Meet the Square One team

A company is nothing without the team that runs it. Provided below are biographies for Square One’s leaders and directors.

		Aneel Mattu Director, Marketing Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Aneel led a team at a digital marketing agency focused on growing the online presence of its clients. Aneel has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management from Kwantlen University and the University of Calgary. As Director of Marketing, he leads a team responsible for the continued online growth of Square One through multiple different channels, which include SEM, content marketing, and strategic partnerships. Aneel currently holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Annie Zhang In-house Legal Counsel Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Annie served as corporate counsel for the Charlwood Pacific Group of companies, which include Century 21 Canada, Centum Financial Group, Real Property Management, and Uniglobe Travel. Annie has a law degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina. She currently holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC.
		Brad Rotto Claims Supervisor \| Square One Claims Email Brad brings over 25 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, including 15 years working almost exclusively on insurance-related property losses. He has extensive knowledge in all aspects of commercial and residential construction, including the BC Building Code, drainage systems, plumbing, and electrical. Brad currently holds a level 2 adjuster’s license in BC and is working towards obtaining a CIP designation.
		Ceri Morris Product + Underwriting Manager Email Prior to joining Square One, Ceri worked as Product Manager at BNP Paribas Bank. She brings in 20 years of insurance experience.
		Chris Bayly Senior Vice President + Chief Financial Officer Email \| LinkedIn Chris is an accomplished insurance professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services and insurance industries. Before co-founding Square One, Chris was a member of the management team at the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA). He led the association’s centralized analytics department, which provided critical support for strategy formulation and decision making. While at BCAA, Chris was instrumental in, among other things: business case development; merger and acquisition opportunities; underwriting and reinsurance management; product development and pricing; distribution initiatives; business process improvements; and, technology implementations and conversions. Chris also managed business planning and budgeting for BCAA’s insurance division. As a result, Chris has a deep understanding of insurance financials. Chris holds a Bachelor of Economics.
		Daniel Mirkovic President + CEO Email \| LinkedIn After 16 years in progressively senior positions in the insurance industry, Daniel co-founded Square One. The company is the only true online home insurance provider in North America. And, the company offers the only home insurance policy that can be personalized to the needs of individual customers. Prior to starting Square One, Daniel was vice president of the insurance and travel divisions at the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA). Under his leadership, BCAA was recognized by JD Power and Associates as having the highest in customer satisfaction among all home insurance providers in Canada. BCAA was also recognized for having one of the most profitable and successful insurance operations in Canada. Daniel has a bachelor of commerce and a master of business administration, both from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation and a general insurance level 3 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In addition, he also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Daniel is the nominee for our corporate agency license.
		Dejan Mirkovic Board Director Email Dejan is a successful entrepreneur who co-founded Cityfone Telecommunications, Canada’s first independent mobile virtual network operator. Cityfone operated several consumer facing wireless brands including; Cityfone™; Searsconnect™ Wireless (for Sears Canada); and, Talk & Save® Wireless (for RBC Financial). In July 2010, Rogers Wireless acquired Cityfone. Dejan is the President of Goose Insurance Services, a travel insurance provider. This BC-based company offers travel insurance across Canada through a mobile app that is available for Android and Apple devices. It serves customers across North America.
		Dennis Shum Accounting Manager Email Before joining Square One, Dennis worked at CloudMD as an Accounting Manager. Dennis is new to insurance but is looking forward to learning about the industry. He attended the Western School of Business with a focus on achieving his CPA.
		Devon McGuire Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Devon has worked in the insurance industry since 2007, starting her insurance career with a BC-based credit union. She joined Square One in 2012, bringing her insurance and customer service experience, as well as a broad knowledge base and a dedication to serving and meeting the needs of her clients. She is proud of the career that she has been able to develop at Square One, and to be able to participate in the company’s growth. Devon holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation, and a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta and Manitoba. She holds a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. Additionally, she holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Douglas Mathew Board Director Email Douglas recently retired as a Partner of Thorsteinssons LLP, Tax Lawyers, which is the largest law firm in Canada practicing solely in the area of taxation. His 25 years of practice concentrated on tax opinion work and civil tax litigation, including appellate-level advocacy at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. He appeared before the Tax Court of Canada and provincial and territorial Superior Courts. He also represented taxpayers in the appeal process with the Canada Revenue Agency and provincial tax authorities. In addition to acting as a board director for Square One, Doug is a Principal of Comat Mortgage Corporation, a private lending and investment company.
		Dustin Ludwig Call Centre Supervisor Email Prior to joining Square One in 2014, Dustin worked in store development for the corporate offices of a large supermarket chain and has also held management positions in the restaurant industry. Having grown with Square One over the years, he has been involved with many of the company’s program and service projects and expansions. This experience has helped Dustin develop attention to detail and professionalism. Dustin has completed the Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker program and currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Edd Clarke Software Development Manager Email Prior to joining Square One, Edd worked for an online proposal software company aimed at revolutionizing the way companies and individuals designed, tracked and sent proposals. He is excited to bring his technical knowledge and passion for working with companies that leverage technology to solve problems for customers they didn’t even know they had.
		Igor Stevanovic Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Prior to joining Square One, Igor worked for Kitsilano Insurance where he sold many different types of insurance, including home insurance. He has been in the insurance industry since 2008. Igor holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, he has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.
		Jas Sandhu Vice President, Sales Email \| LinkedIn Jas is Square One’s Vice President of Sales. and has worked in the insurance industry since 1996 and joined Square One in 2011. With broad experience in personal lines, Jas has focused on serving her home insurance customers for the past 12 years. She understands what customers need, delivering above and beyond. While at the British Columbia Automobile Association, she received a 92% customer service satisfaction rating. Jas has earned both her Canadian Insurance Professional designation and General Insurance Diploma. She holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Manitoba and a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. She also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, Jas qualifies for a general insurance license level 3.
		Jason Vander Zalm Senior Vice President + Chief Technology Officer Email \| LinkedIn Jason ensures that Square One is effectively harnessing the transformative power of technology. He is responsible for all software and web development, system administration, physical IT infrastructure, and relationships with technology-related vendors. He joins Square One with a strong track record in business requirements analysis, project management, and software development. Most recently, Jason spent four years at the British Columbia Automobile Association. While there, he was responsible for the feature prioritization, business analysis, and quality assurance of all of the company’s business facing systems. He was also involved in a multi-million dollar rewrite of the company’s policy management system and subsequent successful migration of more than a million policies. Jason previously led the account management and software development functions at a Toronto based IT consulting company. And, he gained his strong technical background during his time as a software engineer at companies like Nokia Mobile Phones and Infowave Software. Jason has a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Victoria and a master of business administration from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Jason holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Jody Barker-Leuthard Data Science Manager Email \| LinkedIn Jody joins the management team with a wealth of practical, technical, and leadership experience that he has been refining at Square One since 2015. Jody holds a Master of Science in Statistics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of British Columbia.
		Kristina Wheeler Director, Operations Email As Director of Operations, Kris is responsible for streamlining all our practices and processes to ensure our customers are served both effectively and efficiently. She leverages her more than 15 years of experience in personal lines insurance as an insurance agent, a sales manager, a business analyst and an underwriter at the British Columbia Automobile Association. Kris has a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation. She holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. She also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Rena Novotny Complex Loss Manager, Technical Specialist, and Claims Coach \| Square One Claims \| Canada Email \| LinkedIn After being a staff adjuster and junior examiner, Rena started her 23-year career as an independent adjuster where she specialized in complex property, liability and special risk loss. As a branch manager, Rena hired, trained, mentored and coached several adjusters. She continues part-time post graduate studies in neuro-psychology and traumatization, learning how both may impact the insured’s engagement on catastrophic claims. Rena has earned her MA (Conflict Analysis and Management), CRM and CIP. She also holds a level 3 adjuster’s license in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Additionally, she has her full adjuster’s license in Ontario.
		Sean Blair Claims Supervisor \| Square One Claims Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Sean worked as a restoration contractor for six years. Starting as a labourer, he progressed quickly into a Project Management role handling repairs for property damage insurance claims and assisting with catastrophe claims in Toronto and Nova Scotia. He transitioned into claims in 2017 as an independent adjuster with Payne, Travis & Associates in Abbotsford, BC. He currently holds a level 2 adjuster’s licence in BC and is pursuing his CIP designation.
		Scott McBride Board Chair Email Scott recently retired from his position as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Protection British Columbia. Previously, he served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the British Columbia Automobile Association. He brings nearly 30 years of experience as a business strategist and operations executive, including 14 years in the insurance industry, complemented by 11 years in the financial services industry.
		G. Sunny Dhiman Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Sunny brings passion and enthusiasm for excellent customer service and is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Square One, Sunny worked in the restaurant industry for over five years, including more than three years in a management position. Sunny currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, he is working towards his Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation. Sunny also holds a diploma in Accounting Management.
		Wendy McCracken Claims Manager \| Square One Claims Email Wendy comes to Square One with over 20 years of claims experience, having worked in the insurance industry since 2000. During her insurance career, Wendy has held various positions, including Unit Claims Manager, Field Adjuster and Senior Examiner. Wendy holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University, a Management Certificate from McGill University and is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP).
		Zeb Doherty-Wayne Call Centre Supervisor Email Zeb got his start in the industry with TD Insurance in 2019. As a first-year advisor, he achieved the top 1% of sales. Prior to his work in the insurance industry, Zeb filled various roles in the hospitality industry, eventually working his way to becoming the General Manager of a food service company. Zeb currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC and level 1 in Alberta and Manitoba. Additionally, He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.

		Aneel Mattu Director, Marketing Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Aneel led a team at a digital marketing agency focused on growing the online presence of its clients. Aneel has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management from Kwantlen University and the University of Calgary. As Director of Marketing, he leads a team responsible for the continued online growth of Square One through multiple different channels, which include SEM, content marketing, and strategic partnerships. Aneel currently holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Annie Zhang In-house Legal Counsel Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Annie served as corporate counsel for the Charlwood Pacific Group of companies, which include Century 21 Canada, Centum Financial Group, Real Property Management, and Uniglobe Travel. Annie has a law degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina. She currently holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC.
		Brad Rotto Claims Supervisor \| Square One Claims Email Brad brings over 25 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, including 15 years working almost exclusively on insurance-related property losses. He has extensive knowledge in all aspects of commercial and residential construction, including the BC Building Code, drainage systems, plumbing, and electrical. Brad currently holds a level 2 adjuster’s license in BC and is working towards obtaining a CIP designation.
		Ceri Morris Product + Underwriting Manager Email Prior to joining Square One, Ceri worked as Product Manager at BNP Paribas Bank. She brings in 20 years of insurance experience.
		Chris Bayly Senior Vice President + Chief Financial Officer Email \| LinkedIn Chris is an accomplished insurance professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services and insurance industries. Before co-founding Square One, Chris was a member of the management team at the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA). He led the association’s centralized analytics department, which provided critical support for strategy formulation and decision making. While at BCAA, Chris was instrumental in, among other things: business case development; merger and acquisition opportunities; underwriting and reinsurance management; product development and pricing; distribution initiatives; business process improvements; and, technology implementations and conversions. Chris also managed business planning and budgeting for BCAA’s insurance division. As a result, Chris has a deep understanding of insurance financials. Chris holds a Bachelor of Economics.
		Daniel Mirkovic President + CEO Email \| LinkedIn After 16 years in progressively senior positions in the insurance industry, Daniel co-founded Square One. The company is the only true online home insurance provider in North America. And, the company offers the only home insurance policy that can be personalized to the needs of individual customers. Prior to starting Square One, Daniel was vice president of the insurance and travel divisions at the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA). Under his leadership, BCAA was recognized by JD Power and Associates as having the highest in customer satisfaction among all home insurance providers in Canada. BCAA was also recognized for having one of the most profitable and successful insurance operations in Canada. Daniel has a bachelor of commerce and a master of business administration, both from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation and a general insurance level 3 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In addition, he also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Daniel is the nominee for our corporate agency license.
		Dejan Mirkovic Board Director Email Dejan is a successful entrepreneur who co-founded Cityfone Telecommunications, Canada’s first independent mobile virtual network operator. Cityfone operated several consumer facing wireless brands including; Cityfone™; Searsconnect™ Wireless (for Sears Canada); and, Talk & Save® Wireless (for RBC Financial). In July 2010, Rogers Wireless acquired Cityfone. Dejan is the President of Goose Insurance Services, a travel insurance provider. This BC-based company offers travel insurance across Canada through a mobile app that is available for Android and Apple devices. It serves customers across North America.
		Dennis Shum Accounting Manager Email Before joining Square One, Dennis worked at CloudMD as an Accounting Manager. Dennis is new to insurance but is looking forward to learning about the industry. He attended the Western School of Business with a focus on achieving his CPA.
		Devon McGuire Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Devon has worked in the insurance industry since 2007, starting her insurance career with a BC-based credit union. She joined Square One in 2012, bringing her insurance and customer service experience, as well as a broad knowledge base and a dedication to serving and meeting the needs of her clients. She is proud of the career that she has been able to develop at Square One, and to be able to participate in the company’s growth. Devon holds a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation, and a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta and Manitoba. She holds a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. Additionally, she holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Douglas Mathew Board Director Email Douglas recently retired as a Partner of Thorsteinssons LLP, Tax Lawyers, which is the largest law firm in Canada practicing solely in the area of taxation. His 25 years of practice concentrated on tax opinion work and civil tax litigation, including appellate-level advocacy at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. He appeared before the Tax Court of Canada and provincial and territorial Superior Courts. He also represented taxpayers in the appeal process with the Canada Revenue Agency and provincial tax authorities. In addition to acting as a board director for Square One, Doug is a Principal of Comat Mortgage Corporation, a private lending and investment company.
		Dustin Ludwig Call Centre Supervisor Email Prior to joining Square One in 2014, Dustin worked in store development for the corporate offices of a large supermarket chain and has also held management positions in the restaurant industry. Having grown with Square One over the years, he has been involved with many of the company’s program and service projects and expansions. This experience has helped Dustin develop attention to detail and professionalism. Dustin has completed the Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker program and currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Edd Clarke Software Development Manager Email Prior to joining Square One, Edd worked for an online proposal software company aimed at revolutionizing the way companies and individuals designed, tracked and sent proposals. He is excited to bring his technical knowledge and passion for working with companies that leverage technology to solve problems for customers they didn’t even know they had.
		Igor Stevanovic Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Prior to joining Square One, Igor worked for Kitsilano Insurance where he sold many different types of insurance, including home insurance. He has been in the insurance industry since 2008. Igor holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, he has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.
		Jas Sandhu Vice President, Sales Email \| LinkedIn Jas is Square One’s Vice President of Sales. and has worked in the insurance industry since 1996 and joined Square One in 2011. With broad experience in personal lines, Jas has focused on serving her home insurance customers for the past 12 years. She understands what customers need, delivering above and beyond. While at the British Columbia Automobile Association, she received a 92% customer service satisfaction rating. Jas has earned both her Canadian Insurance Professional designation and General Insurance Diploma. She holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Manitoba and a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. She also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, Jas qualifies for a general insurance license level 3.
		Jason Vander Zalm Senior Vice President + Chief Technology Officer Email \| LinkedIn Jason ensures that Square One is effectively harnessing the transformative power of technology. He is responsible for all software and web development, system administration, physical IT infrastructure, and relationships with technology-related vendors. He joins Square One with a strong track record in business requirements analysis, project management, and software development. Most recently, Jason spent four years at the British Columbia Automobile Association. While there, he was responsible for the feature prioritization, business analysis, and quality assurance of all of the company’s business facing systems. He was also involved in a multi-million dollar rewrite of the company’s policy management system and subsequent successful migration of more than a million policies. Jason previously led the account management and software development functions at a Toronto based IT consulting company. And, he gained his strong technical background during his time as a software engineer at companies like Nokia Mobile Phones and Infowave Software. Jason has a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Victoria and a master of business administration from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Jason holds a general insurance level 1 license in BC. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Jody Barker-Leuthard Data Science Manager Email \| LinkedIn Jody joins the management team with a wealth of practical, technical, and leadership experience that he has been refining at Square One since 2015. Jody holds a Master of Science in Statistics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of British Columbia.
		Kristina Wheeler Director, Operations Email As Director of Operations, Kris is responsible for streamlining all our practices and processes to ensure our customers are served both effectively and efficiently. She leverages her more than 15 years of experience in personal lines insurance as an insurance agent, a sales manager, a business analyst and an underwriter at the British Columbia Automobile Association. Kris has a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation. She holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and a general insurance level 3 license in Saskatchewan. She also holds an OTL license in Ontario.
		Rena Novotny Complex Loss Manager, Technical Specialist, and Claims Coach \| Square One Claims \| Canada Email \| LinkedIn After being a staff adjuster and junior examiner, Rena started her 23-year career as an independent adjuster where she specialized in complex property, liability and special risk loss. As a branch manager, Rena hired, trained, mentored and coached several adjusters. She continues part-time post graduate studies in neuro-psychology and traumatization, learning how both may impact the insured’s engagement on catastrophic claims. Rena has earned her MA (Conflict Analysis and Management), CRM and CIP. She also holds a level 3 adjuster’s license in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Additionally, she has her full adjuster’s license in Ontario.
		Sean Blair Claims Supervisor \| Square One Claims Email \| LinkedIn Before joining Square One, Sean worked as a restoration contractor for six years. Starting as a labourer, he progressed quickly into a Project Management role handling repairs for property damage insurance claims and assisting with catastrophe claims in Toronto and Nova Scotia. He transitioned into claims in 2017 as an independent adjuster with Payne, Travis & Associates in Abbotsford, BC. He currently holds a level 2 adjuster’s licence in BC and is pursuing his CIP designation.
		Scott McBride Board Chair Email Scott recently retired from his position as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Protection British Columbia. Previously, he served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the British Columbia Automobile Association. He brings nearly 30 years of experience as a business strategist and operations executive, including 14 years in the insurance industry, complemented by 11 years in the financial services industry.
		G. Sunny Dhiman Call Centre Manager Email \| LinkedIn Sunny brings passion and enthusiasm for excellent customer service and is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Square One, Sunny worked in the restaurant industry for over five years, including more than three years in a management position. Sunny currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He also holds an OTL license in Ontario. Additionally, he is working towards his Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker designation. Sunny also holds a diploma in Accounting Management.
		Wendy McCracken Claims Manager \| Square One Claims Email Wendy comes to Square One with over 20 years of claims experience, having worked in the insurance industry since 2000. During her insurance career, Wendy has held various positions, including Unit Claims Manager, Field Adjuster and Senior Examiner. Wendy holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University, a Management Certificate from McGill University and is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP).
		Zeb Doherty-Wayne Call Centre Supervisor Email Zeb got his start in the industry with TD Insurance in 2019. As a first-year advisor, he achieved the top 1% of sales. Prior to his work in the insurance industry, Zeb filled various roles in the hospitality industry, eventually working his way to becoming the General Manager of a food service company. Zeb currently holds a general insurance level 2 license in BC and level 1 in Alberta and Manitoba. Additionally, He also holds an OTL license in Ontario.

Meet the Square One team

Aneel Mattu

Annie Zhang

Brad Rotto

Ceri Morris

Chris Bayly

Daniel Mirkovic

Dejan Mirkovic

Dennis Shum

Devon McGuire

Douglas Mathew

Dustin Ludwig

Edd Clarke

Igor Stevanovic

Jas Sandhu

Jason Vander Zalm

Jody Barker-Leuthard

Kristina Wheeler

Rena Novotny

Sean Blair

Scott McBride

G. Sunny Dhiman

Wendy McCracken

Zeb Doherty-Wayne