The management team at Fortress Insurance has decades of experience in the insurance and financial industries, ensuring credibility, stability and a solid network of independent insurance brokers and business partners.
Paul oversees a family office with investments as President at Tevir Capital Corp which has various businesses including insurance, media, entertainment and industrial companies. Mr. Rivett previously served as the President of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a global insurance holdings and value investing company, where he worked for nearly two decades. Mr. Rivett currently serves as Chair on the Boards of GreenFirst Forest Products and Chorus Aviation. Paul is also the CEO of Western Investment Company of Canada and CEO of Gold Reserve Ltd. and sits as a Director for both their Boards. He has previously been Chair of a number of notable Boards, including Chair of Torstar, Chair of Recipe Unlimited, Chair of VerticalScope, along with Vice-Chair of Fairfax Africa. Several other past Board roles include at PEAK Athletics (Bauer & Easton Sports), TeamSnap, Golf Town & Sporting Life, Dexterra, NorthStar Gaming, Arctic Gateway Group, AGT Foods, MEGA Brands, Resolute Forest Products, Canadian Press and The Brick. Mr. Rivett holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Toronto, a master’s degree in industrial relations from Queen’s University, and a Law Degree from Queen’s University. He is also a Canadian Securities Registered Portfolio Manager.
Shafeen has over 15 years of financial services experience, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions and capital raises, as well as risk management and actuarial consulting.
Shafeen was appointed President Fortress Insurance Company in 2019, then CEO in 2021, and is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the company. He also currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Western Investment Company of Canada where he is responsible for sourcing, executing and managing acquisitions for the company.
Prior to Western, Shafeen worked at UBS Securities Canada and CIBC World Markets in their investment banking departments.
Shafeen started his career at Towers Perrin where he conducted actuarial valuations, risk management reviews and assisted the investment manager due diligence and selection for pension plans and life insurance companies.
He completed his MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelors in Actuarial Science from Simon Fraser University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charter holder and an Associate from the Society of Actuaries.
Rosalva has over 15 years of experience in accounting and financial reporting. She started her career at Ernst & Young in the assurance and audit division. She has since held various accounting and financial reporting roles in several industries including transportation and logistics, hospitality, and food distribution services.
Rosalva is a problem-solver who strives to build high energy, positive and results-driven teams. She enjoys developing and mentoring staff and adapts quickly to change. She’s known for always finding the silver lining in any situation and building strong and positive relationships.
Rosalva is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and has a Bachelor of Accounting degree with a concentration of Finance.
Lisa has over 25 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry and has a proven track record of creating operational excellence and industry leading results.
She’s built considerable expertise in the areas of marketing, business development, operations, and property/casualty/auto underwriting. Her experience on both the broker side and company side of the industry, and in senior and progressive leadership roles, give her the unique ability to understand diverse objectives and challenges. By engaging thoughtfully and deliberately with both internal and external stakeholders, Lisa creates an environment where collaboration, understanding and critical thinking flourish. In this environment, strategy and solutions are best developed, and true partnership gains are realized.
Lisa is passionate about creating engaged, happy, and high functioning teams, and sharing her knowledge and experience to support personal and professional excellence.
She attended the University of Manitoba Bachelor of Education program and is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP). She has taught various courses for the Independent Brokers Association of Alberta, Manitoba, and The Insurance Institute of Canada.
Michael has over six years in accounting and auditing. He started his auditing career at Pricewaterhouse Coopers before transitioning to RSM Canada. During his public accounting career, Michael audited several public and private companies in the transportation, technology, aviation, retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries. Prior to working in public accounting, Michael was contracted to worked at the Canada Revenue Agency.
As he’s grown in his career, Michael has enjoyed being a coach and mentor to staff to help them progress in their careers. By looking for opportunities for efficiencies, Michael has built strong teams that are effective in meeting timelines while also adapting to changing financial reporting requirements. His relaxed demeanour and communication skills have helped him build lasting relationships.
Michael is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a concentration in Finance from the University of Calgary.
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