Greg Thierman, CIP, CFE

Crawford & Co., Branch Manager and Senior General Adjuster, Kelowna, BC

“Greg Thierman embodies everything a CIP National Leader should be: he is a dedicated insurance professional, with a strong sense of integrity, committed to his staff, company, clients and industry; he has a passion for learning and for sharing his knowledge through teaching and mentoring others; and he gladly volunteers his free time for various community initiatives,” say his nominators.

The CIP Society is thrilled to now have the opportunity to recognize Greg nationally and throughout the industry as a CIP Society Established Leader.
As the Manager of Crawford’s Kelowna B.C. office, Greg’s superior customer service and dedication to quality service have helped him transform his branch from a one person operation into one of the strongest branches in B.C. He now manages eight adjusters and three support staff and in 2007 his staff nominated him for Branch Manager of the Year – and he won.

Greg’s nominators say “he personifies what it means to be a CIP Society National Leader. He leads by example to foster and promote leadership through education. He is dedicated to continuous learning and encourages his staff to continuously hone their skills through the Insurance Institute, the CIP Society and other industry organizations.”
Greg generously donates his time to students and colleagues with whom he shares his vast knowledge of the industry and 15 years of practical experience working in the Commercial Crimes Section of the RCMP. He is frequently called upon as a subject matter expert and he is specifically retained by examiners to assist with large and complex claims throughout the Okanagan region. His expertise is even sought after abroad and in 2004 he was asked to present at the Instituto Nacional de Investigation, Lucha y Prevencion del Fraude (INIF) in Bogota, Columbia.

Dedicated to sharing his knowledge, Greg teaches Insurance Institute courses in Edmonton and Kelowna and has given seminar presentations throughout the West. He takes time to mentor and assist new Institute instructors and shares resources to help with their lesson plans. In 2002 Greg was awarded the Instructor of the Year Award from the Insurance Institute of Northern Alberta.

Not only is Greg an active member of the Institute and the Industry, but he is also committed to giving back to his community. He donates blood regularly and encourages others to do so as well. Greg has been involved with the Kelowna Relay for Life since its inception in 2005. He has been recognized by the Canadian Cancer Society for raising more than $2,500 each year for cancer research and this year broke his all-time Relay for Life record with a new campaign called: “The Fro Must Go: if you help me reach my goal, I will be bald by June 6th.”When Greg reached his goal of $2,500, he shaved his head to raise money for cancer research.

In one of the more moving reference letters included in Greg’s nomination package, the author stated: “I have known Greg for many years and I can say without reservation that he is in a league of his own. In all my years of business I do not believe I have met anyone with the character and selfless contribution to others that Greg possesses. Even as I write this letter I struggle to find the words to do justice to the exceptional leader Greg is.”

Greg epitomizes the kind of role model that the CIP Society intends to honour with this award and it is with great pleasure that we recognize Greg as a 2010 Established Leader. Congratulations!