There's a new guy in charge at Allianz Global Assistance Canada.

Allianz Global Assistance, a leading Canadian travel insurance and assistance provider, has appointed industry veteran Chris Van Kooten as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Van Kooten brings extensive insurance industry experience to his new position, having held executive leadership roles with a number of well-respected Canadian companies. In recent years, he held actuarial roles with increasing responsibility at both The Co-operators General Insurance Company and Economical Insurance, culminating in his final role as Chief Underwriting Officer with Economical.

Most recently, he was Managing Director at Guy Carpenter Canada, where he led strategic relationship management, new business prospecting, designing comprehensive reinsurance programs, developing new products and advising on insurance technology solutions.

As CEO for Allianz Global Assistance, Van Kooten will lead the company in further scaling its service capabilities as a leading travel insurance, assistance and cost containment provider for some of Canada’s top brands, while ensuring an exceptional end-to-end experience for its customers. He also will aim to drive strong, sustainable growth for Allianz Global Assistance and its long-standing partners across all of its strategic distribution channels, including its financial services, travel, insurance broker and group benefits lines of business.

“I am delighted to join the Allianz Global Assistance Canada team," said Van Kooten. "Brandishing strong roots in Canada and unparalleled global capabilities, the company has a track record of impressive growth. I intend to lead our company in accelerating this momentum while empowering our associates to make a positive impact on the lives of Canadian travellers in their time of need.”

Mike Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of Global Travel Insurance & Americas for Allianz Partners, added:

“We are extremely pleased to have Chris join our Canadian executive team as CEO. He is a driven and dynamic leader with proven success at building a ‘customer-first’ culture within his teams. I’m confident his extensive leadership and industry experience will position him well to deliver long-term, sustainable growth and profitability for Allianz Global Assistance and its valued partners.”