Insurance Immersion Instructors
Canadian Program
Facilitator
The facilitator for the program is a LOMA staff person and life insurance industry expert who will act as the master of ceremonies for the program by providing logistical information to participants and instructors, introducing instructors, presenting portions of the program content, and managing the classroom environment.
LOMA’s facilitators will be responsible for
- ensuring that class sessions progress smoothly
- answering participant questions about basic program concepts
- managing the time so that sessions run on schedule
- leading activities by providing instructions and guidelines for participants
Kevin Head, Ph.D., FLMI, AFSI, ACS
Kevin Head is currently a Senior Associate in LOMA’s Education and Training division. He is responsible for the content, instructional design, and delivery of LOMA’s Insurance Immersion program. Prior to joining the Immersion team, Kevin has worked on textbook projects, including Life and Health Insurance Marketing and Personal Financial Planning. Kevin began working at LOMA in June 2007 after several years in the fields of counseling and ministry. He brings more than 15 years of experience as a group facilitator and instructor to the Immersion program. Kevin earned a BA degree from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree and Doctor’s degree in counseling.
Instructors
The instructors are industry experts who have considerable knowledge and experience in the area of the program for which he or she is responsible. The instructor’s role is to present a “real world” perspective by providing specific examples from personal experience to illustrate the industry concepts covered in the program. The instructors provide comments and feedback to participants during group activities and discussions.
Leigh Chalmers, CA
Leigh Chalmers is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Audit and Assurance practice working in the Toronto office. She has a broad range of experience providing audit and advisory services to the financial service industry. Leigh specializes in the insurance industry focusing on all facets of insurance including life and health insurance, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance.
Leigh is currently involved in the development and marketing of PwC’s strategy for the new International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) related to the Canadian insurance industry. In this role, she works with the PwC Global IFRS committee to ensure Canadian clients are able to leverage from the global IFRS experience. In her IFRS role, Leigh is advising and educating clients on the new IFRS standards and helping companies develop an implementation project plan and strategy.
Leigh has involvement in a number of other initiatives related to the insurance industry including the implementation of new auditing and accounting standards, including the most recently released Financial Instruments standards. Leigh was responsible for PwC publication: Dealing with the impact of the new financial instrument standards for Canadian Insurers — A Guide to the expanded disclosure requirements. She also has experience developing and delivering internal and external courses and presenting to various associations in the insurance industry. Leigh has been a speaker at a number of Canadian Insurance Accountants’ Association events, the most recent topic being IFRS, the Canadian Institute of Actuaries 2006 Annual Conference, the PwC Insurance EyeOpener Series and the LOMA Canada Life Insurance Accounting Course.
Jack D. Fleming, LLIF
John (Jack) D. Fleming, Founder and President of Fleming Advisors International, is a broadly experienced life insurance professional with knowledge of both domestic and global markets. A trusted, respected industry leader, his proven record of accomplishments is representative of both strategic vision and hands-on direction.
Prior to the establishment of Fleming Advisors International in 1996, Jack had a distinguished career in the industry in both North America and in worldwide markets. He held senior management positions with Confederation Life and New York Life, providing direction and oversight to existing operations and groundbreaking initiatives in both the domestic and global environments.
Jack has been a strong and recognized contributor to the life insurance industry. He served on the Board of Directors of LIMRA International for four years and was elected Chairman in 1992. In addition, he held several key positions as he served The Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association. He has shared his insights as a platform speaker at major industry meetings in North America and abroad.
Brent Lemanski, LLIF, CLU
Brent Lemanski has primary responsibility for liaison with all Canadian LIMRA and LOMA member companies. His activities include visiting with executives in member companies, conducting workshops and planning sessions, applying benchmarking information in problem-solving sessions, and speaking on industry issues and trends. He also provides information about LIMRA’s and LOMA’s wide range of products and services available to Canadian companies.
Prior to joining LIMRA/LOMA, Brent, an experienced insurance executive, served in the agency department of Manulife Financial. In his 20 years there, he worked on expanding distribution through innovations to the traditional distribution system as well as supplemental channels, strategic planning, designing and administering field compensation systems, and new product development and implementation. He began his career as an agent and then as an agency manager for The Dominion Life Assurance Company of Canada.
Over his 20 years in field and head office management, Brent relied on LIMRA and LOMA research, products, and services and chaired LIMRA’s Field Diversity Marketing Committee. He now applies his diverse industry experience to help member companies meet and exceed their performance goals.
Chris Nicoll
Chris is President of Chris Nicoll and Associates Ltd., a regulatory compliance consulting firm. She started her career in financial services as a life insurance agent with Confederation Life. Chris has over 25 years’ experience in regulatory compliance, covering insurance companies, banks and broker-dealers in both the U.S. and Canada, most recently as Chief Compliance Officer for John Hancock’s life insurance business in the U.S. She served as Vice President, Compliance, for TD Bank Financial Group’s and Merrill Lynch Canada’s insurance businesses. Chris established the first formal compliance program in an insurance brokerage company in Canada.
She has been actively involved in industry committees including the CLHIA, Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance (CAFII) and LIMRA/LOMA. A dual citizen of Canada and the U.S., Chris holds degrees from Smith College and Brown University.
Banasha Shah, FSA, FCIA
Banasha, Principal of Banasha Shah Consulting Services, Inc., is an Actuarial consultant specializing in life and health insurance product development, pricing and marketing and brings with her 24 years of experience in individual, group and credit insurance. She spent the early part of her career at a large Canadian life insurance company where she was in charge of individual life and health product development and marketing. For the last 15 years, she has been an independent consultant, helping clients on both product development and strategic initiatives. Recently, she has focused her efforts on critical illness insurance in Canada, and has been at the forefront of research and product design for critical illness from both a reinsurance and direct insurance company perspective.