Western Financial Group appoints Paul Taylor as new President & CEO

Western Financial Group (Western) and its Board of Directors are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Taylor as President & CEO effective July 6.

Company Founder and Interim President & CEO, Scott Tannas will be working with Taylor to oversee a smooth transition period. After this time, Tannas will resume his previous role as Vice Chairman and Founder focusing on the areas of governance, community and employee relations. Tannas also continues to serve as a Canadian Senator.

In his role as President & CEO, Taylor will oversee Western’s Network of insurance brokerages, and will lead all of Western’s business units including Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions, Western Financial Insurance Company (Petsecure) and Western Life Assurance Company.

Taylor brings with him a diverse background in both the private and public sectors. Most recently he held the position of President of TransAlta’s business operations in the U.S. and as is a Corporate Director on the TransAlta Renewables Board of Directors. His extensive experience includes serving as President & CEO of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and he subsequently served as the Chair and Director of ICBC. His public sector experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Premier of British Columbia and as British Columbia’s Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to Treasury Board.

“We are excited to have Mr. Taylor join the Western team. He is a proven leader, and is a great fit with Western’s values of truthfulness, fairness, value and loyalty. He is the right choice to help Western continue to be a leader in the Canadian insurance industry,” said Scott Tannas, Vice Chairman and Founder of Western Financial Group. “Mr. Taylor’s prior roles give him the expertise and perspective to lead Western to a successful future and I look forward to working alongside him.”

“We are delighted to announce Mr. Taylor as the new President & CEO of Western. He is the perfect person to continue to develop Western. His extensive experience, solid track record of leadership combined with his values make him the ideal individual to lead our team,” said Jim Dinning, Chairman, Western Board of Directors. “Western’s future is very bright with Mr. Taylor joining the Western family.” “I look forward to working with the great team at Western as we strive to serve the needs of our customers across the west,” said Paul Taylor, President & CEO of Western Financial Group.

About Western Financial Group

Western Financial Group is a diversified insurance company that serves more than 800,000 customers across Western Canada. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western Provides personal and business insurance services through more than 160 office locations and affiliates and online. With a skilled team of more than 1,800 employees, Western is committed to building the strongest insurance organization in Western Canada.

Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the leading cooperative financial group in Canada.