Karen Gavan

Karen Gavan was elected to the Board of Directors of SRL in 2018. She is a member of the Audit Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation.

Professional experience

Karen Gavan started her career in finance roles at Prudential Insurance, Imperial Life and Canada Life. She joined Transamerica Life Canada in 1992 as Chief Financial Officer and added responsibilities over her tenure becoming Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2000 to 2002 of Transamerica Life Canada/AEGON Canada, and from 2003 to 2005 the company’s Chief Operating Officer. From 2005, Karen Gavan assumed a number of non-executive board mandates. She joined the Board of Economical Insurance in 2008 and, until her retirement in November 2016, also served for five years as President and Chief Executive Officer at Economical Insurance, preparing the company for its initial public offering. During her leadership, the company also launched SONNET, Canada’s first fully digital insurer.

Educational background

• Honours Bachelor of Commerce, Lakehead University, Canada
• Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Canada

External mandates

• Board member of Mackenzie Financial Corporation
• Board member of HSBC Bank Canada