Insurance industry leader Kathy Bardswick recently became chair of the Canadian National Insurance Crime Services (CANATICS) board of directors. 

She is taking over from George Cooke, the organization’s first chair.

"We're delighted to have Kathy take the helm at this exciting time in CANATICS' history," CANATICS CEO Ben Kosic said in a press release. "We've accomplished much in our first four years and her wealth of experience and exemplary leadership skills will serve the organization well as we continue to evolve and achieve our goal of helping insurers fight organized insurance fraud through data analytics to the benefit of consumers."

Bardswick serves on the board of the International Co-operative Alliance, chairing its Audit Committee and Blue Ribbon Commission on Capital, and the board of Metrolinx. The Insurance and Investment Journal named her among the Top 50 Women of Influence in Canada’s Life Insurance Industry, and Women of Influence designated her one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in 2014. Bardswick previously served as president and CEO of The Co-operators Group and chaired the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation, as well as the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.

Cooke served as the chair of CANATICS’ board of directors from the founding of the organization in 2013.

"We thank George for his leadership and oversight during CANATICS' critical first few years of operation, and the construction of the fraud analytics solution that we manage,” Kosic said. “He was instrumental in helping us lay the groundwork for a long and successful future as an essential industry player in the ongoing fight against fraud."