Toronto, August 6, 2026 – Northbridge Insurance is pleased to announce a series of senior leadership appointments to support continued growth across Canada.
Paul Gardner has been promoted to Chief Underwriting Officer. To this new appointment, Gardner brings a proven track record of leadership, a balanced approach to risk management and growth, and a strong commitment to supporting brokers and customers. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Underwriting and Risk Services, and has held a range of leadership positions across commercial underwriting and regional operations throughout his 20-year insurance career. “The work we do at Northbridge Insurance plays an important role in helping businesses manage uncertainty, protect what they’ve built, and pursue growth with confidence,” said Gardner. “By continually understanding the evolving needs of our customers and brokers, we can strengthen our offerings and create greater value while maintaining the disciplined underwriting approach that underpins long-term profitability. I look forward to continuing working with our award-winning underwriting team at Northbridge Insurance to deliver on this vision.”
Shari Dodsworth has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Commercial & Specialty Lines. Dodsworth is a highly respected insurance leader with strong commercial acumen, extensive experience leading multi‑line portfolios, and deep broker relationships. She most recently served as Senior Vice President, Commercial Lines, and led underwriting operations and broker experience strategies across Canada “I’ve had the opportunity to work across multiple lines of business and lead diverse underwriting teams throughout my career at Northbridge,” said Dodsworth. “This experience has given me a real understanding of our customers’ and broker partners’ diverse needs. I look forward to leveraging this understanding to further strengthen our capabilities in Commercial and Specialty Lines.”
Northbridge is also pleased to announce that Audra Thompson has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Ontario, Atlantic & Western Canada for Mid-Market and Small Business. In addition to this role, Thompson will also lead the Sales & Distribution teams for Ontario, Atlantic and Western Canada. Thompson brings to this role a proven ability to align teams to deliver business results. “A connected team is a strong team, and I look forward to bringing together teams across our regions and functions to deliver the best service for our mid-market and small business customers,” said Thompson. “By encouraging collaboration, and empowering our people, we can operate more effectively and deliver on our commitments to our customers and broker partners.”
Together, these leadership appointments position Northbridge to deepen its expertise, strengthen its broker partnerships, and continue helping businesses across Canada.
About Northbridge Insurance
Northbridge Insurance is a leading Canadian commercial insurer. Working with our broker partners, we aim to help businesses of all sizes. We use our in-depth industry expertise to help medium and large businesses operate more safely, so they can worry less and focus on opportunities. We also work to provide small businesses with insurance protection that’s responsive, simple, and flexible. Visit us at www.northbridgeinsurance.ca to learn more.
For further information, please contact:
Ellen Brait
Manager, Corporate Communications
Northbridge Insurance
[email protected]
