Mark Dutton Named President of Coast Capital Insurance Services Ltd.
VANCOUVER (BC) – Western Financial Group (Western) announced today that Mark Dutton has been named to succeed Rick Parent as President of Coast Capital Insurance Services Ltd. (CCIS) by 2014. Dutton will work alongside Parent until his retirement at the end of the year.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Coast Capital Insurance Services to help guide it through this transition period and into a successful new era as part of the Western family,” said Dutton. “As someone who has experienced both sides of an acquisition throughout my insurance career, I’m sensitive to how challenging the integration process can be. I’m looking forward to working alongside Rick and the Coast Capital team over the next few months. The opportunity to learn directly from Rick, one of the most well-liked and well-respected executives in our industry, will help ensure a smooth transition.”
Western acquired CCIS from Coast Capital Savings Credit Union on July 2, 2013.
In his new role, Dutton is focused on helping the company expand its market share while leading the integration of CCIS with Western.
“I am grateful for the privilege to have worked with the team at Coast Capital Insurance. In my last 17 years as President we have grown into one of the leading personal lines agencies in British Columbia,” said Parent. “They are an excellent team and I believe Mark Dutton will provide the leadership necessary to ensure Coast Capital Insurance continues to thrive.”
A senior executive with extensive experience in the insurance industry, Dutton previously served as Western’s Regional Vice President for southern Alberta. In his role with Western, Dutton was responsible for achieving the region’s growth targets while overseeing a team of 254 employees in 25 branches. Prior to joining CCIS, Dutton was instrumental in leading Western’s catastrophe claims efforts following the recent Alberta flooding crisis in 2005.
Throughout his career, Dutton has served in a variety of capacities within the insurance industry including Director of Casualty and Claims (West Region) for Intact Insurance and Northern Regional Manager, Claims (Alberta) for Axa Insurance. Dutton began his insurance career as a Disability Management Consultant for Arthur Grey Consultants.
During this transition of leadership, Parent, who has 35 years of experience in the insurance industry – all of them with CCIS – will provide Dutton with valuable insights into the CCIS team and its operations. Parent is a qualified Chartered Insurance Professional, and has committed thousands of volunteer hours to the industry, sitting on boards of several organizations including the Insurance Council of British Columbia, the Insurance Institute of British Columbia, CUPP Services Ltd., and the Credit Union Insurance Services Association.
CCIS offers property, casualty and commercial insurance products through 32 retail insurance offices and a call centre. Western is the largest and fastest growing insurance brokerage in western Canada, and the purchase of CCIS locations across the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island complements the 29 branches in 22 communities they currently operate throughout British Columbia.
About Western Financial Group
Western Financial Group is a western Canada based, diversified, financial services company serving more than 600,000 customers. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western provides insurance services through more than 120 office locations and the Internet. With a skilled team of approximately 1,600 employees, and backed by the strong resources of its owners, Western is committed to building the strongest financial services company in Western Canada.
Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the leading co-operative financial group in Canada.
For more information please contact:
Eric Michalko
Manager - Sponsorships, Digital Marketing & Public Relations
Phone: (403) 652-2663, ext. 524
Cell: (403) 603-8965
Email: eric.michalko@westernfg.ca
