Western Financial Group Appoints New Chief Administrative Officer and New Chief Financial Officer
HIGH RIVER, Alta. (August 23, 2011) – Scott Tannas, President and CEO of Western Financial Group, is pleased to announce two key executive appointments. Catherine Rogers, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, while Kenny Nicholls is appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective September 26, 2011.
“Catherine has been our CFO since the very beginning of Western, and has also taken on a number of other key responsibilities over the years. I want to thank her for her tremendous contribution as CFO. She has played a vital role in our success and development over the years and will continue to provide leadership in her new role.”
As Chief Administrative Officer, she will now be responsible for:
- Oversight of Shared Services, including Human Resources, Communications, and Business Technology.
- Compliance and Operational Risk Management
- The Project Management Office, including oversight of all Optimization and Development activities between Desjardins and Western.
In his new position as CFO, Mr. Nicholls will be responsible for the management and direction of the Company’s finance and accounting organization, and will be a member of the executive management team.
“Kenny is an outstanding addition to our senior leadership team. He brings tremendous executive level experience in the financial industry, predominantly with Desjardins Group, our new owner and partner. He joins our company at a key time, as we are working closely with Desjardins to develop synergies and broaden our product range and customer base,” said Mr. Tannas.
Mr. Nicholls has more than 20 years of progressively expanding responsibility in the financial industry. He has been with Desjardins Group since 1994, and has held a variety of senior finance and accounting positions, including serving as CFO for various Desjardins subsidiaries.
He is a Certified General Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, with a major in accountancy, from Concordia University, and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy from McGill University.
About Western Financial Group
Western Financial Group is a provider of P&C and life insurance, as well as banking and investment services, for more than 550,000 customers across Western Canada. Western is the largest property and casualty brokerage in Western Canada, providing auto, home, farm and business insurance to residents of 88 communities through 98 local offices across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Most locations also offer life insurance products, travel insurance, some investment services, and deposit and loan services such as the purchase of GICs, as well as personal and commercial mortgages and loans.
Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the leading cooperative financial group in Canada and the sixth largest in the world.
For further information, please contact:
Arlene Beggs, Executive Assistant to the CEO
Western Financial Group
403-652-2663
info@westernfg.ca
