Our People

Brian Young has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Direct Insurance since May 2000.  In 2005 Brian was also appointed as Executive Vice President, Canadian Western Bank and Trust with additional responsibilities for CWB’s Trust operations.  Prior to joining Canadian Direct in 1998 as its Chief Operating Officer Brian served as Vice President Commercial Banking for HSBC Bank Canada in Vancouver.  Brian holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Finance) from the University of Saskatchewan.  He has over 27 years experience in the financial services industry encompassing both banking and insurance.

Colin Brown is the Chief Operating Officer.  A Chartered Insurance Professional and Chartered Arbitrator, Colin has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry.  He is a member of the Mediators Panel for the General Insurance Ombudservice (GIO).  He holds a B.Sc. degree from the Queens University of Belfast and a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies from Simon Fraser University.

Michael Martino is the Chief Financial Officer.  Michael joined Canadian Direct in July 2003, having previously worked for HSBC’s insurance operation and Coopers and Lybrand in the United States. A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Insurance Accountants Association, Michael has 20 years of insurance industry experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Seton Hall University and a Masters in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Vince Muto is the Vice President, Claims. A Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Professionals, Vince has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry. He has a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo and is an instructor for the Insurance Institute of British Columbia.

Susannah Bach is the Vice President for Corporate and Strategic Operations. Susannah has over 20 years of experience with financial institutions. Susannah holds an MA from Cambridge University and is a Chartered Accountant (UK and Canada). She has also worked for Ernst and Young, (UK) and KPMG (Bermuda and Vancouver). She was previously the company’s Chief Financial Officer.