Summit Commercial Insurance Solutions

We are thrilled to announce that Lauren Hartridge has joined Summit as a Sales Development Representative, based at Summit HQ in Kelowna! Lauren comes to us with a unique background that perfectly aligns with our mission at Summit.

She recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan with Distinction and a stellar 3.90 GPA. Her academic background gives her a deep understanding of human behavior, which she pairs with a calm, relationship-driven approach to client engagement

In her previous role at Crown & Thieves Winery, Lauren was recognized as a top three individual sales performer across five estates, exceeding in driving direct-to-consumer sales and wine club memberships. There, she quickly advanced to a Shift Lead role, where she managed daily operations and staff coordination in high-performance environments. Beyond her professional achievements, Lauren has spent time volunteering with Kelowna’s Gospel Mission, supporting community meal services and facility upkeep.

Lauren is passionate about understanding people and delivering thoughtful, personalized service. We are confident that her disciplined work ethic and growth-focused mindset will make her a fantastic asset to our sales team.

Most mid-market employers get the same thing from their benefits broker every year: a renewal, a rate, and a recommendation to either absorb the increase or pass it to employees.

That's not benefits consulting. That's rate-shopping.

Large employers get something different — and it's not just better pricing:
- Benchmarking against peers in their industry and size band
- Plan design analysis: what's driving the renewal, and which levers actually change it
- Claims and utilization review to find the cost drivers
- A multi-year strategy, not a once-a-year scramble

There's no reason a 60-person company should get less rigour than a 600-person one. The analysis is the same; only the economics of delivering it have changed.

Summit's Employee Benefits division brings that depth to mid-market employers — benchmarking, plan design, and renewal strategy that treats your benefits programme as something to manage, not just renew.

If your benefits renewal is a number and a shrug, you're not getting the full picture.

A kitchen fire can close one location for a week.

A ransomware attack can freeze every location at once — including the ones that never touched the breach.

Restaurant groups have quietly become one of the softest targets in commercial cyber. Here's why:
- Payment data everywhere. Every POS terminal and online order is card data in motion — and a magnet for POS malware and skimming.
- Loyalty programs = a PII goldmine. Names, emails, phone numbers, ordering habits. Valuable to you, more valuable to attackers.
- A sprawling vendor stack. Reservations, delivery, payroll, scheduling — each integration is a door, and you don't control the locks on all of them.
- Multi-location, uneven defences. One under-secured franchise can become the way in to the whole network.

The part operators underestimate isn't the breach itself, it's the business interruption. Systems down, doors closed, revenue gone across the group while you scramble to respond.

Cyber isn't an IT line item, it's a coverage and continuity question, and it deserves a strategy built around how your business actually runs, not a box ticked at renewal.

If you operate multiple locations, where does your cyber exposure actually sit today?

We are thrilled to announce that Mitchell Wasylnuk has joined Summit as our newest Commercial Account Manager.

Mitch's background in fast-paced hospitality, combined with his technical insurance expertise, makes him a perfect fit for our fast-growing team at Summit.

Why Mitchell chose Summit: Mitchell was looking for a more progressive work environment, one that truly aligned with his values. He is passionate about helping businesses find the right solutions to protect their operations as they grow, and he recognized that Summit is the best place to build his career while doing exactly that.

Please join us in giving Mitchell a warm welcome!

We are thrilled to welcome Chelsey St. Hilaire to Summit as an Account Associate! Chelsey joins us at a pivotal time as we deepen our investment in roles dedicated to top-tier client support.

Chelsey joins us with over six years of experience spanning both commercial and retail insurance lines. Most recently, she served as a Junior Programs Specialist in Toronto, where she managed diverse program accounts for national non-profits and franchises. Chelsey holds her RIBO, and Level 2 License certifications. She is known for her exceptional client service and her adaptive learner mindset, which allows her to navigate complex policy requirements and carrier portals with ease.

Welcome to the team, Chelsey! We’re excited to see the impact you'll have at Summit.