2023 was an important year for Pro-Demnity and by extension, for architects in Ontario.
For Pro-Demnity, opportunities to demonstrate innovation and forward-thinking set the tone for the year. We began the process of updating our policies and underwriting procedures and implementing some critical new systems to better-serve architectural practices. Solidifying the strength and resilience of the organization, also served to heighten our focus on people: you, our valued policyholders, and our steadfast employees. In brief, we have endeavoured to be ever more reliably protective.
Here’s why we believe these four areas are important to us and to you:
Our insurance policies and underwriting process are where we make and fulfill our promise to protect and defend you. Updating our policy to ensure it is best-in-class, and to better reflect current and contemporary practices in insurance and architecture is a cornerstone initiative. With this work well underway in 2023, it will continue throughout 2024 and 2025 to include improvements to the processes and technologies by which your annual policy is issued, along with spike-up endorsements and other coverage-related enhancements.
New technologies such as the Claims Management System, launched in March, and the Legal Management System, launched in October, improve our ability to manage claims and legal processes, more closely monitor expenses, and enhance the flow of information between key service areas. As a bonus, there is improved access to the data behind claims against architects, which should give us better insights to share with you over time.
Our strength and resilience were certainly put to the test since March 2020. Here again, 2023 was an important year with respect to our financial condition, with the company increasing its capital strength and moving towards its desired longer-term financial situation. This matters to you because it is our financial strength and capital that assures you of our ability to pay claims. The outcome of every claim is always uncertain, but you never want any uncertainty about our ability to pay. Our financial strength is what provides that certainty to you.
A focus on people and our values of Trust, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation has taken on even greater importance. We continue to work in a hybrid model, ensuring that your needs are dealt with in a timely fashion regardless of whether our staff are in the office or working from home. Geographically, our team is spread across Ontario, from Waterloo to Ottawa, from the Great Lakes to Lake Simcoe (and beyond, when we include our Board of Directors). Further, we continue to act on issues of diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belonging. Employee engagement surveys, conducted twice per year, help us understand just how engaged our team is … and engaged people serve you better.
Client Experience, your experience, is a particularly important aspect of our attentiveness to people, and we leverage your feedback through client surveys, meetings with practice leaders, presentations, and social media to stay abreast of industry trends, and listen to concerns. We continue to innovate and evolve new tools to help you access the information or services you need, whether by booking an appointment online to speak with one of our Risk Services experts or by interacting with you in person, or virtually, at industry events and meetings.
Your architectural work is vital to society, as you design and shape the extraordinary spaces where we live and interact. Our work is to ensure you can fulfill that mission without having to worry about financial ruin – or even just painful annoyance – brought about by a claim or other allegation of error, omission, or negligence. That’s why we strive to be reliably protective.
In an uncertain world, we bring you the certainty of an ally, to help protect and defend you.
Debra Krakow, Chair, Board of Directors
Bruce H. Palmer, President and CEO