Headquarters:
Suite 502-850 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1E1
Year founded:
2009
Number of employees:
25
Phone:
1 866 347 6128
Email:
info@royalclaims.ca
Website:
royalclaims.ca
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/royal-claims-services
“After another year of record growth, we continue to make meaningful investments in technology, talent, and resources, which enable our associates to perform at their best”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
Royal Claims Services
Matt Woodall, BComm, CRM, CIP
President
Jane Kivlichan
Operations and Compliance Manager
Janna Smart, CIP
Claims Manager
Leadership
Matt Woodall is the president of Royal Claims Services and the strategic architect behind the firm’s growth and adaptability. With extensive leadership experience in the claims and adjusting sector, he focuses on driving operational efficiency while expanding market relationships. His leadership fosters a results-oriented culture rooted in professionalism, transparency, and service quality. Under Woodall’s guidance, Royal Claims has earned a strong reputation in both the Canadian and London insurance markets, becoming a go-to partner for complex loss solutions and specialty risks.
President
Matt Woodall, BComm, CRM, CIP
Jane Kivlichan serves as the operations and compliance manager at Royal Claims Services, where she oversees internal systems, regulatory compliance, and the processing department. Since joining in 2021, she has implemented workflow improvements, supported new team onboarding, and maintained rigorous due diligence standards. With a background in legal administration and a BBA in marketing from Capilano University, Kivlichan ensures seamless bordereaux production and reporting. Her detail-oriented leadership and steady operational oversight are key to Royal’s consistency and reliability.
Operations and Compliance Manager
Jane Kivlichan
As claims manager at Royal Claims Services, Janna Smart brings a meticulous and mentorship-driven approach to leadership. She ensures technical consistency across departments and guides examiners to uphold Royal’s high standards of service. Smart’s industry expertise spans property, liability, and transportation claims, making her a vital resource in navigating high-pressure losses. Her ability to foster professional development while maintaining strict claim integrity has helped shape Royal’s trusted reputation for excellence and fairness in both domestic and London markets.
Claims Manager
Janna Smart, CIP
““After another year of record growth, we continue to make meaningful investments in technology, talent, and resources, which enable our associates to perform at their best”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
“Our teams, highly regarded for their expertise, are consistently stepping in to deliver an innovative approach or solve a complex coverage issue for our clients”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
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“Our teams, highly regarded for their expertise, are consistently stepping in to deliver an innovative approach or solve a complex coverage issue for our clients”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
“After another year of record growth, we continue to make meaningful investments in technology, talent, and resources, which enable our associates to perform at their best”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
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Lisa Kurath, CIP
Claims Supervisor
Lisa Kurath is claims supervisor at Royal Claims Services, leading the property claims team with a focus on mentorship, training, and quality assurance. With over a decade in the insurance industry and a CIP designation, she is known for her ability to reduce turnaround times and streamline claim workflows. She was awarded the CIP Top Claims Award in 2023 and is recognized for building a positive, growth-oriented environment. Kurath’s leadership ensures her team consistently delivers results that reflect Royal’s commitment to excellence and client care.
Claims Supervisor
Lisa Kurath, CIP
Chelsea Thibodeau, CIP
Vice President of Business Development and Senior Claims Specialist
Chelsea Thibodeau is vice president of business development at Royal Claims Services, where she leverages over a decade of experience in claims management and market engagement. Specializing in aviation, commercial property, and liability claims, she bridges technical execution with client strategy. Her London market secondment has enriched her understanding of cross-border collaboration, enabling her to deliver tailored, high-impact solutions. Thibodeau is also a dedicated educator and speaker within the insurance community, helping raise industry standards through knowledge-sharing and innovation.
Vice President of Business Development and Senior Claims Specialist
Chelsea Thibodeau, CIP
Royal Claims Services has built its reputation on doing the job well and with care. The Canadian-based independent adjusting firm, with roots stretching from coast to coast, combines technical depth with a hands-on commitment to service.
Its clients include domestic carriers, MGAs, and London, England, syndicates, with the firm known for navigating complex Canadian risks through dual-market fluency. What they get in return is claims support that is structured, transparent, and built for everyday demands.
“We are proud of how we balance market compliance with on-the-ground execution,” says president Matt Woodall. “Our clients rely on us for our accuracy and consistency.”
That track record is no accident. Royal Claims uses a sprint-based approach to innovation, with weekly check-ins and clearly defined deliverables. The model allows the firm to move quickly when client needs change while holding to the high standards expected by the London market.
In 2025, Insurance Business Canada named Royal Claims a 5-Star Claims award winner based on broker feedback from across the country. The recognition reflects high marks in work quality, specialist knowledge, and client service, three areas the firm has spent years refining.
A five-person team leads Royal Claims, combining technical strength with a practical, client-focused outlook. Each member brings a distinct skill set, but they work together with a shared purpose.
Woodall sets the firm’s strategic direction, aligning Canadian market needs with the expectations of London-based underwriters. Claims manager Janna Smart is known for her strong technical footing and focus on consistency. Her leadership has helped shape a working culture that values preparation, clarity, and peer learning.
Jane Kivlichan, who oversees operations and compliance, keeps reporting lines tight and ensures that processes meet domestic regulations and international due diligence standards.
On the business development side, vice president Chelsea Thibodeau connects the firm’s strategic goals with its technical strengths. Her insight is key to the firm’s expansion into emerging risk areas such as aviation and cyber.
Rounding out the team is claims supervisor Lisa Kurath, who leads the property desk with a steady hand. She has helped build out Royal Claims’ internal training programs, giving adjusters room to grow while maintaining quality across files.
That focus on development extends to how the firm works with brokers. The team gives brokers direct access to adjusters and updates them throughout the life of a file. The process is consistent, and the communication is proactive. The firm’s internal workflows reflect the rigour of London claims and support the human side of resolution.
When needed, the team brings in outside experts, from forensic engineers to legal specialists, ensuring timely and thorough resolutions.
Royal Claims sees its role as more than a service provider. The firm regularly contributes to education, training, and industry dialogue across Canada and the UK. It’s part of what the team calls “bringing people into the process,” not just adjusters and underwriters but everyone along the claims chain with a stake in the outcome.
In the eyes of the leadership team, that approach turns competence into trust. “It’s about delivering results, yes,” says Woodall. “But it’s also about how we do it – reliably, transparently, and with a sense of shared purpose.”
“Our teams, highly regarded for their expertise, are consistently stepping in to deliver an innovative approach or solve a complex coverage issue for our clients”
Danny Kaufman,
Burns & Wilcox
Michael Abat
Senior Claims Handler –
Accident and Health
Kelvin Hui
Senior Claims Handler –
Financial Lines and Casualty
Leah Giragosian
Claims Handler – Accident and Health
Christian Rono
Claims Handler –
Financial Lines and Casualty
Rich Gatz is vice president, head of cyber claims for Arch Insurance Group. He is a cyber insurance and privacy subject matter expert and a distinguished Fellow of Information Privacy with the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
A professed “coverage geek,” he enjoys crafting policy language that solves risk for Arch customers. He has spoken on various panels and at national conferences regarding cyber claims, insurance coverage, data breach response, and privacy issues plaguing technology.
Gatz is a graduate of Ohio State University and DePaul University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the state of Illinois.
Vice President, Cyber Claims
Rich Gatz
Mark Bernacki is the chief underwriting officer of Amwins, the first to serve in the role. Prior to that, he served as president of Amwins Special Risk Underwriters. In addition to his leadership in underwriting, Bernacki runs the Amwins Alternative Risk Transfer Team for Amwins.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Mark Bernacki
Julie Prewitt has worked on nearly every aspect of marketing and advertising in her nearly 20 years in the industry. Her team at REInsurePro manages branding, advertising, events, content, digital campaigns, and agent engagement and plays a key role in product development.
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Julie Prewitt
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
In personal lines, Burns & Wilcox grew nearly 30 percent overall and nearly 50 percent in new business production, cementing its position as the largest personal insurance wholesaler in the US.
In 2024, the Burns & Wilcox personal lines team launched the FloodPlus product through Burns & Wilcox IssueQuick, a proprietary and automated rate-quote-bind-issue platform. Utilizing a unique Flood API, FloodPlus pairs cutting-edge risk modeling with claims data, alongside the broadest primary flood coverage form in the marketplace.
The team also announced the expansion of the Burns & Wilcox relationship with Wildfire Defense Systems to include Texas and New Mexico, bringing a unique wildfire loss prevention and mitigation service that now includes 12 US states.
The Burns & Wilcox professional liability team continued building its bench strength and furthered its depth of expertise and geographic footprint. Additionally, the team established a multitude of new insurance company partners that will continue to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace.
Technology once again was central to the success of Burns & Wilcox over the last year. Capitalizing on a significant investment with Salesforce, the company rolled out new CRM capabilities along with a Commercial Comparative Rater that handles thousands of submission opportunities monthly.
Looking at 2025, Burns & Wilcox expects to increase automation to drive even greater production efficiencies and capture increased market share.
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“We will continue to strengthen our service proposition and customer experience as a key differentiator, as we build on the momentum we have achieved to date across multiple business lines and territories,” says McLean. “Our im is to continue to grow our market relevance and strengthen our partnerships with our strategic brokers as we expand our leadership position in key sectors.
“We will also continue to invest in talent. We are committed to drawing from the broadest pools of talent, and to creating an environment that attracts and retains stellar employees. We recognise the importance of building teams that are diverse, collaborative, and innovative and are dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture in which all our employees can thrive.”
maintaining excellent working relationships with stakeholders to understand expectations and service requirements, whether claim, portfolio or customer specific
providing regular, clear updates throughout the claims process
offering flexibility to brokers regarding client-specific service expectations
taking a proactive approach to regulatory compliance in a changing landscape
That overall discipline reflects the values embedded in its broader ethos, known internally as Pursuing Better Together. Arch builds its approach on strong working relationships, informed decision-making and an ongoing commitment to improving how claims are handled.
Arch’s leadership has turned that vision into practice. It has introduced systems that support performance, invest in people and reflect the company’s values. That includes pay equity reviews, independent job levelling and recruitment strategies focused on reaching a broader range of candidates.
Succession planning supports those efforts by building a stronger, more diverse pipeline for future leadership roles. “We are committed to levelling the playing field and creating equitable environments for employees and are dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture in which all our employees can thrive,” Donovan says.
A strong internal foundation has helped Arch deliver on its claims commitments. The company invests in training to ensure its professionals can manage files efficiently and explain complex issues in a way that clients understand. That consistency and attention to detail continue to set Arch apart.
The firm has also invested in developing its people over the long term. A structured professional development program encourages staff to deepen their technical knowledge, particularly in complex and specialised areas. This helps the team stay ahead of changes in the market and continue to meet evolving expectations.
Arch plans to strengthen its communication strategies, guided partly by broker feedback that shows rising demand for speed and clarity. The company also explores using advanced analytics to support decision-making and deliver a more personalised claims experience.
“As risks become more complex, claims teams will need deeper industry-specific knowledge and technical expertise in specialised areas,” Donovan notes. “Claims providers will leverage advanced analytics to improve decision-making, predict outcomes, and provide more personalised service.”
Across its operations, Arch keeps its focus on people. That includes brokers who need real-time updates, clients working through complex claims and team members preparing for the next step in their careers.
Brokers and clients recognise Arch for its consistency, care and adaptability, qualities that define its standing in the market.
Ayesha Omer
Claims Handler –
Financial Lines and Casualty
Jenet Shomshe
Claims Administrator
Ayesha Omer
Claims Handler – Financial Lines and Casualty
Jenet Shomshe
Claims Administrator
Ayesha Omer
Claims Handler – Financial Lines and Casualty
Jenet Shomshe
Claims Administrator