Joel Baker has devoted his career to the insurance industry, gaining expertise as one of Canada’s leading authorities on insurance industry analytics.  

In 2004, he founded MSA Research Inc., the renowned analytical research and financial publishing firm entrusted to provide independent, accurate research and analysis to all those who have a stake in the Canadian insurance industry.  MSA Research Inc.’s clients include the overwhelming majority of Canada’s insurers, reinsurers, brokers, reinsurance brokerages, risk managers, industry associations, regulators, investment bankers and equity analysts.
 
Joel began his career in the insurance industry with the Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, now part of R&SA Canada.  In 1994, recognition of his analytical capabilities resulted in him being offered the position of General Manager with the Canadian rating agency, TRAC Insurance Services Ltd., which he led until 1999. When the company was acquired by A.M. Best, he led A.M. Best Canada for four more years, during which time he was heavily involved in the rating process of property and casualty insurers, as well as life insurance companies.

Joel’s depth of understanding of the Canadian insurance industry makes him frequently called upon to comment on industry results.  He is often quoted on his unique perspective of the industry.

It was Joel’s commitment to the industry that prompted him to create a forum in which all of Canada’s insurance leaders could unite to share ideas, insights and initiatives that would strengthen the country’s property and casualty insurance industry.  In 2007, he launched the National Insurance Conference of Canada (NICC), which has quickly become the Canadian P&C industry’s pre-eminent leadership forum. The highly anticipated sixth NICC will be held in Quebec City from September 30th – October 2nd, 2012.

A second conference focused solely on financial and actuarial issues confronting insurers was launched by MSA in 2010 – The Canadian Insurance Financial Forum (CIFF). The event will be held on May 24, 2012 in Toronto and is already scheduled for May 23, 2013, again in Toronto.

MSA is also the exclusive Canadian representative of the PCS-Canada Service. PCS-Canada is a catastrophe data collection and analysis service and is a unit of the Insurance Services Office (ISO).

Joel Baker is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP).  He has an M.Sc. in Statistics and Stochastic processes (1991) and a B.Sc. in Mathematics (1989). Joel is a member of CFA Institute, The International Insurance Society, The Toronto CFA Society, The Insurance Institute of Canada and The Canadian Insurance Accountants Association.