Home // News // Iridium Welcomes Four New Partners

Iridium Welcomes Four New Partners

We are very pleased to announce that Andrew Barker, Brent Blasetti, Hristo Minkov and Shelly Swartout have been appointed Partners of Iridium Risk Services.

“Each of these individuals has made an outstanding contribution to the success of our clients and to the success of our firm overall,” said Roger Swierstra, President. “I welcome each of them into the Iridium partnership and wish them the very best in this important next step in their careers.”

Andy joined the Iridium team in 2010 upon graduating from the University of Calgary and works with a broad base of energy clients. Andy is also the Team Lead for a group of Risk Advisors, Risk Consultants and Risk Technicians at Iridium.

Brent has been with Iridium since its infancy in 2006. He manages a number of junior to senior energy clients and is active in Business Development planning and execution.

Hristo joined the Iridium team in the role of Risk Technician in 2010. Hristo works closely with an array of energy and technology clients. Hristo is also an active member of our Insurance and Client Service group.

Shelly started with Iridium in 2008 and is involved in both leadership and operational excellence roles. Shelly is the Team Lead for a group of Risk Advisors, Risk Consultants and Risk Technicians and is Iridium’s Training Coordinator. She also leads a number of account teams and is focused on oilfield service and exploration & production companies.

Please join us in congratulating Andy, Brent, Hristo and Shelly on this exciting milestone in their careers.

Iridium’s unique approach and in depth understanding for our business made for a thorough and seamless insurance placement. We can always rely on their guidance and exceptionally prompt responses. Iridium’s knowledge and strong service focus gives us confidence in knowing the job will get done right!

—Dave Hawkins, CA
Chief Executive Officer,
Groundforce geoDrilling Solutions Inc.

The team at Iridium understands our business and works tirelessly to get us the best coverage possible at the best rates possible. We appreciate that they stay connected to Seven Generations Energy throughout the year and provide consistently excellent customer service. We are thrilled to have Iridium as a valued partner in risk management.

—Kevin Johnston, CA
Vice President, Accounting & Controller,
Seven Generations Energy Ltd.

We engaged Iridium at the same time that we were completing a large asset acquisition and a corporate merger. In order to identify our exposures, the team at Iridium invested the time required to understand our existing business and the new acquisitions. In addition, they worked closely with our staff to compile the data requested by our insurance providers. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the exceptional level of service provided by Iridium and value them as a trusted business partner.

—Brent R, Bracken, CA
Sr. Vice President, Finance & CFO,
Caltex Resources Inc.

Pure is a company that has grown significantly both in size and complexity over the last 10 years and required a new perspective on its overall risk management approach. Through a detailed and in-depth review of our Company and our business, Iridium was quickly able to immediately add value to Pure by helping us develop and implement a comprehensive insurance program that ensured appropriate coverage on a cost effective basis. Our senior management has been very impressed with both the professionalism and responsiveness of the Iridium team as we have made the transition from our previous provider. We look forward to a strong and long term business partnership between Pure and Iridium as our business continues to grow.

—Geoffrey D. Krause, CA, CPA
Vice President and CFO,
Pure Technologies

We have an expectation at Enerplus for accuracy and timely service. We also require our Broker have legal & policy expertise and the technical resources to enable us to fully manage our portfolio of risk exposures. Iridium has not only delivered and exceeded our expectations in each category, they have also shown a commitment to my team and to our organization that goes far beyond the standard scope of services.

—Marley Drainville
Manager Risk Management,
Enerplus

When TransCanada Turbines aligned our business with Iridium, you were dealing with a group of TCT people with very limited exposure to the Risk/Insurance industry. Your ability to articulate insurance matters and jargon into clear terms enabled us to feel comfortable with all of our insurance and contractual decisions. Your team’s willingness to support our business for everything from education and transformational activities to our frequent questions regarding our transactional business dealing has been over the top. We will tell you that TransCanada Turbines would not hesitate to recommend Iridium to anyone. Your team service is excellent, your approach is transparent and your willingness to help is tireless. We look forward to a long and symbiotic relationship with the entire Iridium Team. Well done!

—Tim Wilcox
Vice President,
TransCanada Turbines

Iridium conducted an in-depth review and analysis of our company’s operations and risk management processes. It was an incredible value-add to our business and gave us insights as to how we could make our insurance program more effective, in addition to enhancing our overall risk management process. The team at Iridium was knowledgeable, detail oriented, and timely in responding to all our requests and requirements. There is no doubt in my mind that Iridium’s expertise enabled us to achieve favorable terms on our renewal while also helping to simplify and clarify some of the coverages. Their ability to explain complex coverage considerations and policy wordings provided us with a strong confidence level with their recommendations. Overall, we are very satisfied with Iridium’s service, which we feel is tailored to our business and we are confident our risk management needs are being addressed by the team.

—Shaun Gawryliuk, Chief Financial Officer, Terracon Geotechnique Ltd.

Read Testimonials