Interview with Don Thompson, Westland’s Executive Vice President of Insurance

Meet Don Thompson.

As EVP Insurance, Don Thompson oversees Westland’s digital brokerages, Zipsure and Nuera, claims, accounting operations, in-house insurance programs, underwriting, and Guardian risk managers. A Certified Public Accountant, Don brings more than 30 years of insurance company leadership and growth strategy experience. He seized the opportunity to be part of Westland’s story of growth.

What excites you about our industry?

I’ve been in this industry during my entire career. What excites me is how insurance is always evolving. At Westland, we’re doing many great things, and some are very challenging. We have amazing people and I love seeing them successfully working through those challenges.

How do you think the industry will change in the coming years?

While this isn’t necessarily new, I think brokerage consolidation will continue at a higher rate than in the past. I also think Artificial Intelligence (AI) models like chatGPT will become more mainstream, with the potential to support many areas of our business.

What’s one thing Westland is doing this year that you’re most excited about?

The work we’re doing on Acturis (insurance software platform) is the one I’m most excited about. It’s a really challenging initiative to implement both an insurance system and a broker management system and to do it across Canada. Once we’re all on the same platform, there will be so many benefits for us.

What inspired you to take the path that you are in right now in your career?

Before joining Westland, I spent my entire career on the carrier side. I lived and worked in Saskatchewan so joining Westland and moving to BC was a big decision. What inspired me was the opportunity to be part of Westland’s story of growth and potential. It’s been a lot of fun!