Darlene Embury is a seasoned insurance professional with over 20 years of experience through both hard and soft(er) insurance markets. Licensed in 2004, she spent her first 4 years in personal lines insurance. Wanting to further her insurance career Darlene achieved her CAIB designation in 2008. She then advanced into commercial insurance.
Darlene has witnessed advances in the insurance industry from manual quoting using rate manuals, typing out liability certificates on a typewriter through to today’s ability to quote, bind and issue a policy directly through the portal channel.
Although the industry continues to change the needs of clients remains the constant. A firm believer in living by the Golden Rule – treating others as you want to be treated, it is important to be trustworthy, honest and transparent with clients. Darlene is by nature a helper who goes above and beyond for others, a problem solver and an encourager. You will find her to be passionate, humourous and witty.
Not afraid to take on a challenge she is eager to learn and hone her skills and knowledge in the ever- evolving insurance landscape. She is able to acknowledge when she doesn’t know the answer to a situation and is dedicated and quick to finding an answer or solution to a problem. Darlene is collaborative and freely uses her experience and knowledge to mentor others and tis a team builder.
Being in the industry for a couple of decades provides you with opportunities to see and learn an assortment of things. Starting off in personal lines, insuring homes, cottages, autos, motorcycles and watercraft, this has evolved into AirBnB’s, Carsharing, Uber, etc. These options weren’t even on the radar 20 years ago. Commercial Property insurance has also changed. 15 years ago, we would establish the rebuilding cost on a property based on a $ per sq ft that we arbitrarily determined based on our local construction costs. Now we use programs like CoreLogic and Douglas Cost calculators which consider more fully broader characteristics of the building. We now use postal codes, topography, aerial views, street views and credit scores as a means to determine building values and premiums. Contractors Packages have grown with the increasing entrepreneur labour market. We have needed to learn more about the trade profession. This has challenged us to learn more about tools, machinery and liability exposures which are unique to each of these professions. Commercial Auto has also seen its share of changes. In addition to being able to read and understand an MVR and Autoplus we are now needing to know how to read a CVOR Level 1 or 2. We are also needing Experience Letters to confirm previous insurance history. All this in addition to understand how goods and services flow down our roads everyday.
2008
CAIB
Insurance Broker Association of Ontario
2004
RIBO – Level 1
The Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario
2018 - Present
President
Central Erie Insurance Brokers Association
2012
Board Member
Central Erie Insurance Brokers Association
Darlene enjoys giving back to her community. She had been active as a board member on her children’s school council and had been a neighborhood Block Parent. She has canvassed for the Cancer Society. More recently she had participated in a seasonal Out of The Cold program and a Food For Thought breakfast program serving a hot breakfast during the school year. Currently Darlene serves as President for a local Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario affiliate.
You can find Darlene around people. She loves to socialize whether it be with friends, relatives, colleagues or new people she meets while traveling. She’s not much of a resort traveler. You will more likely find her exploring Europe by plane, train or automobile. Her most satisfying travel experience led her to walk the entire 800 kms (500 miles) of the Camino de Santiago over a 6- week period with her daughter and joined in the last 300 kms with her husband. This was quite the challenge since her only previous experience had been a 5-day hike in the jungle/mountain area in Columbia to find the Lost City. Manchu Pichu is the last remaining hike she’d like to achieve although she’d be more than happy to re-walk the Camino de Santiago again.
