Beneva CEO: Climate Risk Drives Canada-Wide Diversification and AI-Accelerated Claims

Beneva CEO: Climate change driving diversification and AI adoption

Three consecutive years of record natural disasters have pushed Canadian insurers to rethink risk and operations. While 2025 has been calmer so far, Beneva president and CEO Jean-François Chalifoux expects both the frequency and severity of weather events to climb-and to keep pressure on pricing, capacity, and claims.

"Canada is relatively well positioned to tackle climate change," he said. "But we definitely expect the frequency and severity of weather-related events to go up in the coming years and decades, and it is also impacting our operations." For context on national trends, see the Government of Canada's climate assessments here and Insurance Bureau of Canada's catastrophe loss data here.

Diversify exposure, not exit markets

Unlike parts of the US where carriers are pulling back from wildfire and flood-prone regions, Canadian insurers are staying put. The strategy shift is about diversification, not withdrawal-spreading risk, expanding capacity, and upgrading systems.

For Beneva, its combination with Gore Mutual is central to that plan. Historically concentrated in Quebec, Beneva gains national reach through Gore's footprint, reducing concentration risk and improving surge capacity across regions.

The combined organization will have more than 6,100 employees, serve 3.8 million members and customers, and manage approximately CA$8 billion in total premiums and CA$27 billion in assets. The move positions the group as the seventh-largest insurer in Canada by total premium, the tenth-largest P&C insurer nationwide, and the third-largest P&C player in Quebec. "To be able to spread the risks nationally makes a lot of sense for us," Chalifoux said.

AI to speed catastrophe response

Technology is the other pillar. Beneva is accelerating the use of artificial intelligence to triage and process claims when disasters strike, helping shorten cycle times and reduce backlogs during surge events. "We're considering the importance of having sophisticated artificial intelligence tools to smooth the impact and expedite the claims processes when catastrophic events occur," Chalifoux noted.

Faster, data-driven claims free up adjusters for high-complexity files and get funds to customers sooner-critical during wildfire, flood, and windstorm seasons where volumes can spike overnight.

Containing health costs and supporting people

Affordability remains a priority, especially in group benefits where medical inflation has persisted for more than a decade and accelerated through the pandemic. Beneva is pushing a set of cost levers: mandatory transitions to biosimilars, agreements with pharmaceutical companies covering 100+ molecules, and tighter clinical governance through prior authorization and step therapy.

The insurer also invests in hands-on clinical support. A pharmaceutical team of 20+ professionals-pharmacists, nurses, and technicians-works directly with members managing chronic conditions, improving adherence and outcomes. Access to care is reinforced through workplace health services, telemedicine, and wellness programs to keep employees healthier and maintain productivity.

Smarter fraud detection

Fraud controls are moving from random audits to AI-driven targeting. Data models flag anomalies and suspicious patterns earlier, which improves recoveries and reduces unnecessary friction for legitimate claims.

What insurance leaders can do now

• Reduce concentration risk: diversify by geography and product line; stress test exposures at a regional level.
• Build surge-ready claims: deploy AI for intake, triage, severity scoring, and document intelligence; pre-contract independent adjuster networks.
• Tighten drug plan governance: biosimilar policies, prior authorization, step therapy, and performance-based pharma agreements.
• Invest in clinical programs: embed pharmacists and nurses for chronic condition support; track adherence and outcome metrics.
• Modernize fraud detection: move to data-driven triggers and continuous monitoring; align SIU capacity with model outputs.
• Strengthen reinsurance and capital plans: align CAT covers with updated hazard models and secondary peril trends.
• Standardize CAT playbooks: automate communications, FNOL routing, and vendor dispatch; rehearse before peak seasons.

Beneva's message is clear: stay in the market, spread the risk, and upgrade the operating model. Diversification and disciplined use of AI can stabilize loss volatility, speed recovery for customers, and keep benefits programs affordable.

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