Headquarters:
77 City Centre Drive, West Tower, Suite 300; Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 1M5
Year founded:
1948
Number of employees:
89
Phone:
1 800 323 3781
Email:
info@pallettvalo.com
Website:
pallettvalo.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/pallett-valo-llp
“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”
Mark Maher, Jencap
Pallett Valo LLP
John Russo
Managing Partner
Anne Kennedy
Partner, Risk and Practice Management
Joe Conte
Partner
Leadership
In his role as managing partner, John Russo is responsible for guiding Pallett Valo’s Canadian and international strategies while championing the firm’s core beliefs and philosophy. Through his leadership, he strives to incorporate the firm’s values of excellence, integrity, and respect in everyday operations. Russo believes the best way to serve clients is to understand their industry and business environment and align them with the right expertise, experience, and value. In addition to fulfilling his management responsibilities, he has a broad and diverse commercial litigation practice and represents clients in complex business litigation disputes.
Managing Partner
John Russo
For over 30 years, Anne Kennedy has been involved in various management roles at Pallett Valo, including two terms as managing partner. Since 2021, she has held the role of partner, risk and practice management, where she manages conflicts and ethics issues that arise in the modern practice of law. Kennedy acts as an advisor to the executive committee and oversees the firm’s knowledge management. She is also a member of the firm’s management committee. With over 40 years of experience, she was awarded the 2023 Peel Law Association Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her substantial contributions to the practice of law and the local community.
Partner, Risk and Practice Management
Anne Kennedy
As an experienced business law generalist with particular expertise in secured lending and finance, Joe Conte represents banks and other commercial lenders, owner-managed businesses, public companies, and multinational corporations. He also sits on the firm’s executive committee, a role in which he advises and supports the managing partner to implement firm strategies and goals.
Partner
Joe Conte
“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”
Mark Maher, Jencap
“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”
John Jennings, Jencap
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“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”
John Jennings, Jencap
“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”
Mark Maher, Jencap
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Shad McKnight
Chief Underwriting Officer
Shad McKnight joined ISC in July 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the P/C space in leadership roles in underwriting, product development and management, actuarial, analytics, marketing, claims, strategy, and IT. His career also includes serving as SVP of underwriting, product, and actuarial with Merchants Insurance Group; VP of product management at CUNA Mutual; and regional AVP of product and underwriting at Nationwide Insurance.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Shad McKnight
Brandon Wiener
Partner, Member of the Management Committee
Brandon Wiener’s practice focuses on personal, corporate and trust planning for high-net-worth individuals, professionals, executives, owner-managers and their businesses, both domestic and international, including corporate reorganizations, structuring of investments and businesses including professional incorporations, purchases and sales of businesses and real estate, estate planning, immigration and emigration, and non-profit organizations and charities including private foundations. He also advises investment funds and their managers and advisors in connection with structuring and other fund-related tax issues.
Prior to joining Thorsteinssons LLP in 2010, Wiener worked in the litigation and tax departments of the Montreal office of a large national law firm. He also worked as a law clerk for the Honourable Mr. Justice Michel Bastarache at the Supreme Court of Canada. Having a strong background in tax litigation, Wiener also assists and represents clients in their dealings with the taxation authorities in the context of an audit or assessment or voluntary disclosure.
Partner, Member of the Management Committee
Brandon Wiener
Pallett Valo LLP is the largest and one of the most respected law firms in the Peel Region, with roots in the community dating back to 1948. In consecutive biannual surveys by Canadian Lawyer magazine, Pallett Valo has been recognized by its peers as a Top 10 Ontario Regional Law Firm.
Pallett Valo practises in the areas of business law; commercial litigation; commercial real estate; construction; insurance defence; employment and labour; and wills, estates, and trusts. Its lawyers are among the leading practitioners in their fields, with expert reputations built through involvement in some of Canada’s most complex and pivotal business issues.
The firm has built its reputation by both protecting and growing the business assets of its clients and offering a refreshingly distinct Right-sized Thinking® approach to service. Right-sized Thinking® is built on a solid foundation of values that the firm applies internally and through its dealings with clients.
Pallett Valo’s lawyers take the time to understand their clients’ business and industry environment, and then apply their expertise, experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to make the difference. They measure their success through the success of their clients. They strive to incorporate the firm values of excellence, integrity, and respect into everything they do, and they believe this is what sets them apart as a law firm and as people.
“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”
John Jennings, Jencap
Kin Lee-Yow
Chief Information Officer
Catherine Sieniewicz
AVP of Travel and Retail
Rhonda English
Chief Marketing Officer
Evelyn Peng
Chief Risk Officer
Kin Lee-Yow’s combination of banking, payment, retail, e-commerce, and insurance technology experience has enabled him to contribute to the success and leadership positions in three large organizations in Canada, culminating in his current role as the CIO of CM Club Group. Kin is a graduate of Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Waterloo. He also holds a Kellogg-Schulich master’s degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.
Chief Information Officer
Kin Lee-Yow
With decades of experience, Catherine Sieniewicz has always been devoted to growing within the travel and retail industry. Catherine became director of retail and travel at CCG in May 2019. In February 2020, she was promoted to AVP of travel and retail where she continues to guide all her decisions by what she has learned in member, associate, and business experience.
AVP of Travel and Retail
Catherine Sieniewicz
Rhonda English is a CPA, CMA and obtained her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and her MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario. Rhonda joined CM Club Group as vice president of insurance, then took the role of vice president corporate marketing, overseeing business insights & analytics and the acquisition and retention of the CM lines of business. In 2016, she was named chief marketing officer, taking on additional responsibility for travel and membership product, digital, and the government & community relations advocacy team.
Chief Marketing Officer
Rhonda English
Evelyn Peng started at CCG in 2017 as director of risk management and now serves as the chief risk officer for the organization. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Waterloo. She has extensive experience with enterprise risk management, specializing in operational risk management, and financial risk management. Evelyn is a Chartered Accountant and a Financial Risk Manager.
Chief Risk Officer
Evelyn Peng
Evelyn Peng started at CCG in 2017 as director of risk management and now serves as the chief risk officer for the organization. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Waterloo. She has extensive experience with enterprise risk management, specializing in operational risk management, and financial risk management. Evelyn is a Chartered Accountant and a Financial Risk Manager.
Chief Risk Officer
Evelyn Peng
Evelyn Peng started at CCG in 2017 as director of risk management and now serves as the chief risk officer for the organization. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Waterloo. She has extensive experience with enterprise risk management, specializing in operational risk management, and financial risk management. Evelyn is a Chartered Accountant and a Financial Risk Manager.
Chief Risk Officer
Evelyn Peng
“Despite the challenging claims environment, QBE’s coverage and risk appetite have remained consistent. Brokers and customers know and understand our risk appetite and the cover we offer, providing them with certainty for the future,” says Erica Kofie, head of cyber proposition. “We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions.”
Kofie adds, “Through 2022, QBE successfully delivered significant growth in the cyber sector, reflecting the depth and strength of our team. We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations.”
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Earlene Huntley
Group Chief Financial Officer
Melissa Abramowitz
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer
Melissa Abramowitz has been practicing corporate and commercial law for over 20 years, with an emphasis on the financial services industry. She joined CAA Club Group in 2014, and currently serves as the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer of CCG and its affiliated companies. At CCG, Melissa provides strategic legal advice on a broad range of matters including corporate governance, licensing, distribution, marketing and advertising, commercial contracts and regulatory compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.CL) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from McGill University and a Certificate in Regulatory Compliance for Financial Institutions from Osgoode.
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer
Melissa Abramowitz
Earlene Huntley joined CAA in 2014 as director, tax and was promoted to AVP, tax in 2016, and to her current role as group chief financial officer of CAA Club Group in February 2017. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of finance. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies where she earned her BSc. Accounting (Hons) and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the United Kingdom.
Group Chief Financial Officer
Earlene Huntley
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Earlene Huntley joined CAA in 2014 as director, tax and was promoted to AVP, tax in 2016, and to her current role as group chief financial officer of CAA Club Group in February 2017. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of finance. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies where she earned her BSc. Accounting (Hons) and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the United Kingdom.
Group Chief Financial Officer
Earlene Huntley
Melissa Abramowitz has been practicing corporate and commercial law for over 20 years, with an emphasis on the financial services industry. She joined CAA Club Group in 2014, and currently serves as the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer of CCG and its affiliated companies. At CCG, Melissa provides strategic legal advice on a broad range of matters including corporate governance, licensing, distribution, marketing and advertising, commercial contracts and regulatory compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.CL) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from McGill University and a Certificate in Regulatory Compliance for Financial Institutions from Osgoode.
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer
Melissa Abramowitz
Melissa Abramowitz
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer
Earlene Huntley
Group Chief Financial Officer
Earlene Huntley joined CAA in 2014 as director, tax and was promoted to AVP, tax in 2016, and to her current role as group chief financial officer of CAA Club Group in February 2017. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of finance. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies where she earned her BSc. Accounting (Hons) and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the United Kingdom.
Group Chief Financial Officer
Earlene Huntley
Melissa Abramowitz has been practicing corporate and commercial law for over 20 years, with an emphasis on the financial services industry. She joined CAA Club Group in 2014, and currently serves as the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer of CCG and its affiliated companies. At CCG, Melissa provides strategic legal advice on a broad range of matters including corporate governance, licensing, distribution, marketing and advertising, commercial contracts and regulatory compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.CL) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from McGill University and a Certificate in Regulatory Compliance for Financial Institutions from Osgoode.
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer
Melissa Abramowitz
Management liability
Arch Insurance’s management liability team is dedicated to addressing the needs of our partners. Our underwriting approach is to recognize and address exposures particular to each insured and offer creative solutions for our customers including complex risk and hard-to-place industries.
Know more here: insurance.archgroup.com/north-america/canada/offering/management-liability
Cyber
Arch Insurance’s experienced underwriting team takes a forward-looking approach to writing network security, privacy and media liability for mid-to-large accounts.
Professional liability
Arch Insurance’s professional liability team is positioned to offer professional liability programs for financial service firms.
“Our thriving agency partnerships, long-tenured carrier relationships and strong leadership team are proof of Jencap’s values-centric work environment,” says Mark Maher, president of Jencap.
“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most. Our brokers internally work very collaboratively. We check our egos at the door and work together to set our agency partners and their clients up for success by leveraging each other’s geographic expertise, carrier relationships and contracts, and technical expertise,” he adds.
Jencap’s areas of specialization include environmental; workers’ compensation; property; construction; habitational/real estate; transportation/garage; cannabis; cyber, management, and professional liability; manufacturing; healthcare; and many more.
Jencap is committed to employing innovative enterprise-wide technology solutions that support their underwriters in making more timely and effective risk decisions. As such, they launched Two Sigma Insurance Quantified’s SubmissionIQ in 2022. SubmissionIQ equips their underwriters with the data they need to make smart and strategic risk assessments, further supporting them in implementing best-in-class business processes.
The common thread woven through Jencap’s success is its people, as they have the best brokers and support staff in the industry. Fun fact: 20% of Jencap’s staff are employee equity holders. They don’t just say that their team members “own it” – they really do! This adds a unique layer of commitment and dedication to their job and the company’s success.
“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position. Each acquisition has provided geographic expansion, new market access, exclusive programs and niche specialization,” says Jencap Chief Executive Officer John Jennings.
To date, they have acquired 19 companies and rebranded 10 of those companies to Jencap.
Click here for more information on Jencap.
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Medal
Overall service level
Broker communication, training and development
BDM support
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Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance
Hospitality
Fast Starter
Medal
Overall service level
Broker communication, training and development
BDM support
Turnaround time – claims
Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance
Hospitality
Fast Starter