Katherine Ionni appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Premier Group, a subsidiary of Co-operators
Guelph, ON – April 30, 2026 – Premier Group, a subsidiary of Co-operators, has named Katherine Ionni as its new President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Katherine will report to the Premier Group Board of Directors.
As President and COO, Katherine will focus on strengthening Premier’s market position, driving profitable growth and bottom-line performance.
“I’m excited to have Katherine join Premier and the extended Co-operators group of companies,” said Karen Higgins, Executive Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Co-operators, and Chair of the Premier Board. “She brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, deep industry relationships and enthusiastic people leadership. Katherine firmly believes in our co-operative principles, and I’m confident she will drive Premier forward.”
Katherine has 25 years of leadership across underwriting, portfolio management and product development in specialty, property, casualty and affinity lines, and previously held senior roles at Marsh Canada and Zurich Insurance Company Canada. Prior to joining Premier, Katherine served as SVP, Regional Operations & Distribution at Ecclesiastical Canada, where she led a national underwriting and broker distribution strategy focused on building retention, growth and service excellence.
“I am honoured to step into this role at Premier, an established and respected managing general agent in Canada,” said Katherine. “Premier is rooted in strong underwriting expertise, excellence in service and a broad product offering. I’m excited to contribute to this next chapter at Premier, building on its solid foundation as we invest in technology, people and relationships.”
About Premier Group
Established in 1989, Premier is one of the leading managing underwriters in Canada. Based in Vancouver, Premier has five office locations and more than 150 employees across Canada. Its extensive product offerings are distributed through 4,000 broker locations. These include marine insurance, professional liability, health and wellness, construction risks, specialty casualty, and specialty personal lines products. The group of companies includes Premier Marine Insurance Managers Group Inc. and Premier Canada Assurance Managers Ltd. For more information, please visit: premiergroup.ca.
About Co-operators
Proudly Canadian since 1945, Co-operators is a leading financial services co-operative, offering multi-line insurance and investment products, services, and personalized advice to help Canadians build their financial strength and security. With more than $79 billion in assets under administration, Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. Currently a carbon neutral organization, Co-operators is committed to net-zero emissions in its operations and investments by 2040, and 2050, respectively. Co-operators is recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and ranked as one of Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. For more information, please visit: www.cooperators.ca.