Axxima Principals

Axxima’s principals are Elena Cealaia, Sarah Chevalier, Ryan Durrell, Norma Ibbetson, Julie-Linda Laforce, Christopher Marley, and Carrie Green. Four of the principals, Norma, Julie-Linda, Ryan and Christopher have been working together for over 20 years. For vanity reasons, they’d rather not say exactly how long, as it makes them feel old. Elena joined the group in 2009, Sarah in 2013 and Carrie in 2021.

Elena Cealaia, CPA, CGA

CFO and Principal of Risk & Insurance Management Services

An accountant by training, accreditation, and in practice, Elena is Axxima’s CFO and also an active consultant delivering accounting services to Axxima clients.

Elena Cealaia as a CFO of Axxima manages the company's finances and is responsible for financial reporting. She is involved in setting and tracking financial goals, objectives, and budgets, assessing financial risks and opportunities.

Elena is also in charge of day-to-day finance and accounting activities for a number of large reciprocal insurance exchange programs. Elena performs monthly and quarterly general ledger accounts analysis and reconciliations, and is responsible for the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting to insurance regulators. Elena provides ongoing insurance accounting consulting and outsourced services to a variety of insurance and self-insurance entities.

Elena has more than 19 years of finance and accounting experience, including 10 years in the insurance field in the property and casualty area. Elena has a bachelor's degree in Accounting and CPA, CGA designation.

Send me an emailOffice: Toronto
Phone: 416.408.5343

Sarah Ashley Chevalier, FCIA, FCAS

Principal of Property & Casualty Actuarial Services

Sarah is a consulting actuary who is fond of numbers. She loves to tackle complex business challenges and is passionate about helping clients turn data into decisions.

Sarah advises clients in the areas of valuation, pricing, capital, and other actuarial and strategic analyses for various property, liability and agriculture programs provided by insurers, self-insured entities and reciprocals.

Sarah is active in the actuarial community and is currently the chair of the P&C Financial Reporting Committee of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. She also serves as chair of the Examination Committee of the Casualty Actuarial Society, which is responsible for the credentialing process for actuarial candidates specializing in P&C insurance.

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial mathematics from Concordia University. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.

Send me an emailOffice: Montreal
Phone: 450.646.2500 ext. 202

Ryan Durrell, B.Sc. (Hons)

CIO, Principal Broker and Principal of Risk & Insurance Management Services

Originally part of the actuarial team when he started out, Ryan has since moved to the insurance management side of the business as an insurance and reinsurance consultant. He is also the CIO for Axxima and the Principal Broker for Axxima’s insurance brokerage.

Ryan is Axxima’s Principal Broker, CIO and a Principal of the Risk and Insurance Management Services practice. Ryan has over 15 years of actuarial, general insurance, and risk management experience and operates in each of the actuarial, broking, underwriting, and management areas.

Ryan is responsible for delivering strategic consulting and management services to Axxima’s clients. In addition to ongoing insurance management functions such as insurance/reinsurance placements, Lloyd’s binding authority management, and claims analytics, he has been involved in many other projects, such as captive feasibility studies, reciprocal insurance exchange formation, affinity insurance program negotiation, and other risk management assignments.

Ryan has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from Trent University and is a registered Insurance Broker in all provinces.

Send me an emailOffice: Toronto
Phone: 416.408.5325

Carrie Green

COO, Principal of Risk & Insurance Management Services

Carrie was pretty much born and raised in a reciprocal insurance exchange. Now, she's applying her expertise across a variety of alternative risk transfer vehicles.

Carrie is Axxima’s COO. Carrie Green joined Axxima in 2021 to lend her extensive experience and expertise to the insurance management services practice area.

Carrie’s decades of reciprocal insurance exchange experience are focused on adding value to Axxima’s variety of large reciprocal insurance exchange programs, such as bringing innovation and fresh perspective to a variety of operational functions, and regular reporting and risk management activities. Carrie also provides ongoing insurance accounting and consulting support across a broad base of Axxima’s clients.

Carrie has more than 22 years of Reciprocal Insurance Exchange finance and operations experience, including insurance and reinsurance placement negotiation support in the property and casualty area. Carrie has a bachelor's degree from McMaster University, a Risk Analyst diploma from Sheridan College, and is a Risk and Insurance Management Society Fellow.

Send me an emailOffice: Toronto
Phone: 416.583.1489

Norma J. Ibbetson

Chair, Principal of Risk & Insurance Management Services

Norma is the queen of processes at Axxima. In addition to managing the claims team, she provides staff and project management. Befitting of her unique set of skills, she is Axxima’s Chair.

Norma is Axxima’s Chair and as such is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. She is also a consultant of the Risk insurance management services practice (RIMS) and has 30 years of experience in insurance management.

Norma is responsible for providing management services to a number of insurers and group insurance plans. Her responsibilities include the coordination of all aspects of the management, claims and administrative functions, including maintenance of claims and statistical records, policy and certificate issuance, premium billing and collection, and retention/direction of appropriate support staff.

Send me an emailOffice: Toronto
Phone: 416.408.5294

Julie-Linda Laforce, FCIA, FCAS, MAAA

CEO, Principal of Property & Casualty Actuarial Services

Julie-Linda is Axxima’s CEO and Principal of Property and Casualty Actuarial Services. It’s a wicked combination. As a consulting actuary, she is a leader in the self-insurance space, especially for reciprocal insurance exchanges. As our CEO, she routinely applies her understanding of business mechanics to make Axxima work like a well-oiled machine.

Julie-Linda is Axxima’s CEO and she also leads the Property & Casualty Actuarial Services practice. She has more than 20 years of combined experience in the actuarial valuation of policy liabilities, work of the appointed actuary, ratemaking, AgriInsurance certifications, self-insured retention analysis, affinity program consulting, reinsurance pricing and negotiations, modelling (“ORSA”), adequacy of capital studies (“FCT”) development of surplus policies and strategic consulting.

Julie-Linda has a bachelor degree in actuarial sciences from Laval University and is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. She is also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Send me an emailOffice: Montreal
Phone: 450.646.2500 ext. 200

Christopher Marley

Principal of Risk & Insurance Management Services

Chris is an underwriter in practice, and leaves much of his appetite for risk to activities outside the office through his pursuit of outdoor adventure. He loves to resolve challenges, and brings passion and dedication in helping clients meet their business goals.

Chris has over 17 years of experience working with members of the Axxima team, and is a seasoned underwriter and a licensed insurance broker. He provides services to a number of insurers and insurance programs, including underwriting, negotiating insurance/reinsurance placements, and insurance management functions. He is also responsible for the ongoing management of Axxima’s Binding Authorities.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University, a Chartered insurance Professional (CIP) designation, and is a Registered Insurance Broker.

Send me an emailOffice: Toronto
Phone: 416.408.5308