Surety in the Age of Insolvency: Rethinking Our Role in Financial Distress

Sheila E. Thompson is the President of Rosenberg & Parker of Canada, Inc. With over 35 years’ experience as an underwriter and as a broker, she oversees client and surety relations and is responsible for the operations of Rosenberg & Parker of Canada, Inc.  She has written bonds for both publicly traded and privately held corporations in the construction, manufacturing, energy savings, technology, environmental and waste hauling industries, as well as for many other companies with bonding requirements.

Sheila’s prior experience includes Marsh & McLennan, Chateau Insurance Company, Morris & Mackenzie Inc., Hunter Keilty Muntz & Beatty and HKMB HUB.

In addition to being a past Director and Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction, Sheila is a member of the Toronto Construction Association (TCA), National Association of Surety Bond Producers, Construction Financial Management Association, The Risk and Insurance Management Society of Canada (RIMS Canada) as well as various construction associations. She is the past chair of the Surety Association of Canada’s Ontario and Education Committees and currently sits on the Ontario Committee. She is the only broker representative on the Canadian Construction Documents Committee’s Surety Subcommittee.

In 2016, Sheila became Chairperson for the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) International Committee.

Sheila graduated from Trinity College, University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Dennis is presently the National Director of Contract Surety for the Rosenberg and Parker Surety Agency. His career encompasses 30 plus years of surety company underwriting experience in both field and home office roles. Dennis has had direct underwriting involvement and responsibility for all types and ranges of surety clients on a national and international level. This includes extensive involvement with ENR Top 500 Contractors and Top 600 Specialty Firms, as well as small and emerging organizations. Significant experience has been gained working with complex surety programs and ownership transition challenges. 

Dennis began his career at St. Paul Fire and Marine, followed by senior level surety positions with Liberty Mutual Surety and Arch Capital Group. Territorial leadership positions were held with Arch Surety with rotations that ultimately encompassed the entire country. Just prior to joining Rosenberg and Parker, Dennis served as Chief Underwriting Officer for Contract Surety at Arch Capital Group, with responsibility for direct oversight of the national contractor surety team and portfolio. Dennis is a graduate of Villanova University where he majored in Finance, and later attended St. Joseph’s University obtaining a MBA degree with a Finance concentration.