Headquarters:

Vancouver, BC

Year founded:

1937

Number of employees:

535+

Phone:

1 877 532 6864

Email:

info@spgcanada.ca

Website:

spgcanada.ca

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/spgcanada

“Our executive team all have open-door policies and encourage transparency, collaboration, and a solution-oriented approach to the business.”

Cameron Copeland, SPG Canada

Cameron Copeland

President and Chief Executive Officer

Chris Marcinkiewicz

Chief Underwriting Officer

Johann Schneider

Chief Operating Officer

Leadership

Cameron Copeland is the dynamic leader of Specialty Program Group Canada, the nation’s largest collective of specialty managing general underwriters (MGUs) in the property and casualty insurance sector. Renowned for his commitment to sustainability, he champions innovative carbon reduction initiatives and forges impactful partnerships with organizations such as EcoClaim and The Nature Force. His influence extends beyond business leadership; he also serves as a voting member of the Insurance Council of BC, helping to shape industry regulations. Dedicated to lifelong learning, Copeland holds an MBA from Queen’s University and prestigious credentials, including CPA, FCIP, and CRM designations.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cameron Copeland

Chris Marcinkiewicz brings over 25 years of experience to the BC property and casualty commercial insurance industry, having launched his career with General Accident in 1995. His comprehensive perspective stems from hands-on roles across the insurer, broker, and MGA sectors. Throughout his career, Marcinkiewicz has held a variety of commercial underwriting positions, progressing over the past decade into management and senior leadership. Since joining Cansure in 2018, he has become a key member of the SPGC executive team. Marcinkiewicz leads strategic underwriting collaboration and oversight across SPGC’s operating brands – including i3 Underwriting, Cansure, and Beacon – focusing on compliance, quality, pricing, and contract management. He holds a degree in urban planning and is a Chartered Insurance Professional.

Chief Underwriting Officer

Chris Marcinkiewicz

Johann Schneider launched his insurance career in 1995 as an underwriting analyst at family insurance, where his impactful contributions helped transform the company into an industry innovator by the time he departed in 2002. He then advanced to vice president, underwriting and operations at a prominent BC retail brokerage, where he spearheaded the implementation of a new underwriting and policy management system, doubling commission income within four years. After the brokerage’s sale in 2006, Schneider founded i3 Underwriting, a new MGA. Today, he serves as chief operating officer of SPG Canada, continuing to drive operational excellence and industry innovation.

Chief Operating Officer

Johann Schneider

Leadership

Denise Russell

Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Denise Russell began her insurance career in 2006 as a personal lines underwriter but soon transitioned to business development – a field that truly ignited her passion. Over the years, she has honed her expertise in marketing and business operations, steadily advancing through senior business development roles with leading domestic insurers. Today, Russell serves as chief sales and marketing officer at Specialty Program Group Canada (SPGC), where she oversees marketing, advertising, and business development initiatives. Since joining Cansure in 2018 as VP of sales and marketing, she has also held the role of director, carrier relations, managing carrier and contract operations for Cansure, Beacon, and i3 Underwriting. Beyond her professional achievements, Russell has dedicated four years as communications chair on the board of the WICC BC Chapter and was honoured with the Insurance Brokers Association of BC’s Rising Star award in 2019.

Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Denise Russell

Paul Meinschenk

President, Underwriting Operations

Chad Hunter serves as vice president of technology at Premier Canada Assurance | Premier Marine, where he leads the company’s technology strategy and innovation initiatives. With more than 20 years in technology leadership, he has a proven track record of modernizing legacy systems and enhancing digital resilience. He is focused on aligning technology with business goals, leveraging emerging technologies, and driving efficiency and competitive advantage for Premier.

President, Underwriting Operations

Paul Meinschenk

SPG Canada’s beginnings trace to 1937, when legacy MGAs served brokers close to home. That footing still defines the company as it grows into a national leader. Today, SPG Canada brings heritage together with scale and channels its entrepreneurial roots into a boundaryless, solutions-driven business. Brokers recognized the organization with a 5-Star designation in Insurance Business Canada’s Brokers on MGAs 2025 survey. The company describes its culture as one rooted in transparency, collaboration, and accountability. Employees are encouraged to take initiative within an environment that prizes equity, respect, fun, and community stewardship. “Our executive team all have open-door policies and encourage transparency, collaboration, and a solution-oriented approach to the business.” says Cameron Copeland, President and CEO. These values guide its work with brokers and support an evolving strategy in a competitive market. President and CEO Cameron Copeland is leading a major rebrand that unifies five MGAs under one national identity. The work goes well beyond logos or naming. It brings systems, teams, and operations onto a single footing to create consistency and speed in how SPG Canada delivers solutions. The company has invested in a proprietary platform built to simplify processes and expand the ways it serves customers. The leadership team focuses on resilience and performance. Their mandate is to ensure SPG Canada can thrive in changing market conditions. Strategic moves include the acquisition of i3 Underwriting in 2020 and the amalgamation of Totten Insurance Group and Anderson McTague & Associates into the SPG Canada family this past January, 2025. These steps expanded reach, products, and expertise and reinforced the company’s position as a national wholesale provider with deep vertical knowledge.

Greg Knowles

Chief Underwriting Officer

Ed Quek

Chief Innovation and Product Officer

Christy Knowles

Chief People and Culture Officer

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Greg Knowles joined Totten Insurance Group as chief underwriting officer and executive vice president in March 2019 and continues to serve as CUO at SPG Canada. With 27 years of dedicated industry experience, he is a highly respected insider whose expertise spans all lines of underwriting – including property and casualty, specialty, construction, energy, healthcare, marine, and cross-border risks. A graduate of Queen’s University, Knowles began his career with leading industry giants, holding a variety of underwriting roles that built his deep technical knowledge. He is recognized for his skill in developing new products and managing both UK and domestic insurer relationships. Having lived and worked in Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto, Knowles brings a broad, national perspective and a proven track record of underwriting excellence and carrier relationship management.

Chief Underwriting Officer

Greg Knowles

Ed Quek brings over 25 years of commercial underwriting and management expertise to the insurance industry. After earning his degree in finance and marketing from the University of Southern California, he began his career with Sovereign General Insurance Company in Toronto. Driven by a desire to be closer to family, he relocated to Vancouver, where he advanced through increasingly senior underwriting and management roles at Intact, Aviva, CNA, and Economical Insurance. Since joining Cansure in 2014 as underwriting manager, Quek has played a pivotal role in developing and expanding a wide range of commercial insurance products. Renowned for his comprehensive industry knowledge, he is a valued resource and trusted support for brokers.

Chief Innovation and Product Officer

Ed Quek

Christy Knowles joined SPGC in 2021 as director of human resources, bringing with her over 20 years of progressive human resources experience, including 10 years in the insurance environment. Her focus on HR operations, developing future leaders, and building an engaged, diverse, and inclusive culture has elevated SPGC as an Employer of Choice. Knowles’s dedication to fostering a positive workplace and her expertise in HR have made a significant impact on the organization’s culture and success.

Chief People and Culture Officer

Christy Knowles

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

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

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Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

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Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

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“Our people join us and stay with us because we strive to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our organization a go-to insurance provider for brokers across Canada.”

Cameron Copeland, SPG Canada

employee benefits regional retail P&C specialty P&C underwriting direct-to-consumer programs

Growth and realignment sit at the centre of SPG Canada’s approach. The company is bringing five legacy brands into a single structure that connects customers directly to capacity and expertise. As Cameron Copeland explains, “Our people join us and stay with us because we strive to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our organization a go-to insurance provider for brokers across Canada. This approach shows through in how we show up for our customers, where we try to find ways to provide solutions rather than decline the business.” Carrier relationships are another pillar. By building capacity with partners, SPG Canada has become a manufacturer of insurance solutions with the scale to deliver across industries and regions. SPG Canada’s reputation rests on people as much as products. Brokers, the company says, can expect great people with a can-do attitude who have the expertise and knowledge to offer solutions. Employees can expect a workplace that encourages growth and rewards initiative, supported by a collaborative and open environment. The firm has invested in a library of CE-accredited courses and provides quarterly training along with bespoke, on-demand options. Underwriters are expected to stay current on economic and market trends and to share insights with brokers through thorough submission feedback. Technology reinforces this model. Over the past five years, the firm significantly expanded its technology operations team and launched a project to bring all systems onto one platform. API integration and expanded analytics aim to improve underwriting insight and support faster decisions. SPG Canada will continue to grow organically and through acquisition. The company will advance its ERP system to support a robust end-to-end service model for customers and internal teams. By combining national scale with an entrepreneurial culture, SPG Canada honours its history and positions the business for long-term success.

more than $1 million in funds over $2.3 million in combined monetary and in-kind donations through an annual World Food Derby initiative 2,320 volunteer hours to numerous deserving organizations, making a significant community impact

Alliant’s progress is set to continue, as underlined by Zimmer, who has confidence in the firm’s people to deliver continued excellence. “We believe in our business plan, and it has proven successful. We don’t feel the need to change that. Our core business plan will continue to drive the company forward, complemented by new opportunities that may arise in the future.”

Marine

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Real estate

Brokers’ pick – Hospitality