After working with Martin and Wright Insurance and Financial Services (Martin & Wright) for more than 20 years, the brokerage complained about its former agent Scott Heltcher, making a number of allegations to the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) that were later dismissed.
In its complaint to RIBO, the firm claimed Heltcher sent confidential client information to his personal email address, provided client information to another brokerage, mislead an underwriter by disclosing a quote from another carrier that did not exist and attempted to sub-broker business from the firm without the consent of the firm or Heltcher’s client’s.
Heltcher, meanwhile, says he sent a template document to his own address, denied that he sent a quote that did not exist and acknowledged that he did attempt to sub-broker business on two occasions in 2019, but added that this effort was done with the client’s consent and resulted in the business ultimately being placed with Martin & Wright.
“The complaint was made to RIBO after the broker had left employment with Martin & Wright,” the reasons for decision states. “If the broker were to testify, he would say that he had come to Martin & Wright with a substantial book of business and his own templates. Before departing Martin & Wright, the broker emailed certain documents to himself to serve as templates for his future practice. The documents the broker emailed to himself did not reflect up to date client information and were meant to serve as templates only.”
RIBO withdrew all allegations except the one related to the forwarded client templates.
“Personal data of clients must be handled with utmost care. Emailing personal client data to an account outside of a brokerage, regardless of the purpose, is a violation of RIBO code of conduct and constitutes a breach of confidentiality,” the decision continues. “Saving or forwarding a template could easily be done with client information redacted.”
In addition to a reprimand, Heltcher was ordered to complete two hours of RIBO accredited education. The regulator gave Heltcher four ethics courses to choose from.
