Russ McMurchie - Classification General Insurance
Born - in Sask & moved to BC when 12. A country boy in the big city. Had various part time jobs at the Bay, Vancouver Sun while going to school and while working,. He joined the Home Ins. Co as a first Ins. job & rose from being the office boy to Special Agent status(an inspector).
Met his wife to be the year he started at the Home Ins. Co. Was married 5 years later & had three sons. Left the Home Ins. Co. after 7 years & joined the Queensland Ins. Co. as a fieldman . The Canadian Head Office of an Australian company. Also the positions of underwriter of property, inland marine risks (logging Equipment) and auto insurance. Enjoyed working with them for 14 years until ICBC came into being.
Russ was the ICBC Marketing Manager of the General Insurance Division of ICBC for 14 years including time with Canadian Northern Shield, the private company formed after the sale of ICBC's General Insurance Division in 1985. He eventually left CNS and entered the Insurance Brokerage field with Coastal Insurance in 1989 where he still works. Russ was a teacher of insurance courses for Brokers and other insurance personnel for about 10 years, teaching CAIB courses for the Insurance Brokers Of BC and for the Insurance Institute of BC. Russ has his CIP designation (Charter Insurance Professional - from the Insurance Institute of Canada). Brokerages are the marketing arm of the General Insurance industry. The insurance industry in Canada employs about 125,000 people. Of these, about 54,000 are Brokers and Agents.
Russ discussed Catastrophes in Canada and showed how British Columbia has earned the title of "Lotus Land" by having the fewest natural catastrophes of any area in the country over the past 22 years according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada's statistical exhibits.