Latest P&C deals for McDougall, Acera
Definity Financial Corporation subsidiary McDougall Insurance Brokers Limited has merged operations with Duliban Insurance Brokers Limited and its sister firm, Duliban Life & Benefits Inc. (together, Duliban).
With offices across Ontario’s Niagara and Haldimand regions, the Duliban brand will remain and become a “pivotal divisional brokerage” of McDougall Insurance, McDougall says in a press release Monday.
Principal broker Jason Duliban will remain with the company in his current capacity while joining McDougall Insurance’s national leadership team. Duliban’s other principal broker, Adam Duliban, will work with the firm through a transitional period, then focus on growing and managing other family assets.
“The Duliban family will become important shareholders of McDougall — signifying their confidence in the direction of the business and its success,” McDougall adds.
Duliban Insurance offers home insurance (home, condo, tenant, Airbnb and cottage) as well as tractor and farm insurance.
Jason Duliban says opting for the merger “was a pivotal decision for our family business…Ultimately, we knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to take our organization to a national level with partners we admire.”
Adam Duliban agrees, saying “both Duliban and McDougall have a common history and focus, and we know this merger will allow us the ability to grow and strengthen our businesses and service offerings moving forward.”
Other merger news
In further brokerage M&A news, Acera Insurance Services Ltd. partnered with Navigate Benefit Solutions as it continues to expand its specialty Acera Benefits division.
Acera’s deal closed on May 14, the brokerage says in a release Tuesday.
As a full-service consulting firm, Navigate Benefit Solutions has provided group benefits and group retirement savings solutions since 2002. The firm is headquartered in Calgary, with team members also based in Edmonton and Regina.
The partnership demonstrates Acera’s commitment to help independent and locally owned firms increase scale while ensuring clients continue to receive personalized, unbiased solutions and guidance from an independent, Canadian-owned business, the release says.
“As an independent firm that is focused on building lasting relationships with our clients, Navigate Benefit Solutions has never compromised on the impartial and expert solutions we provide,” says the company’s president, Jason Probe. “We are pleased to join an organization that shares these same values and corporate culture, as we look to enhance the solutions we offer to our clients.”
And more from McDougall
McDougall also recently strengthened its presence in the Greater Toronto Area. In mid-May, Cornell Insurance Brokers Ltd., a division of McDougall, combined with Active Insurance & Financial Group Inc.
McDougall had already acquired Cornell, a full-service brokerage based in Markham, Ont., in December 2024. In the latest move, Cornell merged with Etobicoke, Ont.-based Active. Together, the two brokerages have about 60 employees.
The intent of the merger is to establish a strong presence in Toronto, Lorne McDougall, vice president of corporate development and operations at McDougall Insurance, told Canadian Underwriter at the time.
Definity’s latest acquisition shows its continued interest in both broker and carrier acquisitions.
Definity made headlines recently with its $3.3-billion merger agreement to acquire Travelers Canada. The addition of Travelers Canada’s $1.6 billion in annual gross written premium (GWP) brings Definity’s proforma GWP to $6 billion in combined annual premiums. This improves its overall P&C industry position from Number 6 to Number 4; a long-time goal of Definity was to break into the Top 5.
