Jean Laurin is the President and CEO of The Schinnerer Group, which includes two preeminent insurance companies: ENCON Group Inc. and Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for developing the vision and strategic direction for both ENCON and Schinnerer, and he splits his time between the ENCON’s head office in Ottawa and Schinnerer’s head office in Washington, D.C.
Jean has served in the role of President and CEO of The Schinnerer Group since 2007 and as President of ENCON Group Inc. since 2001.
In his more than 25 years with ENCON, Jean has garnered considerable management and industry expertise. He joined the Research and Development Department of ENCON Insurance Managers in 1985 to assume the position of Assistant to the Vice-President. Over the next 10 years, he held several management positions in both the Professional Indemnity and Construction departments. In 1998, he was named Executive Vice-President of The ENCON Group with the responsibility of managing the Underwriting Management operations.
Prior to joining ENCON, Jean was a Senior Chartered Accountant with one of the Big Four accounting firms and was responsible for public company audits. His work with insurance companies sparked his interest in the industry and led to his present position with ENCON.
Jean graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.Adm. and a B.Comm. He is a member of the Ontario and Canadian Institutes of Chartered Accountants, as well as a member of various professional accounting and insurance organizations. Jean is fluently bilingual in English and French.
In her role as Chief Operating Officer of ENCON Group Inc., Kate Harley is responsible for leading infrastructure development and operational efficiency across the company. Kate also heads up the Marketing and Communications Department.
After leaving private practice in 1989, Kate joined ENCON as a member of the Research and Development team. In 1992, she was promoted to the role of Claims Manager, a position she held for 12 years. Kate was appointed Managing Director in 2003 and assumed her current position of COO in 2004.
Kate graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French, and obtained her LL.B. from the University of Ottawa. Kate is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
As the Executive Vice-President, Michel Yip is responsible for ENCON Group Inc.’s Underwriting Management division.
Michel was admitted to the Quebec bar in 1982 and practiced law in Montreal until he joined ENCON in 1985 as Claims Manager of the Underwriting Management division. In 1992, Michel became Underwriting Manager for Special Risks, and Directors and Officers, and in 1999, he took over the responsibility for all underwriting departments. In 2004, he also assumed the responsibility for all claims departments. Michel was appointed Managing Director in 1999 and Executive Vice-President in 2004.
A graduate of the University of Montreal, Michel holds an LL.L. He is a member of the Barreau du Québec.
In his role as Chief Financial Officer, Ed Pimentel is responsible for ENCON Group Inc.’s Accounting and Information Technology/Information Systems departments.
Ed joined MMC in 1980 as part of Mercer Merchandising, which merged with a business unit of Marsh & McLennan, eventually evolving into Seabury & Smith. In 1994, Seabury & Smith merged with ENCON. At Mercer Merchandising, Ed was the Accounting Supervisor, and then moved into the role of Controller in 1983. Ed was appointed Chief Financial Officer for ENCON Group Inc. in 1994.
Ed graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts. He is a member of CMA (Certified Management Accountants).