Western Financial Group Announces CEO Retirement, Appointment of New Leader
Kenny Nicholls to retire as Western Financial Group’s CEO effective December 31, 2024; Grant Ostir, Chief Growth Officer, to be Appointed as New CEO
High River, Alberta, July 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After his remarkable 13 years at Western Financial Group and an illustrious career in financial services spanning 30 years, Kenny Nicholls, CEO, has announced his retirement. While we offer heartfelt gratitude for Kenny’s guidance and leadership, we welcome Western’s new CEO, Grant Ostir, on January 1, 2025.
“Grant’s extensive experience and proven track record in driving sales and growth strategies position him to lead our next phase of development,” said Evan Johnston, EVP, Strategy and Related Businesses at The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. “This appointment reflects our commitment to continuity and meeting our strategic objectives. We’re confident under Grant’s leadership, Western will continue to thrive and achieve new milestones.”
“It’s been a true honour to lead the team at Western during my tenure as CEO,” said Kenny. “We have built a solid foundation and commitment to care for our people, our partners, our communities and our customers, something I feel very passionate about. I am proud of our accomplishments which have seen Western being recognized as a top employer with industry leading customer satisfaction ratings. While I’ll miss our teams and the great work we’re doing, I am confident in Grant’s leadership to continue to build on our success.”
Kenny will continue his role as CEO until the end of the year, working closely with Grant to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
“We are optimistic about the future of Western. Grant's leadership, combined with the dedication and expertise of each one of our Western team members, positions us firmly for continued success,” said Evan. “We see immense opportunities ahead and are eager to embark on this next chapter together.”
Western Financial Group Inc.
Headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western Financial Group is a diversified insurance services company focused on creating security and peace of mind and has provided over one million Canadians with the proper protection for over 100 years. Western is committed to community service, customer service, innovation, growth, and people while providing personal and business insurance through our engaged team of over 2,400 people in over 200 communities, affiliates, and various connected channels.
Since the very beginning, supporting our local communities has guided everything we do - it’s who we are. In 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation (our non-profit charity) was created as a way for our team members to give back and positively impact the people and pride in the places where we live, work and play – to date we have invested over $9 million back into our communities.
Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Trimont Financial Ltd., a subsidiary of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. Visit https://westernfinancialgroup.ca for more.
Attachments
Nichola Petts Western Financial 4162006782 nichola.petts@westernfg.ca
