Resident Connor Chow has received two national awards for his work in the insurance and construction industries, with the latter accolade a first for someone from Moose Jaw.
International magazine Insurance Business and its national affiliate, Insurance Business Canada (IBC), recently announced that they had named Chow, 29, to their national “Rising Star” list of top under-35 insurance professionals in the country. The Moose Javian was one of roughly 50 individuals whom IBC recognized.
A second award Chow received recently was from On-Site Magazine and SitePartners, which named him — as part of its fourth annual competition — to their top 40 under 40 in Canadian Construction.
“It’s an incredible honour to be on a part of the (IBC) list, especially to be from Saskatchewan. The list encompasses all insurance professionals in the country, so for somebody in a niche industry like (Western) Surety, it’s an even greater honour,” Chow told the Moose Jaw Express.
“Being named to the list is recognition for leadership in the industry.”
A panel of insurance professionals under age 35 judged candidates for the Rising Star competition and looked at individuals’ current roles, achievements, career goals and contributions to the industry.
“From my understanding, I’m one of a few — if not one of the only — people that have received it in Saskatchewan, so it’s a great regional honour,” Chow said.
Western Surety is a national construction bonding company based in Regina and under the umbrella of The Hill Companies, he explained. It provides critical support for all commercial contractors in the Canadian construction industry.
Chow is the national manager of construction projects and solutions and is part of a claims management group, he explained. When projects are in trouble anywhere in Canada, he and his team look to remediate those problems or find solutions for stakeholders.
“I take over distressed construction projects and complete them on behalf of the original parties,” he stated. “It’s what (I’ve done) all day, every day … since 2017.”
The “vast majority” of contractors are doing well in completing their projects, while it’s only one per cent who require bailing out, Chow continued. Bonded contractors are “multiple times more likely” to do well than unbonded individuals; surety companies backstop the industry from experiencing major losses.
While the IBC award was great, Chow thought receiving the top 40 under 40 award was more significant because the age threshold was higher and because the construction industry is “extremely large and diverse” with roughly 1.7 million workers.
Moreover, he was one of a few people from Saskatchewan on the list and — most importantly — the first from Moose Jaw to be named.
“It’s truly an immense honour,” Chow said. “The construction industry is something I’ve contributed to for over a decade. I’m a little bit speechless … .
“Both awards are a testament to the strength of Western Surety and our presence across the country.”
The criteria for this latter award looked at individuals’ professional achievements, innovations, leadership, influence, business involvement and community leadership.
Honourees have included architects, contractors, designers, engineers, equipment operators, estimators, executives, Occupational Health & Safety managers, project managers, quantity surveyors, site supervisors, superintendents, tradespersons, and many more in the consulting, law, finance, and technology communities that support Canadian construction.
Chow added that while receiving both industry awards was great, acquiring them in the same year was even better.
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