Our team

Justin is co-president and advisor at James, Hooykaas Insurance & Financial Group where he and his team specialize in business risk mitigation and holistic financial advice for their clients.

Justin has been with Co-operators since April 2010. He has been the owner of record at the Upper Middle Co-operators agency since 2014. In 2021, Justin James and Ryan Hooykaas partnered to form James, Hooykaas Insurance & Financial Group. A team of specialists is ready to assist clients with all their investment and insurance needs. After partnering, Justin and Ryan designed and built their 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art agency office.

Justin prides himself on being a professional in business insurance, as well as life, investments, and estate planning. He holds his PFA and MFA-P designations, which enable him to holistically approach his clients’ financial and insurance needs – from basic to complex risk mitigation and financial strategies – with a special focus on business clients of all sizes.

Since the passing of Justin’s brother Michael Nielsen, an honoured detective of the Peel Regional Police, Justin has raised funds in his brother’s name for Boots On The Ground, a charitable organization his brother held dear that supports the mental health and well-being of first responders.

Justin is committed to providing exceptional service to all his clients by building long-term relationships and remaining rooted in the agency’s core values of care, confidence and security.

Andrew joined our team after working in various financial roles over the past 10 years. After many years at one of Canada’s top financial firms, he decided to join us as an advisor and director of financial services. Andrew helps ensure our clients’ long-term success by creating and managing investment portfolios and assisting in the ongoing maintenance of accounts.

Andrew is Life licensed and has his Chartered Investment Management (CIM) designation obtained through the Canadian Securities Institute. He is passionate about continuous education and plans to obtain further financial designations through his studies.

Andrew is happy to answer questions or concerns about his clients’ policies in person or by phone, email, or virtual meeting.

Michael joined our team after more than a decade running two successful companies in Southern Ontario. Mike's primary role in the agency is to work collaboratively with Ryan in designing and implementing comprehensive financial plans for families and business owners.

As a new father, Mike has tremendous insight into a family's financial planning needs. Mike's entrepreneurial background also allows him to have a deep understanding of business owners' estate and financial planning needs.

Mike is available to connect with you in person, on the phone, through email, or by virtual meeting.

Ryan Ward joined James, Hooykaas Insurance & Financial Group in April of 2022. After spending 10 years in the construction field, Ryan decided to pursue his passion for working with people and shifted into a sales role with Audi Oakville where his hard work landed him among the top 10 representatives for Audi across Canada for four straight years.

When the pandemic occurred, Ryan wanted to focus more on his work-life balance and brought his talents and expertise to James, Hooykaas Insurance & Financial Group. Ryan’s experience working in the construction industry as both a drywall taper and project manager gives him an exceptional understanding of our business clients’ needs. His history of sales excellence demonstrates his dedication to going above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction.

Ryan is more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your policy in person, by phone, email or virtual meeting. 

Pat is a Certified Insurance Professional (CIP) specializing in business insurance with James, Hooykaas Insurance & Financial Group. With over 30 years of experience as a business underwriter, 16 of those years with Co-operators, Pat looks forward to providing solutions for all your business insurance needs. She also collaborates with clients to provide personalized advice for our Home and Auto insurance products and the best possible service available.

Pat is available to connect with you in person, on the phone, through email, or by virtual meeting.

Daniel is an Associate Insurance Advisor and business account manager on our team. Daniel understands that every business, person and situation is unique and is committing to developing tailored solutions for each risk and client.

Prior to his time at Co-operators, Daniel graduated from the University of Toronto with distinction. earning a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in criminology and sociolegal studies. During his time studying, Daniel worked as a part-time small engine mechanic at Home Depot and played for his campus hockey team.

When he’s not at the office, Daniel enjoys watching his favourite sports, working on his car and motorcycle, or hanging out with his fiancé and son. 

Harrison joined our team as office manager and is working toward joining our financial services team. Harrison previously worked for the Canada Revenue Agency as a Taxpayer Services Agent and as a Research and Policy Analyst for BioPolicy Innovations. His desire to grow and develop both personally and professionally led him to joining our team. Currently, he’s focused on updating his licensing and becoming a full-time member of our financial services team. Harrison is also licensed to handle home and auto insurance inquiries.

When Harrison is not at work, he can be found enjoying his favourite sports, spending time outdoors hiking and camping or going out with friends. He graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree with a double major in Criminal Justice & Public Policy and Political Science. Harrison is looking forward to continuing his professional career with us while furthering his education in the financial sphere.

Harrison is happy to discuss any questions or concerns regarding your policy or potential policy in person, by phone, email, or virtual meetings.

Sawyer is an Associate Insurance Advisor and business account manager with our team.

Sawyer joined Co-operators in 2020, after working for a major bank in the credit card department. Sawyer’s experience there involved investigating complex account issues, spotting potential fraudulent situations, and examining accounts to discover the root cause of problems. This provided him with important skills to function at a high level in our fast-paced environment without sacrificing client experience.

As well as handling two of our biggest residential business clients as account manager, Sawyer also fills the role of our billing specialist. He has a history of working with our clients during their times of need, often finding ways to help if there’s trouble making a payment or providing different billing options. He’s also able to discuss individualized solutions, as he understands each situation and client is unique.

Sawyer is a family man who loves spending time with his wife and daughter, a hockey player, and a digital art artist.

Sawyer is available to discuss any issue in person, by phone, email or video conference and encourages anyone to reach out if they have questions or concerns.