Business & Financial Services

The presence of financial and insurance companies in the Waterloo Region has a long history, originating with the establishment of the Gore Mutual Insurance Company in 1839. Prominent financial and professional service firms are increasingly choosing the Waterloo Region as the location for their Southwestern Ontario headquarters, including The Bank of Montreal, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG, Stantec Engineering, Toronto Dominion Bank, and Rogers Wireless. Major law firms have made Waterloo part of their national network, including Gowlings, Miller Thomson, Borden Ladner Gervais and Bereskin & Parr. Often referred to as the “Hartford of the North”, the Waterloo Region is home to 12 major insurance operations, employing over 7,000 people. Companies with local presence include Sun Life Assurance of Canada, Manulife Financial, The Economical Life Insurance, Equitable Life Insurance, Waterloo Lutheran Life and Gore Mutual Insurance.

“Kitchener exceeded all key location criteria, the most important of which is an excellent supply of qualified Customer Support Specialists for arvato’s demanding Fortune 500 clients.” Peter Schmitz, President arvato Services, a division of Bertlesmann

The Region has emerged as a growing centre for business process outsourcing with sixty-five contact centres present in the Region. Major centres include: Arvato Services (Bertlesmann), iQor (formerly CBCL Outsourcing (IRMC)), Manulife Financial (Canadian operations), Nordia, IBM, Research In Motion, Rogers AT&T, World Access Canada and Sun Life Financial. A host of other telecommunications and shared solutions providers find the Waterloo Region has the skilled workforce and technical skills required to enhance real-time support centres. Ontario is home to more than half of Canada’s contact centres.

Resource Documents

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Ontario's Business Process Outcourcing Industry
Ontario's Contact Centre Industry