There is “no idea too big or too small” for Erin Schryer, co-founder of Resurgo Insurance, a group home and auto insurance plan for active or retired military personnel and their families.
Launched in 2020 and run by Kent & White Insurance in New Brunswick, Resurgo Insurance exists for one reason: to better the lives of the military community. Its name stems from the Latin word resurgo, meaning ‘we rise again’.
This is a cause near and dear to Schryer, whose family has a rich military history. Her grandfather served in the Second World War, her father served for 37 years before retiring as a colonel in the Canadian army, and her brother is currently a snowbird in the air force.
While providing discounts on home and auto insurance to active or retired military personnel, Resurgo Insurance also supports Soldier On, a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) program, which contributes to the recovery of ill and injured CAF members and veterans by providing opportunities and resources through sport, recreational, and creative activities.
For Schryer, the work of Soldier On is extremely meaningful, and her experience with military family members struggling with operational stress injuries makes it very personal. She said: “Soldier On has done a lot for our family, and we wanted to do something big to give back. We didn’t just want to run a one-time fundraiser; we wanted it to be really integrated into our business.”
It was during a snowshoe hike in New Brunswick with her husband and business partner Brian Schryer, CEO of Kent & White Insurance, that the idea of Resurgo Insurance was born.
Brian Schryer reflected: “We wanted our organization to be purpose-driven. Military service and supporting veterans that have sacrificed so much was a purpose that was near and dear to our hearts. We had to figure out: How do we match that purpose of helping veterans with insurance? We discussed that for a while, and we came up with the idea of Resurgo Insurance.”
Resurgo Insurance donates 2.5% of all the premium dollars it collects to Soldier On. This has been very well-received by the military community, according to Marie-Josee Vautour, business development manager at Kent & White Insurance.
“There are other companies that sell insurance and group plans to military personnel, but they don’t give back to an organization like Soldier On,” said Vautour. “When military personnel call in to Resurgo Insurance, they’re excited to be recognized, and they’re pleased that we’re not only offering them a service at a discounted rate, but we’re also supporting Soldier On.”
Erin Schryer told Insurance Business she’d never come across a more tight-knit community than military personnel and their families. She added: “Military families are very happy to be doing things that support other military families … this has been a very fulfilling venture for me personally.”
Not all brokerages have the bandwidth or the freedom to set up brand-new companies to serve specific communities. According to Schryer, it was Kent & White’s independence that enabled the brokerage to make the “heartfelt decision” to launch Resurgo Insurance.
“When we look at the term community, we don’t always just define it as a geographical community; we define it as a group of like-minded people that in some way, shape, or form relate back to what we do,” she explained. “I think being small and independent really lets us do what we want to do within the communities we serve. There’s no idea too big, and there’s no idea too small. A lot of times, it’s just the heart of our team coming through in the decisions we make.”
Read Bethan Moorcraft’s full story HERE.