Premier Group of Companies

What Premier Group of Companies does

Premier Group of Companies, operating legally as Premier Canada Assurance Managers Ltd. together with Premier Marine Insurance Managers Group (WEST) Inc., is a privately held Canadian Managing General Agency (MGA) founded in 1989 and headquartered in Vancouver, BC. The company is licensed across Canadian provinces and underwrites specialty insurance products on behalf of two federally licensed capacity providers - Sovereign General Insurance Company and Certain Lloyds Underwriters (both A.M. Best A-) - under delegated underwriting authority. With a team of more than 150 staff across five regional offices (Vancouver, Toronto, London, Cambridge, Laval) and a separate Quebec French-language site, Premier distributes exclusively through licensed insurance brokers rather than directly to consumers. Its product portfolio spans Professional Liability (E&O, D&O, Medical Malpractice), Environmental Impairment Liability, Construction/Builders Risk, Specialty Commercial Lines, Commercial Fleet and Garage Auto, Specialty Personal Lines, Recreational Vehicles, and Marine (Pleasurecraft and Commercial), plus sub-products such as Spa/Wellness packages, Event Liability, and Stand-Alone Cyber.

Revenue is generated through commission-based compensation on policies bound via the broker channel, with premiums ranging from as low as $95 (Event Liability) to $2,000+ (Environmental Impairment Liability) and Commercial Auto limits up to $5,000,000 for fleets of 5-34 power units. The proprietary PRESTO online portal supports quote-to-policy issuance across the full product suite and serves as the primary digital workflow for brokers, complemented by extended service hours (8am-8pm ET), bilingual English/French support, an in-house claims function with 135+ years of collective experience, and broker education programs including accredited webinars and the annual Partnership in Action Roadshow. The company is led by President & COO Kathy Ionni, with no disclosed external private equity, venture capital, or institutional ownership.

Name

Premier Group of Companies

Legal name

Premier Canada Assurance Managers Ltd.

Website

https://premiergroup.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Premier Group of Companies is a privately held Canadian Managing General Agency founded in 1989, underwriting specialty insurance products across professional, environmental, construction, marine, commercial, and personal lines through licensed brokers nationwide on behalf of A-rated capacity providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance Underwriting

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Program Administration & MGA/MGU Services (FSAEADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Specialty insurance underwriting
• Managing general agency
• Professional liability coverage
• Commercial marine insurance
• Construction risk insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Managing General Agency Commission: Premier operates as a Managing General Agency with delegated underwriting authority from two federally licensed Insurers in Canada (Sovereign General Insurance Company and Certain Lloyds Underwriters). Revenue is generated through commission-based compensation on insurance policies placed through their broker network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Premier Group of Companies operates as a Managing General Agency (MGA) that develops and underwrites specialty personal and commercial insurance products on behalf of two federally licensed Canadian insurers (Sovereign General Insurance Company and Certain Lloyds Underwriters). It distributes these products exclusively through a national network of licensed insurance brokers via its proprietary PRESTO online quote-to-policy issuance portal, with in-house claims handling and bilingual (English/French) service across Canada.

Product overview

Premier Group of Companies is a Managing General Agency (MGA) established in 1989, operating as Premier Canada Assurance Managers Ltd. and Premier Marine Insurance Managers Group. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of specialty insurance products organized into major categories: Professional Liability (E&O/D&O/Medical Malpractice), Environmental Liability, Construction/Builders Risks, Specialty Commercial Lines, Commercial Fleet & Garage Auto, General Commercial Property, Specialty Personal Lines, Recreational Vehicle Risks, and Marine (Pleasurecraft and Commercial). The product portfolio includes specialized sub-products such as the Beautician/Spa/Wellness package, Event Liability, Commercial Auto Fleets, Garage Automobile, and Stand-Alone Cyber Policy. All products are underwritten by represented insurers (Sovereign General Insurance Company and Certain Lloyd's Underwriters) and distributed through a broker network. Premier also offers PRESTO, a proprietary online portal for quote-to-policy issuance. The company maintains provincial licensing across Canada and provides service in both English and French.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Presto: Online quote-to-policy portal system for brokers to obtain quotations and issue insurance policies directly.

Products and services

• Professional Liability (E&O / D&O / MED MAL) Professional liability insurance covering Errors & Omissions (E&O), Directors & Officers (D&O), and Medical Malpractice for IT consultants, architects, accountants, healthcare providers, financial advisors, and other professionals.
• Environmental Liability Environmental impairment and pollution liability coverage including fixed sites, storage tanks, project-specific pollution, contractors pollution liability (GREENworks), and recyclers packages.
• Construction - Builders Risks & Trades Construction insurance products including blanket builder's risk, residential and commercial projects, wrap-up liability, trades package, contractors equipment, and vacant land coverage.
• Specialty Commercial Lines Niche commercial insurance products for specific industries including pet groomers, food trucks, drones, fitness facilities, spas, daycares, event liability, and commercial auto.
• Commercial Fleet & Garage Auto Commercial automobile insurance for fleets and garage operations covering automotive repair shops, body shops, service stations, with optional companion CGL, Cyber and Property packages.
• General Commercial Property General commercial property insurance coverage for commercial buildings and properties.
• Specialty Personal Lines Specialty personal insurance products covering standard and hard-to-place homeowners, condos, tiny homes, high-value homes, rentals, seasonal properties, mobile homes, and personal cyber/umbrella liability.
• Recreational Vehicle Risks Insurance coverage for recreational vehicles and risks including motorcycles and off-road vehicles (BC only).
• Marine - Pleasurecraft Marine insurance for pleasurecraft including jet boats, ski boats, sailboats, power cruisers, personal watercraft, high performance boats, and platinum yachts ($600,000+) with extended navigation options.
• Marine - Commercial Commercial marine insurance covering marinas, boat dealers, ship repairers, yacht clubs, marine trades, commercial hull and P&I, and ocean/air cargo.
• Beautician, Spa and Wellness Program Composite insurance package for spas and beauty salons covering hair, esthetic services, massage, laser treatments, tanning, injectables, with CGL, professional liability, cyber/privacy breach, and property coverage.
• Event Liability Special event liability insurance for receptions, weddings, fairs, festivals, trade shows, and other events with CGL and host liquor coverage.
• Commercial Auto Fleets Commercial fleet automobile insurance available in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, and Nova Scotia, with coverage up to $5,000,000 for 5-34 power units.
• Garage Automobile Garage automobile insurance for automotive repair shops, body shops, specialty shops, and service stations with optional companion CGL, Cyber and Property packages.
• Cyber Policy (Stand-Alone) Stand-alone cyber liability insurance covering network security, privacy breach, regulatory defense, business interruption, digital asset loss, cyber extortion, and payment card violations.
• PRESTO Online Portal Premier's proprietary online platform enabling brokers to obtain quotations, submit applications, and issue insurance policies electronically across multiple product lines including Marine, Professional Lines, Environmental, Construction, Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, and Events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended service hours 8:00 am ET to 8:00 pm ET (5:00 pm PT) via toll-free 1-866-316-2622
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sovereign General Insurance CompanycoreOthersFederally licensed insurer represented by Premier with delegated underwriting authority. One of two insurance companies Premier represents with minimum AM Best rating of A- (Excellent).
• Certain Lloyds UnderwriterscoreOthersFederally licensed insurer represented by Premier with delegated underwriting authority. One of two insurance companies Premier represents with minimum AM Best rating of A- (Excellent). Premier includes the name of the Insurance Company(s) underwriting each policy, including the name of the Lloyds Underwriters lead syndicate, on every policy Declaration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Totten Insurance Group: Canadian Managing General Agency offering specialty commercial and personal lines through a broker network across Canada. Directly comparable as a multi-line MGA with delegated authority and similar broker-distributed specialty insurance focus.
• Cansure: Canadian MGA specializing in non-standard personal lines, specialty commercial lines, and recreational vehicles distributed through brokers. Highly comparable product mix and distribution model to Premier's specialty personal lines division.
• Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company: Canadian specialty insurer and MGA operating in surety, commercial, and specialty lines through delegated underwriting authority. Comparable as a Canadian specialty insurance platform using delegated authority and broker distribution.
• Burns & Wilcox: North American MGA and wholesale brokerage specializing in specialty commercial and personal lines including marine, professional liability, and environmental. Comparable as a specialty MGA with broker distribution, though primarily US-focused.

Broad incumbents

• SGI CANADA: Canadian specialty insurance company (subsidiary of SGI) operating across multiple provinces with personal, commercial, and specialty lines. Comparable as a Canadian specialty carrier/MGA but operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic mandates.
• Northbridge Financial Corporation: Canadian commercial property and casualty insurer offering specialty commercial lines including marine, construction, and environmental through broker networks. Overlapping specialty coverage but operating as a carrier rather than MGA.
• Intact Public Entities: Specialty insurance division of Intact Financial Corporation serving public sector and commercial clients in Canada. Comparable specialty insurance focus but operates as part of a much larger carrier group with broader distribution.
• Aviva Canada: Major Canadian property and casualty insurer (subsidiary of Aviva plc) offering commercial and personal lines through broker networks. Comparable broker distribution channel but operates as a large admitted carrier rather than specialty MGA.
• Western Financial Group (now part of Trimont): Canadian insurance broker network with proprietary MGA operations and specialty product offerings. Comparable broker-distributed specialty insurance model across Western Canada.

Regional players

• Petline Insurance: Canadian pet insurance MGA offering specialty pet health coverage through broker and direct channels. Comparable as a Canadian specialty MGA with delegated authority model but operates in a single product vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/premier-marine-insurance-managers-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Premier Group of Companies