Insurance Awareness Day 2025: Insights from Sutton’s Leaders
June 28th is Insurance Awareness Day — a time to reflect on the vital role insurance plays in helping individuals and businesses face the future with confidence.
At Sutton, we believe insurance is more than just a tool for managing risk. It's a way to solve problems, support people through challenges, and create meaningful change. To mark the occasion, we asked our department leaders to share what drives their work and how they find purpose in what they do.
Chris Carr, Senior Vice President, Special Risk
Q: When the world watches conflict zones from afar, we’re quietly insuring the people who go in. What does it mean to be part of that?
A: “Many industries continue to operate globally, even amid travel warnings and geopolitical conflict. Despite the risks, there are individuals who need to be on the ground for critical reasons, whether it's humanitarian aid workers, journalists, engineers restoring infrastructure, or corporate teams maintaining global operations.
Our role is to make sure they’re protected. There’s a deep sense of purpose in knowing that the coverage we provide allows these missions to move forward, often unseen. In a way, we offer a bit of stability in places where there is none — and that’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.”
Christian Hanson, Vice President, Sports
Q: How has your experience as a professional hockey player influenced your approach to sports underwriting today?
A: “As a former professional athlete, I can speak from firsthand experience about the need for disability insurance. Disability insurance was something that I always had while I played, and while I was lucky enough to never have to use it, I saw the unfortunate reality of a player’s career unexpectedly ending.
Having been in the shoes of today’s players, I can speak to them as a teammate and stress the value and importance of protecting yourself, not because I am trying to make a sale but because at the core, I am one of their own and truly care about them.”
Susan Wallis, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Film & Entertainment
Q: You joined Sutton one year ago to drive our film & entertainment strategy, after a distinguished career as an entertainment broker. In that time, how have you used insurance creatively to help clients solve real business challenges?
A: “I’ve never viewed my role as simply selling a policy. My mindset is always: How can I help grow your business? That perspective pushes me to think creatively about how specialized insurance can serve as a strategic business tool.
In the film world, for example, we worked with an independent producer whose financing hinged on landing a particular actor. We structured a cast insurance policy that gave investors confidence that their money was protected if the actor became unavailable. That coverage unlocked the final round of funding and got the project greenlit.
That same thinking applies to other sectors and coverages like Prize Indemnity. I once partnered with a restaurant that struggled during the losing seasons of the local sports team. We designed an insured promotion tied to game outcomes — it kept customers engaged and coming in, even on tough nights, turning slow periods into revenue opportunities.
To me, it’s not just about managing risk. It’s about unlocking new ways to add value and drive results."
Doris Lai, Vice President, Sutton Reinsurance
Q: Your book of business stretches to almost every corner of the world. What does it say about Sutton that clients around the world choose to rely on us, and how do you nurture those global partnerships?
A: “At Sutton, our success is built on strong, collaborative relationships with brokers and stakeholders around the world. These trusted partnerships have shaped our international portfolio, spanning the U.S., Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
We stay closely connected to our clients. Our team has travelled to many interesting places to foster these connections, from the Taj Mahal to the Great Wall. These visits help us connect face-to-face with local brokers and cedants, strengthening trust and creating new opportunities.
Sutton Re is often the preferred choice for companies worldwide because of our broader perspective on risk, access to top-tier capacity, and valuable market insights.”
At Sutton, we’re proud to support clients across various industries in Canada and around the world. We invite you to connect with us and discover how our expertise can help you navigate risk with confidence.