Konstance fills her time with her family and friends and enjoys fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society including CIBC Run for the Cure.
SARAH ARMSTRONG
CAFII DIRECTOR
VP, CREDITOR INSURANCE
CUMIS/THE CO-OPERATORS
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Ms Armstrong has been an executive within the financial services industry for ~ 25 years. She spent the first 20 years at TD Bank, and most recently at a small purpose-driven organization in the education savings & planning space. She has had a broad career as a leader, spanning across several lines of business including Product, Sales & Distribution, Customer & Employee Experience, Transformation & Change, in both Retail Banking and Creditor Insurance. She is known for her ability to inspire teams and colleagues, grow businesses and deliver exceptional results, and lead successfully through large scale transformation & change.
Sarah joined The Cooperators in June 2023 in the role of Vice President, Creditor Manufacturing supporting the CUMIS business. In this capacity, Sarah acts as the business owner for Creditor product, pricing, processes, technology, underwriting & claims operations. Sarah is a key executive leader in the development, refinement & execution of the long term strategy for our CUMIS creditor and specialty markets lines of business, championing efforts in close collaboration with distribution partners to ensure our strategy is meeting marketplace needs and driving profitable growth.
Sarah holds a Masters in Business Administration from Schulich School of Business and has completed executive leadership programs at both Rotman (University of Toronto), as well as through Women’s Executive Network (WXN). Sarah lives in Toronto with her husband and 14 yr old twin girls.
NIGEL BRANKER
CAFII DIRECTOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SECURIAN CANADA
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Nigel Branker serves as Chief Executive Officer of Securian Canada. With more than 25 years of business leadership experience, he is responsible for executing the company’s vision, mission and strategic growth plan within the Canadian market. A champion of DEI, Nigel is committed to building an inclusive, market-shaping culture and fostering innovation to improve access to life-ready insurance solutions for all Canadians. He is also responsible for building long-lasting relationships with key partners and stakeholders and ensuring Securian Canada delivers profitable growth to its parent company, Securian Financial. Nigel is a consulting actuary by background, and a Fellow of both the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association for Financial Institutions in Insurance (CAFII). In his free time, Nigel enjoys reading, listening to music, soccer and travelling. Home for Nigel is both Toronto and Montreal, where he splits his time.
ELIZABETH GANDOLFI
CAFII DIRECTOR
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT SOLUTIONS
CANADIAN WESTERN BANK
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Elizabeth Gandolfi is a Canadian Bank Executive with nearly two decades of experience in financial services. She is currently the Senior Vice-President, Client Solutions at Canadian Western Bank, and prior to this, spent nearly two decades at Scotiabank holding diverse and progressively senior roles.
Over her career, Elizabeth has led and participated in several enterprise-wide business transformation and growth initiatives and successfully put in place new organizational structures, delivery models and programs to drive superior client and employee experiences. She has extensive experience across personal, wealth and business banking across various functional areas, including product and business strategy, finance, operations, marketing and sales.
Elizabeth is a longstanding community builder heavily focused on supporting women and youth. In addition to recently joining CAFII, she is also a Board Member with ALS Society of Canada, a not-for-profit health organization. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting & Finance from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and successfully completed an executive Strategic Analytics Program at Queen’s University. Elizabeth, her husband, their four children and dog, reside in Toronto.
JULIE GAUDRY
CAFII DIRECTOR
VICE PRESIDENT, CREDITOR
RBC INSURANCE
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As Vice President, Creditor, at RBC Insurance, Julie leads the Creditor Insurance business, working collaboratively with all parts of the organization to develop and execute the Creditor Insurance business strategy and champion innovative ideas and solutions. She is responsible for identifying opportunities to enhance existing Creditor Insurance products and launch new products in conjunction with third-party partners.
Julie joined RBC Insurance in 2014, as Director, Group Strategy and she was promoted in 2017 to Senior Director, Group Insurance, where she led a team with P&L accountability and had responsibility for the overall strategic direction for RBC Insurance’s Group Benefits business. Under Julie’s leadership, the Group Benefits business experienced significant growth in profitability and above-industry average revenue growth.
Prior to joining RBC Insurance in 2014, Julie spent eight years in Human Resources at RBC, responsible for the design, financial management, and communication of the benefits and wellness programs and the financial education and planning strategy for RBC employees and retirees in Canada.
Before joining RBC in 2006, Julie practiced as a Doctor of Chiropractic. She holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University and a Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
LOUIE GEORGAKIS
CAFII DIRECTOR
VICE PRESIDENT
THE CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY
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Louie Georgakis is the VP of Canada Life’s Creditor Insurance business. Louie joined Canada Life in 2007 and was initially responsible for pricing and profitability analysis of the Creditor Insurance business before taking on his current role. Prior to joining Canada Life, Louie held senior pricing and valuation roles in his 25+ years within the Canadian insurance industry. In 2005, Louie achieved his Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
WAYNE HEWITT
CAFII DIRECTOR
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
SCOTIA INSURANCE
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Wayne P. Hewitt is a seasoned banking professional with over thirty years of experience in the industry. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Insurance Canada at Scotiabank, he leads the Canadian Creditor Insurance and Direct-to-Consumer Insurance businesses, overseeing product development, sales, distribution, and risk management. Wayne has held various senior roles at Scotiabank over the past 21 years, both in its International and Canadian Banking division Wayne-Bio-2024 and in Commercial Banking and Internal Audit. Wayne holds an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics & Management from the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. He is recognized for his leadership and management skills, having served on multiple boards and committees throughout his career.
RAHUL KAKAR
CAFII DIRECTOR
SENIOR VP – HEAD OF ACCIDENT AND HEALTH CANADA
CHUBB INSURANCE
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Rahul Kakar is Senior Vice President leading Chubb Life Canada – Accident and Health. He is responsible for the overall P&L for Chubb Life Canada, leading and implementing profitable growth strategies for the business, including sales, distribution, underwriting and product development.
Rahul has +20 years of Life and Health insurance expertise across multiple geographies. He is well versed with Legal and Regulatory framework and has work with multiple regulators across the globe. As a leader, he plays an active role in building the strength of his team through recruiting and helping sponsor and mentor diverse talent into increasingly senior roles and is an active Coach on Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Rahul is currently on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Financial Institution in Insurance. Rahul holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
ANDREW KUGLER
CAFII DIRECTOR
VP, HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION
AFFINITY MARKETS CANADA
MANULIFE
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Andrew is the national head of Affinity Distribution in Canada having joined this team in August 2023. His current responsibility is to build new client relationships, nurture existing ones and establish new markets for Affinity Distribution’s growth into the future. His primary areas of focus are in the following broad areas: Travel Insurance (in both Canada and the US), financial institutions, key accounts, CoverMe and overall strategic new business development.
Prior to this, Andrew was the national head of small business distribution for Manulife Group Benefits in Canada. He has also served as the Pricing Officer for Affinity Markets Canada and Group Benefits Canada and held the positions of AVP, Expense Management, Canadian Segment, AVP and Actuary, Canadian Risk Management and Manulife Reinsurance in Barbados.
Andrew joined Manulife at the end of 2004 and has spent half his career leading and interacting with the various group benefit distribution, pricing and underwriting teams.
Andrew holds a B.Sc. in Actuarial Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) in the United States.
SIMON LACROIX-HUBERT
CAFII DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR OF PRICING,
PERSONAL INSURANCE
DESJARDINS
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In 2004, Simon obtained his Actuarial degree from Laval University in Quebec City. During his career, he worked in pricing, product development and strategic planning. He now has over 20 years of experience at Desjardins mostly in credit insurance and direct sales product. Simon is now the Pricing Director for the Individual Insurance Division at Desjardins.
ROHIT THOMAS
CAFII DIRECTOR
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT &
PRESIDENT
BMO INSURANCE
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Rohit Thomas is Senior Vice President, BMO Financial Group. He is also the President and Chief Executive Officer, BMO Life Assurance Company and BMO Life Insurance Company.
Rohit has held various roles of increasing responsibility in the Insurance Industry ranging from Product, Pricing, Finance and Corporate roles covering Life & Health, Wealth and Annuity products.
Rohit started his career at Manulife in 2007, and joined BMO Insurance as Director, Risk Management in 2012. Rohit was appointed VP & Chief Product Actuary in 2014. Rohit joined TD Insurance in 2020 as VP, Credit Card Insurance, Travel & Actuarial Pricing.
Rohit rejoined BMO March 2023 as President and Chief Executive Officer of BMO Insurance. Rohit also serves as a Director of BMO Life Holdings (Canada), ULC and BMO Life Insurance Company.
Rohit is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
ADAM VESPI
CAFII DIRECTOR
AVP, BANKING, CREDIT CARD & INSURANCE PRODUCTS
CANADIAN TIRE BANK
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Adam Vespi is a seasoned professional in financial services and loyalty marketing, with over 17 years of experience at Canadian Tire Bank. Currently, he holds the position of Associate Vice President for Banking, Credit Card, and Insurance Products, a role he has had since March 2021. In this capacity, Adam is responsible for leading the development and execution of comprehensive product strategies across all three core business areas.
Prior to his current role, Adam served as the Director of Customer Acquisition for more than 5 years. During that tenure, he successfully led a national sales team and multiple third-party agency partners responsible for driving new account growth in both the credit card and insurance businesses.
In addition to his corporate achievements, Adam is dedicated to education and has been an instructor at McMaster University for over a decade. Since May 2012, he has taught Engineering & Management Communication Skills to second year engineering students, focusing on developing high-performance teams and effective communication. Since September 2019, Adam has also built and instructed courses for the Minor of Innovation related to marketing and persuasion for students from all faculties.
Adam Vespi’s dual experience in financial services and education enables him to bring unique insights into both fields. His commitment to excellence and innovation continues to drive significant growth and improvement in every role he undertakes.
Adam holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Management and an MBA from McMaster University. He has been an Executive Board Member for CAFII since June 2021.
EOC
KARYN KASPERSKI
CAFII EOC CHAIR AND BOARD SECRETARY
DIRECTOR REGULATORY INITIATIVES
RBC INSURANCE
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As a product management professional with over 20 years of experience, Karyn is responsible for managing all regulatory/compliance aspects of the Insurance portfolio (including Credit Protection). Karyn’s skills and experience focus on risk management, strategy development and execution and change management.
As Chair of the Executive Operations Committee Karyn is responsible for supporting CAFII’s Board of Directors and leading its volunteer members to achieve CAFII’s overall strategic objectives.
JOHN BURNS
CAFII VICE EOC CHAIR AND VICE BOARD SECRETARY
VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF COMPLIANCE
OFFICER, CHIEF PRIVACY OFFICER, CAMLO
SECURIAN CANADA
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As Vice-President, CCO, CPO and CAMLO, Mr. Burns is responsible for promoting, facilitating, monitoring and assessing compliance with the Company’s compliance requirements and facilitating the identification and management of compliance risks relevant to the Company’s activities.
Mr. Burns has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry within the U.S. and Canada. His experience includes identifying and implementing operational enhancements, managing international blocks of business, extensive project experience including project management, web design, sales and marketing review, Manulife’s integration with John Hancock, operational risk management, regulatory examinations and compliance management. He has managed teams across multiple sites including Tampa, Boston, Toronto, Montreal and Kitchener/Waterloo and acted as a Registered Principal for John Hancock Distributors LLC.
Prior to joining Securian Canada, he was AVP of Regulatory Compliance for Primerica with responsibility for compliance oversight of the Life company and its subsidiaries. Prior to Primerica, John was the Director of Compliance for Manulife’s Affinity Markets with responsibility for compliance oversight of Travel Insurance, Mortgage Creditor Insurance and Direct to Consumer Sales.
Mr. Burns graduated from York University and holds a B.A. in Psychology. He has attained his Fellow of the Life Management Institute, FINRA’s Series 6, 26 and 51 licenses, completed IFSE’s Canadian Investment Fund Course & Officers, Partners and Directors course, completed his CIPP Certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and received a certificate in Data Privacy and Technology from Harvard.
Mr. Burns is currently the Chair of the CLHIA Compliance Committee and sits on many other committees of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) and Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance (CAFII) including acting as Vice-Chair of the Executive Operations Committee.
DONALD HINNECKE, CPA CMA
CAFII BOARD TREASURER
DIRECTOR OF INSURANCE
RBC INSURANCE
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Donald is Director of Insurance Finance at RBC and is a financial advisor to RBC’s Cdn Insurance product lines. He holds a CPA CMA designation and BA Economics from York University and has worked in the Financial Services industries for over 35 years in both Banking and Insurance companies.
CAFII STAFF
KEITH MARTIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Keith is Executive Director of CAFII, an Association representing Canadian Banks, Credit Unions, and Insurance Companies, with a focus on credit protection insurance, travel insurance, and direct-to-consumer distribution. Keith was previously Acting President of the Canadian International Council, a Canadian association focused on foreign affairs with over 1000 members and 15 branches across the country. Before that, Keith held senior implementation and client services roles at Brookfield RPS, whose client base is Canadian banks. He has contributed in senior roles at Royal and SunAlliance Insurance Canada, and at Bank of Montreal in strategy, planning, eBusiness, and the Chairman’s Office.
Earlier in his career Keith taught at Ryerson University, worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and was in a senior position in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Keith has a Master’s degree from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Economics from McGill University. Keith has completed advanced executive programs at the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University, at the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University, and at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is married with three daughters.
ROBYN JENNINGS
RESEARCH ANALYST
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Hello. My name is Robyn Jennings, and I have been with CAFII as their Research Analyst for over a year now. Before CAFII, I worked in various governmental departments, including Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Standards Council of Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), previously known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). I have a Masters in Medieval History from the University of Guelph and an Honours BA (essay stream) in History from Concordia University. In my spare time, you will find me reading, baking, or knitting while watching horror movies.
Working at CAFII has taught me the value of insurance and the importance of financial literacy. CAFII is a small but mighty team, and one that I am honoured to be a part of.
LARA DOIG
SENIOR MANAGER, OPERATIONS
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Lara is an expert in project management and process improvement. Lara’s experience is the first point of contact for large commercial clients in Insurance, Financial Institutions, Fintech and Real Estate. She has developed and maintained long-term partnerships, and has produced sales pitches and presentations to improve Adoption, Engagement and Technical Health. She has over 10 years of client and project management experience including maintaining strong relationships with customers, onboarding, contract renewal and account expansion. Lara has strong knowledge of business operations processes including Client Tech Stack, CRM platforms and data driven results.
CAFII’S MEDIA CONSULTANT
WENDY BAIROS
MEDIA CONSULTANT
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A strategic communications leader and media consultant, Wendy Bairos has over 17 years of experience driving impactful storytelling, media strategy, and brand positioning across tech, finance, and innovation. She currently supports CAFII (Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance), shaping public narratives around accessible and inclusive insurance, and works with MaRS Discovery District to elevate the profile of Canada’s top startups and scale-ups. She also serves as an advisory board member for BILI (Because I Love It), helping brands navigate creator-driven marketing and influencer engagement.
Previously, Wendy spent 12 years at Google, where she launched and led Google Canada’s communications and public affairs team, shaping the company’s profile in Canada. She went on to lead Eighty-Eight Creative, a boutique PR and creative agency, before becoming Group Head of Public Relations at Diamond Marketing, spearheading strategic campaigns for major brands like Tim Hortons, Beyond Meat, and Loblaws.
Throughout her career, Wendy has partnered with CEOs, executives, and startups, securing high-profile media placements, thought leadership opportunities, and brand-defining moments. She has worked with organizations like Girls Who Code, CanadaHelps, The 519, and TedXToronto, served on advisory committees for Luminato and NOW Magazine, and continues to mentor startups and emerging professionals.
Managing Matters (CAFII’s Association Management Company ) Staff
Lyn Wallington,
Human Resources
Troy Woodland,
Association Coordinator
Michelle Everets,
Events
Winnie Chan,
Webinars
Ricky Nason,
Accounting
Rachel Feng,
Accounting
