Advanced Farm Insurance Part 2:The Evolving Farm Claims Landscape Panel Discussion (IINA)
#Educational
#Educational
Farm insurance claims in Canada are becoming more complex—shaped by climate volatility, rising repair costs, evolving farm operations, and heightened scrutiny around coverage interpretation and settlement outcomes. This expert panel brings together underwriting, claims, specialty, and growth leaders to explore how farm claims adjusting is evolving in today’s market, what’s driving friction and change, and how insurers and partners can respond more effectively across the full claims lifecycle. What you will learn from this panel discussion: - How today’s farm claims environment is evolving under climate volatility, inflation, and increasing loss complexity - Key challenges in adjusting modern farm losses, including valuation, causation, and documentation - Where claims handling and underwriting intent intersect—and sometimes diverge - How specialty solutions and delegated underwriting models are influencing farm claims outcomes - Lessons from real claims shaping future coverage design and risk management - Practical insights for improving alignment across claims, underwriting, and distribution in a constrained market Panel Speakers Moderator: Ken Worsley, Chief Operations Officer, Nova Mutual Insurance Panelists: Andrea Plett: Underwriting Technical Specialist, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Bonnie Kluthe: VP, Business Development, First Acre Insurance Inc. Kirby Wallis, Chief Growth Officer, Guild Insurance Group Andrew de Ruiter: Founder & CEO, TerrAssure Underwriting Solutions Michael Rzepczyk, Senior P&C Claims Adjuster, Nova Mutual Insurance CE Credits: AIC Course ID # TBA, 2 CE Hours General & Adjuster Have a group who would like to register? Contact our office for group pricing iinamail@insuranceinstitute.ca * If you require CE credits for licensing renewal requirements in provinces other than AB, please check with your provincial licensing regulator for validity. Cancellation Policy: Participant substitutions accepted up to 24 hours prior to webinar (substitute must be current member). IINA reserves the right to cancel the webinar due to unforeseen circumstances.
Whether you’re looking to grow your technical knowledge or catch up on the latest trends and emerging issues, our seminars and webinars are packed with practical and relevant information. Designed and delivered by industry experts and leaders, you’ll come away with new ideas and insights and the practical knowledge you need to put them into action.
Bonnie brings 37 years of experience in the insurance industry, including 23 years specializing in agriculture. She holds FCIP and CRM designations and has worked across underwriting, brokering, marketing, and claims. Her career spans direct farm insurance sales, product innovation, and leadership roles. While leading the Western Region Underwriting team at Economical, Bonnie and her team grew the agriculture P&C book from $6 million to $43 million in five years, managing relationships with 400 brokers across Western Canada. She also played a key role in developing agricultural products from wording and rating to broker education and marketing.
Andrea Plett is a Farm Underwriting Technical Specialist with Wawanesa Insurance, with nine years of experience in P&C and farm insurance. She works closely with underwriters and brokers to support complex risks and technical inquiries, focusing on clear, practical solutions and strong outcomes. Passionate about new business and the evolving agricultural landscape, Andrea advocates for Wawanesa members and collaborates across the industry to deliver real-world insurance solutions. She holds an Animal Health Technology diploma and a CIP designation, combining technical expertise with hands-on agricultural insight.
Ken has 23 years of insurance experience in underwriting, business development, operations and leadership across many lines of business. He is a graduate of Seneca College of Applied Arts and Science in Fire Protection Engineering and has obtained his CIP and CRM designation. Ken brings many years of experience in the Farm and Agri-Business segments.
Kirby Wallis is the Chief Growth Officer at Guild Insurance Group, where he leads organizational growth while maintaining a portfolio of large, complex farm and commercial accounts. Kirby began his insurance career as a summer student in 2008, transitioning to a full-time role in 2013. With over a decade of experience as a hands-on farm producer, he brings practical, operational insight to evolving farm risk. His Manitoba-based book focuses on mixed farming operations with specialty exposure in potato, dairy, and poultry sectors. Kirby is known for thoughtful broker–underwriter collaboration as farm operations scale and require more tailored, forward-looking insurance solutions. He holds a B.Comm. (Hons), CAIB, CPIB, and FCIP designations.
With over 25 years of experience in claims adjusting, I am a seasoned insurance professional. I graduated from the Mohawk College Insurance program and hold several professional designations, including Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP), Canadian Risk Management (CRM), Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (CFEI), and Water Restoration Technician (WRT). I began my career with a national independent adjusting firm. In the 20 years there, I gained extensive exposure to the broad insurance marketplace, working with a diverse range of clients such as farm mutuals, stock companies, reciprocal insurance exchanges, and self-insured entities. I specialized in the handling and investigation of property and casualty claims, with a dedicated focus on a wide range of claims arising from automobile, residential, commercial, agricultural, and non-profit risks. Since 2021, I have been serving as a Senior Property & Casualty Adjuster at Nova Mutual Insurance Company. I reside in Southwestern Ontario with my wife and two children. Outside of work, I enjoy all things outdoors - such as running, cycling, fishing, camping, and skiing.