Wawanesa Insurance celebrates 125th anniversary with $700,000 donation to local community organizations
September 23, 2021, Winnipeg, MB – The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa) and its employees are marking the company’s 125th anniversary by providing $700,000 to local community organizations in Canada and the United States. These charitable funds come in addition to the $3.5 million Wawanesa has already committed to its community partners for 2021.
“As a mutual insurer we strive to be a positive force in the community,” said Wawanesa’s President and CEO, Jeff Goy. “It’s how our company started in 1896, with 20 farmers who came together to help each other out so no one would be left behind if disaster struck. This commitment to looking after one another has always been at the heart of our culture – and always will be. It’s one way of appreciating what our customers, broker partners, communities and employees have contributed to our success over so many decades together.”
Wawanesa employees were given the opportunity to determine how the $700,000 would be distributed among organizations in communities where the company operates:
- All Wawanesa employees were given $125 to provide to a charity of their choosing, resulting in $500,000 provided to thousands of charities across Canada and the US.
- All Wawanesa employees were also asked to nominate one charitable organization in their community to receive 1 of 16 donations of $12,500. Employees then voted on which organization they wanted to receive a donation, resulting in $200,000 donated to 16 charitable organizations.
“From our humble prairie beginnings 125 years ago to a modern, vibrant, multi-national insurer, I’m proud we’ve held strong to our Canadian-owned-and-operated roots and that going forward our success enables us to provide even greater support for our communities,” said Wawanesa’s President of Canadian P&C Operations, Carol Jardine. “Together with Canada’s independent insurance brokers, we will continue to be there to protect the assets of families and businesses, helping to create a stronger tomorrow. “
Over the past 125 years Wawanesa has grown into a diversified mutual insurer, serving the property, casualty and life insurance needs of over two million policyholders in Canada and the US. Recently, the company surpassed $4 billion in annual premium, completed a decade-long transformation of its core technology platform, and was honoured to receive top industry customer service recognitions, such as #1 in personal property claims satisfaction in InsurPoll’s 2021 survey as well as “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Auto Insurers in California” from J.D. Power for the second year in a row. Wawanesa has also been recognized as a Top Employer in North America by the human resources consultancy, Kincentric.
For more information on the company’s proud history, a full timeline of Wawanesa’s growth and transformation can be found here.
About Wawanesa
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with $4.2 billion in annual revenue and assets of $11.3 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with executive offices in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa General, which offers property and casualty insurance in California and Oregon; Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada; and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Western Canada. With more than 5,700 employees, Wawanesa proudly serves more than two million policyholders in Canada and the United States. Wawanesa actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities where it operates, donating well above internationally recognized benchmarks for excellence in corporate philanthropy. Learn more at wawanesa.com
Contact
Brad Hartle
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
1-844-946-6282