OAK HAMMOCK MARSH, MB, – Tina Osen, President of HUB International Canada and Nature Force founding partner is a champion of conservation and community. Her efforts and contributions, her consistency in going above and beyond, and her vision in introducing new ideas were instrumental to the foundation of the Nature Force, a unique partnership between Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and more than 16 leading Canadian property and casualty insurers.
In honour of everything she has achieved, and continues to achieve, DUC is proud to name Tina Osen the recipient of DUC’s 2024 Conservation Award of Distinction.
The Conservation Award of Distinction celebrates outstanding leadership and supporting conservation actions that have resulted in significant, positive environmental impacts across the country. DUC presented the award to Tina at the HUB Coastal 2024 Producer Summit, at the JW Marriottt Parq in Vancouver on February 7th.
As president of HUB Canada, Tina oversees operations in every province and territory that include all lines of insurance coverage and risk services. Her vision and support has united 16 of Canada’s top property and casualty insurance companies (and growing) to establish the Nature Force, an action-oriented climate resilience initiative designed to protect Canadians. Part of this unique partnership is the insurance industry’s unparalleled investment in natural infrastructure and watershed resiliency. The goal is to translate practical science and research into action to protect communities from impacts of climate change like flooding.
Through the Nature Force, DUC has been able to begin work on a number of pilot projects to evaluate and improve the flood attenuation functions of Canada’s near-urban and urban wetlands. As with any wetland restoration and conservation, further benefits include boosting biodiversity potential and uncovering opportunities for carbon storage.
“Nature Force wouldn’t exist without Tina Osen,” says William Jones, National Manager of Development for Ducks Unlimited Canada. “She brought together competitors and colleagues from the insurance industry to partner with DUC, in the pursuit of innovative solutions that build resilient communities.”
As DUC works to conserve and restore wetlands, and support natural infrastructure in communities across Canada, the outstanding leadership Tina has demonstrated across the insurance sector is turning into real-world impact.
“As a member of the insurance community, our mandate to help people recover and rebuild stronger from events like floods means that we’re on the front lines of climate change adaptation and mitigation,” said Osen. “That’s why I think the Nature Force is such an important initiative–using nature’s powers to protect people and conserve ecosystems not only makes our world healthier and more beautiful, but also makes financial sense. I’m so grateful for this recognition and would like to thank Ducks Unlimited Canada and all our insurance industry partners for their hard work and enthusiasm. I’m very excited to continue our work together as we grow the Nature Force.”
“Some people look at a problem and say ‘I wish someone would do something’,” says Roger d’Eschambault, President Ducks Unlimited Canada. “People like Tina step up and do something. This award exists to recognize that kind of passion and leadership. And no one deserves it more.”
In presenting this award, Ducks Unlimited Canada would like to thank Tina for her work and inspiring leadership to establish the Nature Force, and we look forward to growing the Nature Force’s impact with Tina in the years to come.
