Richard Newman

Managing Director, Commercial General Liability

Volante Canada Limited

With over 20 years of casualty market experience, including 16 years in the Canadian insurance market, Richard is a veteran of the sector.

His technical underwriting expertise and ability to achieve profitable growth have helped him secure senior positions with international carriers in the Canadian market. Most recently, Richard was Underwriting Manager for Casualty and Auto at QBE in Canada and was also a North American Liability Practice Group Leader at Allianz.

Rob Tsai

Managing Director, Property

Volante Canada Limited

Robert has over 14 years of experience in property insurance in the Canadian market, working across virtually every major industry sector. His expertise also extends to facultative reinsurance.

During his extensive career he has held numerous senior positions at firms including FM Global, QBE and most recently Swiss Re, where he was a Senior Property Facultative Underwriter. He has established a strong track record in building and maintaining successful client relationships and has secured an extensive client network.

Steve Vandriel

Managing Director, Auto

Volante Canada Limited

Steve is a vastly experienced senior underwriter in the fleet and commercial auto sector, having worked in the Canadian automobile market for over 29 years.

He has held numerous leadership roles and has been responsible for the establishment of new auto teams at a number of insurance carriers. Previous companies have included Zurich Allianz, Aviva Canada and most recently Berkshire Hathaway where he played a central role in setting up the Canadian auto division for BHSI Canada.

Kristina Nelson

SME Portfolio Manager

Volante Canada Limited

Kristina is an accomplished senior underwriter with over 10 years of claims and underwriting experience in the Canadian market.  Kristina directs the execution of Volante’s small to mid-size enterprise strategy and portfolio across Canada catering to commercial combined SME packages and programs.

Kristina has successfully completed multiple insurance designations and is an active volunteer mentor.  She has strong broker connections across Canada and excellent relationships in Lloyds.  Her technical and product knowledge of SME business and the market trends, along with analytical and negotiation skills, set her apart as a dynamic leader in the industry.

Maria Bella

Business Manager

Volante Canada Limited

With over 15 years  experience in underwriting support including 6 years experience as a Team Leader.  Maria joined from QBE Canada where she has spent the past  9.5 years working her way up from Underwriting support to the role of an Underwriting Services Manager. Prior to her time at QBE  Maria was  a Senior Underwriting Assistant at Northbridge Insurance Canada.

Maria joined as Business Manager at Volante Canada where she will manage most of the relationships and tasks with Lloyd’s Canada and Provincial licensing regulators.  She is in an evolving role which will continue to develop as the local business grows.

Lee-Ann Ferguson

Executive Underwriter, Automobile

Volante Canada Limited

Lee-Ann has 18 years of automobile experience in the Canadian Insurance market working on large and complex fleets in the commercial auto sector. During her extensive career she has held numerous senior underwriting positions at firms including Kingsway, Aviva and most recently QBE Canada. She has successfully completed multiple insurance designations including CIP, FCIP and CRM. Her technical underwriting expertise, product knowledge and attention to detail are what set her apart from many in the field.

Kanako Yoshitoshi

Executive Underwriter, Casualty

Volante Canada Limited

Kanako has over 15 years of insurance experience in the Canadian insurance market. She has worked both in broking and underwriting roles, most recently as a Casualty Underwriter at QBE Canada. Kanako joins Volante Canada as an Executive Underwriter, where she will contribute to the development of the Casualty (GL, UMB, XS, Wrap Up, XS Wrap Up) lines of business. Kanako considers herself to be careful optimist, who enjoys winning as a team with humility and pride. She is based in Toronto and speaks English and Japanese. Kanako feels privileged to be part Volante team, and looks forward to working with our broker partners to develop solutions to serve their needs.

Cam McRitchie

Executive Underwriter, Property

Volante Canada Limited

Cam has over 25 years of insurance experience in the Canadian Insurance market, predominately as a property underwriter working on complex risks. During his extensive career he has held numerous senior underwriting positions at firms including Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance, Swiss Re, Chubb and QBE Canada. He also has recent experience in broking with BFL Canada. Cam has valuable technical expertise and is a well-respected underwriter. He is based in Vancouver, BC.

Noreen Shah

Executive Underwriter, Property

Volante Canada Limited

Noreen Shah has over 16 years of underwriting experience in the Canadian insurance market. She has worked on large and complex property risks in the commercial property sector. She started her underwriting career at the Frank Cowan Company with her most recent role as a Senior Specialist at Aviva Canada which allowed her to expand her technical underwriting expertise in the public sector segment. She has built strong and long-lasting relationships with her broker partners and clients over the years with her deliverance of personalised service, in-depth product knowledge and client centered approach. She is thrilled to continue her insurance journey with Volante Canada and the broader Volante Global family.

Steve Beeston

Portfolio Manager, Property Construction

Volante Canada Limited

Steve has 10 years of experience in the Canadian insurance market, predominantly focusing on the construction segment. Through his time in the industry, he has worked as an Account Executive with Aon’s Construction and Infrastructure Practice and most recently spending time as a Construction Underwriting Specialist and Manager with Definity Insurance Company. He has valuable technical expertise and is a highly regarded underwriter. Steve is based in Edmonton, AB.

Vita Ceku

Business Assistant

Volante Canada Limited

Vitjola (Vita) joined Volante Canada team in May 2023, coming from previous successful work experiences in both P&C and Life Insurance Industry. In the role of Business Assistant, Vita performs a variety of tasks to support the underwriters and the Business Manager on her team. She manages risks through the policy cycle, ensuring that all work is allocated and completed accordingly.

Vita is a talented, ambitious, and hardworking person, with great attention to detail, integrity, and commitment to continuous learning.

Francesca Bobb

Senior Underwriter

Volante Canada Limited

Francesca comes to us with over 15 years experience in the insurance industry. Her most recent role being an Account Executive Officer at Travelers Insurance. Over the years, Francesca has established herself as a technically sound and knowledgeable underwriter which is evidenced by the accolades she has received from her peers within the industry. She is synonymous for her ability maintain long-lasting and productive relationships with her broker partners and she looks forward to bringing her skills and experience to Volante.