Echelon Insurance has found the successor to Robin Joshua, who has been the company’s CEO since 2019. The insurer has just appointed its current Vice-President of Finance, Jatinder Bassi, to take over upon Joshua’s retirement.
Bassi joined Echelon in March 2020. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), he holds a master’s degree in accounting and the Canadian Risk Management certificate from the Insurance Institute of Canada, as well as the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation awarded by the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS).
The future CEO was, until recently, President of the Canadian Insurance Accountants Association (CIAA), from 2023 to 2025. He remains a member of the organization’s board of directors.
Jatinder Bassi has nearly twenty years of experience in the insurance industry, including a stint at Cayuga Mutual Insurance, where he worked from 2014 to 2020. When he left, he was Chief Financial Officer of the Ontario-based mutual insurer.
Robin Joshua was appointed in August 2019, a few months after Echelon Insurance was acquired by CAA Club Group. He succeeded Serge Lavoie at the time.
In the news release announcing the appointment of the next CEO, Matthew Turack, President and Chief Operating Officer of CAA Club Group, stated that he is confident this appointment will allow the company to “continue to thrive as a specialty insurer” in the Canadian market.
Robin Joshua will retire “soon,” the release says. Contacted by the Insurance Portal, Echelon spokesperson Erica Nelson said that the exact date of his retirement is not confirmed yet but will be shared in the coming months.
Jatinder Bassi noted that his new role will take effect “over the course of the coming year.” He added that he will continue working with broker partners “to deliver specialty insurance and risk management solutions that meet their clients’ evolving needs.”
The Company
Founded in 1998, Echelon Insurance provides insurance products to business owners seeking to protect their property from damage and business interruption losses.
In 2023, Echelon’s insurance revenues totaled $812 million in Canada, representing approximately 0.92% of the market, according to figures reported by MSA Research. The 2024 market share data will soon be published by the Insurance Portal.
