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