The acquisition of CHES Special Risk in the first quarter of 2025 is Totalis Program Underwriters’ first step toward expanding its presence in the Canadian market, says Thomas Gillingham, president of Totalis.
Since the transaction was announced on April 1, 2025, Insurance Portal has repeatedly attempted to speak with Gary Hirst, founder and president of CHES. Hirst referred all media inquiries to NFP, the owner of Totalis.
Eventually, a spokesperson for NFP facilitated contact with Gillingham, who responded to questions submitted via email.
Totalis was created through the consolidation of several U.S.-based managing general agents (MGAs) that specialize in placing niche risks for brokers and insurers. Its platform officially launched in September 2023 under NFP, a global insurance brokerage that also operates in multiple business sectors.
Gillingham joined NFP in 2017 when the firm acquired Everguard, an MGA focused on restaurants and bars. He was appointed managing director of NFP’s specialty programs division in July 2020 and became president of Totalis at its launch in 2023. Totalis is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
A first step into Canada
As Totalis had no previous presence in Canada, Insurance Portal asked how the connection with CHES was made. “We had long admired CHES’s strategic growth in the Canadian market. When we heard Gary Hirst was exploring succession options, we were eager to open a conversation,” Gillingham says.
He adds that Totalis has always had ambitions to expand across North America, and the CHES acquisition presented a unique opportunity “because it represents our entry into the Canadian market with a scaled, industry-leading MGA operating in most provinces,” he says.
CHES is recognized in the Canadian market for the quality of its underwriting and product offerings, Gillingham notes. The company also benefits from “a skilled underwriting team” and an entrepreneurial culture that “aligns perfectly with Totalis’s North American ambitions,” he adds.
Although the transaction was made public on April 1, 2025, employees were informed shortly after the deal officially closed on Feb. 18, 2025, Gillingham confirms.
Transition phase
Totalis brings CHES broad resources in areas like IT, actuarial and finance that will really help unlock opportunities in Canada.
– Thomas Gillingham
CHES continues to operate under the leadership of Gary Hirst, now senior vice-president at Totalis. Gillingham says he’s pleased to have Hirst on board, citing his “tremendous industry experience and great relationships with brokers and markets that will be instrumental to our success in Canada.”
“Part of his focus will center on international capabilities through our Lloyd’s approved trading name, HIRST & Partners, which conducts wholesale broking services from any worldwide jurisdictions, working directly with Lloyd’s underwriters from our regional offices across Canada,” Gillingham explains.
What are Totalis’s plans for the Canadian insurance market? “We have ambitious plans to grow CHES both organically and through thoughtful acquisitions of quality MGAs. Totalis brings CHES broad resources in areas like IT, actuarial and finance that will really help unlock opportunities in Canada,” Gillingham says.
Developments in Quebec
In a letter to brokers shared on social media on June 18, 2025, Hirst reflected on the first few months under the new ownership.
“We’ve had the opportunity to get to know our colleagues at Totalis and to better understand their culture and the value they bring to CHES. We’ve been impressed across the board—by the exceptional programs they offer in every sector and by the calibre of the people behind their performance,” he wrote.
The same letter confirmed that two senior CHES underwriters in Quebec—Laurence Dubé and Gabriel Morneau—had announced their intention to leave the company. Hirst emphasized that “their contributions were essential to CHES’s success in Quebec and played a key role in establishing the firm as a market leader among Canadian MGAs.”
Morneau, who was CHES vice-president and Quebec director, submitted his resignation at the end of May 2025, according to information obtained by the Insurance Portal. Dubé declined to comment on her professional situation.
Given the unique characteristics of Quebec’s insurance market, what lies ahead for CHES’s operations in the province following their departures? Gillingham says business continues as usual.
“Our intent is to grow the business, add talent, and invest resources in Quebec. We have a great team of over 30 people in Montreal and Quebec City, with a large office in Montreal. We have nurtured a special culture that motivates high performance, accountability, and deep care for employees and clients. We’re excited to see our CHES leaders in Quebec take the next steps in their careers, access new Totalis resources Totalis for distribution, and accelerate our impact,” Gillingham says.
In December 2023, global brokerage Aon plc announced its intent to acquire NFP. That transaction closed at the end of April 2024. When CHES disclosed its sale to Totalis, no mention was made of Totalis’s connection to NFP or Aon in the public announcement.
