Language advantage key for Western's Portuguese brokers

Our team at Western Financial Group’s St. Vital and Polo Park brokerages have combined insurance expertise and Portuguese language proficiency to best serve customers in the Winnipeg area.

As one of the largest and strongest insurance brokerages in Canada — 179 locations nationwide — Western has provided Canadians the right protection with the best value for over 100 years.

Our licensed brokers have access to a wide range of personal and business insurance products from many partner insurance companies. Additionally, there is no fee associated with a broker’s service.

“We can explain everything they need from the insurance business in their own language,” Carlos Cossolin, an insurance advisor on the Polo Park team, said.

Cossolin, a licensed personal insurance expert, was a broker in Brazil for 10 years and speaks Portuguese and English. Some Brazilians new to Canada can experience an insurance culture shift, he said.

“It’s part of my job to educate the community and show them they can trust us,” Cossolin said, noting he carefully goes over customers’ policies with them so they fully understand their coverages.

True client satisfaction is measured by way of policy renewal, he said.

“…Showing you care about them, not only for renewals, (this is taking care of your customer),” he said, noting broker accessibility and being there for customers’ big life moments is key.

Pina Ribeiro, a licensed personal lines insurance advisor at the St. Vital brokerage, has worked in the insurance industry for 20 years — five of those years at the Western Financial Group location.

Like Cossolin, Ribeiro is also fluent in written and spoken Portuguese. An award-winning broker, she excels at providing customers the right home insurance for their needs today and into the future.

“It makes the customer feel comfortable that they’re talking with someone who is knowledgeable about the products they’re selling,” Ribeiro said, adding her goal is to secure the best policy for clients’ needs.

Western offers a one-stop shop for all insurance products, she said. As for Portuguese customers, many have traveled across the city to both brokerages because of their experts who speak the language.

Carlos Castro, a licensed commercial account executive at the Polo Park brokerage, holds a network security diploma from the University of Winnipeg. Castro speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English.

He said there is great value in educating clients on the business issues they might face in Canada and how to avoid them. Castro said one topic he can assist customers with is cyber security insurance.

Michael Chapnick, branch manager of the Polo Park and St. Vital brokerages, said the Western advantage is the superior customer service and attention to detail brokers provide.

“Understanding what (your insurance is) doing for you, taking the time to explain that, making sure you understand the coverages and why you’re purchasing it, that’s an important message,” he said.

Chapnick said the brokerages also give back throughout the year to Support the Cause, a fundraising initiative that assists Western Financial Group’s charitable arm, the Western Communities Foundation.