John Kuerbis has been a Cost Consultant with MBC Group since January 2020 and has a vibrant history leading up to his current position. In addition to running an Independent Adjusting Company in Fort McMurray for 18 years, he has performed international catastrophe work in Florida, Australia, and New Zealand. Reminiscing on his experiences in Florida during the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, he recalls what was like a post-apocalyptic scene, where driving into the city there was debris and garbage piled up to 30 feet high in the ditches. John considers it a privilege to be able to contribute to these catastrophic losses and work with people who had this massive tragedy happen. For him it is a surreal experience, being in a place away from home and helping these people put their lives back together while feeling the impact of these losses.

John believes that no matter where in the world, people are people, and continuing to meet people is one of his favorite aspects of the job. A big part of handling people is managing communication between all parties involved in a file. Ensuring everyone involved is on the same page and remains in the loop is a crucial part of moving a file along efficiently and reducing the friction that can occur when multiple parties are involved. His experience as an adjuster makes him a huge asset, being able to speak the language our clients speak when articulating what we do and the motivation behind it to eliminate any uncertainty and maintain trust.

John’s philosophy and his advice to anyone is to never stop learning. No matter what you do or your position in this world, there are always transferrable skills. Many people will stay in a job they don’t like because they don’t think they are capable of doing anything else. But if you are open to constructive criticism, if you can objectively look back on the things you have done and make every effort to refine your skills, you will continue to grow as an individual. Even at 55, John strives to keep learning and growing, avoiding being set in his ways. He is proud to say that even as an expert, he has found ways to improve his report compositions and approach to file reviews. Contributing to a big loss in a positive manner and being able to assist in smoothing the progression of a claim is an essential part of what we do at MBC Group.

His passionate and adventurous spirit extends beyond John’s professional life. As a father of 4, and grandfather of 2, he strives to maintain a good work-life balance, spending time with his family, as well as convening with the mountains. John has been extreme snowmobiling for 30 years, and still finds it exhilarating. For him it is amazing and humbling to see a part of the world at the top of some of these mountains, and to know less than 100,000 people have seen that view. And then going down the mountain at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour without being able to touch the brake. As John puts it, there on the hill, as well as in life, you have to trust in yourself and your abilities.

Kristjan Kristjansson began as an Appraiser with MBC Group in the Spring of 2018 and in just two years has stepped up to the position of Appraisal Manager for all of Alberta. Out of high school and for the ten years following, he began his career as a technician, going straight up the ladder to become a foreman and eventually moving to project management. Kristjan’s job performance is impressive, and his eagerness to constantly expand his knowledge and base of expertise is what makes him stand out in MBC Group’s management team.

For Kristjan, the success of a manager is determined through the success of the team. The appraisal team has doubled this year, and the most rewarding part is seeing that his team is properly trained, coming full circle to where those employees are now doing the training themselves. His team’s growth is what inspires him, and the domino effect of watching people come up to the plate and knock it out of the park with their job performance.

Kristjan would like to see people who are willing to learn and take on a challenge, join MBC Group’s team. It takes open-minded individuals who are willing to grow and adapt to have the kind of creative capacity that makes MBC Group stand out. The industries that MBC Group provides services for are always changing and every project is different, but the team is always willing to take on a challenge and approach each project with an open mind. They utilize their years of experience in related fields to come to a creative and comprehensive solution.

It is just this kind of team approach that leads to the success of MBC Group. Take the floods in Fort Mac earlier this year; Kristjan could not have been more impressed with the exceptional teamwork that took place. The team went in full force, all lines of business on the ground on day one and performed at their best, working together for a common goal, and combining their own opinions and expertise for the best outcome. Kristjan cannot wait to see catastrophe response flourish even more at MBC Group.

Kristjan looks forward to the growth opportunity not only for himself, but also the team he manages. His passion for raising the bar of what can be accomplished and never believing that anyone can ever know it all, is the kind of passion that is driving not only MBC Group’s consultants but also the innovation of the MBC Group on a wider scale. When Kristjan isn’t raising the bar at work, he raises the bar quite literally over his head. His passion for Competitive Olympic Weightlifting is a metaphor of the problems we all face day to day and lets him tackle them in a concrete way. The more weight he can lift (or carry on his shoulders), the greater he can be in life as well as the workplace. Great form, Kristjan!

Aujourd’hui, nous honorons et nous nous souvenons des victimes du massacre de l’École polytechnique, et de la Journée nationale de commémoration et d’action contre la violence faite aux femmes qui a été instituée à la suite de ce sombre événement de notre histoire. Cette tragédie a suscité une énergie empreinte de fierté et de l’importance de mettre en lumière les femmes en STIM partout au Canada. Nous avons saisi cette occasion pour rencontrer Laurice Eppers, l’une de nos ingénieures qui travaille dans notre bureau de Vancouver.

Laurice est originaire du nord de Chicago. Elle a obtenu un baccalauréat en architecture à Milwaukee en 1989 et a ensuite poursuivi un deuxième baccalauréat en génie civil, ainsi qu’une maîtrise en génie civil avec une spécialisation en ingénierie des structures. Entre ses études, elle a travaillé comme ingénieure à Chicago et a décidé plus tard qu’elle voulait s’installer sur la côte ouest, ce qui l’a amenée à Vancouver. Avec sa formation d’architecte, Laurice a le souci du détail et le don de visualiser les choses en trois dimensions et de traduire ces informations en documents bidimensionnels. La partie de son travail qu’elle préfère est la coordination avec les entrepreneurs et les architectes au début d’un projet ou pendant la phase de construction, ce qui lui permet de garder les dossiers à jour afin d’assurer qu’aucun élément ne soit oublié dans les documents de construction.

Lorsqu’on l’interroge sur son expérience en tant que femme dans l’industrie, Laurice répond que cela comporte des hauts et des bas et ne peut pas nier que, selon la personne à laquelle on a affaire, il se dégage une certaine hésitation à l’égard des femmes dans l’industrie en général. Malgré la hiérarchie évidente qui existe, elle se sent chanceuse d’avoir eu une expérience plutôt positive au cours de son parcours. Pour les filles ou les femmes qui se sentent intimidées, Laurice souhaite leur transmettre le message suivant: « Ne rendez pas les armes et ne laissez jamais personne vous décourager dans vos passions ou vos objectifs. »

Comme aujourd’hui est un jour non seulement de commémoration mais aussi d’action, joignez-vous à nous pour prendre le temps d’honorer le legs des victimes du 6 décembre 1989. Recherchez des organisations locales et nationales pour faire un don si vous êtes en mesure de le faire. Prenez le temps de vous renseigner pour trouver d’autres moyens de soutenir ces causes importantes ou découvrez les femmes qui ont ouvert la voie aux jeunes générations et qui préparent le terrain pour les générations à venir.

En apprendre davantage :

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/tragedie-de-polytechnique

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/dossier/26985/tuerie-polytechnique-25-ans

https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/gender_equality-egalite_des_genres/violence_against_women-violence_contre_femmes.aspx?lang=fra

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/collection/les-femmes-en-stim

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/fra/h_97413.html

https://femmesenstim.ingeniumcanada.org/

Faites un don :

https://www.canadahelps.org/fr/explore/charities/category/social-services/sub-category/violence-abuse/

https://scwist.ca/fr/get-involved/donate/

Today we honor and remember the victims of the École Polytechnique massacre, and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women that was established as a result. In the wake of this tragedy, there is an energy of pride and the importance of highlighting women in STEM across Canada. We took this opportunity to connect with Laurice Eppers, one of our female engineers located in our Vancouver Office.

Laurice is originally from north of Chicago. She graduated in Milwaukee with a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture in 1989 and later pursued a second Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, as well as a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Structural Engineering. Between her schooling she worked as an engineer in Chicago and later decided she wanted to move to the West Coast, which landed her in Vancouver. With her architectural background, Laurice is detail-oriented and has a strong eye for visualizing things three-dimensionally and translating that information to two-dimensional documents. Her favorite part of her job is coordinating with contractors and architects early on in a project or in the construction phase, helping keep things up to date so there are no loose ends in construction documents.

When asked about her experience as a woman in the industry, Laurice reflected that it can be a rollercoaster, and couldn’t deny that depending who you are dealing with, there is a certain energy of hesitation towards women in the broader industry. Despite the clear hierarchy that does exist, she feels lucky to have had a generally good experience in her time. For the girls or women out there who feel intimidated, Laurice has one message: “Stick to your guns and never let anyone deter you from your passions or goals.”

Since today is a day of not only remembrance but action, join us in taking some time to honor the legacy of the victims of December 6^th, 1989. Research local and national organizations to donate if you are able. Spend some time educating yourself to find out other ways to support these important causes or learn about women who have paved the way for younger generations and are paving the way for generations to come.

Learn:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/polytechnique-tragedy

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ecole-polytechnique-thirty-years-anti-feminist-1.5381510

https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/gender_equality-egalite_des_genres/violence_against_women-violence_contre_femmes.aspx?lang=eng

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/women-in-stem

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_97413.html

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/02/11/10-canadian-women-in-stem-fields.html

Donate:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/explore/charities/category/social-services/sub-category/violence-abuse/

https://scwist.ca/get-involved/donate/

MBC Group is a team with extensive experience and impressive skillsets that have evolved from their rich history and diverse experiences. Within its team in the Eastern provinces, there are consultants who have been with the company since before the rebranding to MBC Group, when it was Bourret Appraisal and Consulting. Marc Bourret, founder and Chief Executive Officer looks back to being a one-man operation, when he took the risk of going out on his own and starting a new company. He is proud of how far the company has come and how his efforts have evolved into a whole team of determined, dedicated, and experienced consultants who perform in accordance with the high standard that MBC Group’s clientele have come to rely on.

Marc is impressed by the relationship between the “old dogs” of MBC, as he calls them, and how they pass on their knowledge and expertise to the younger generation of MBC Group experts. It is the perfect recipe of energy and knowledge. Antoine Caron, MBC Group’s Vice President of Engineering, is a great example of the kind of energy that is propelling MBC Group. With the growth MBC Group is currently experiencing, Antoine looks forward to more opportunities to expand beyond the insurance industry and continue being involved in larger design projects. He is proud of the team that has developed and trusts in their abilities to champion the next stages of growth and innovation. MBC Group stands out amongst its competition because a project team can be tailored with consultants across Canada for the needs of the client and the demands of each specific project, while maintaining a fast turnaround time.

The members of this team are effectively trained and thus can be trusted with the confidence to operate on their own terms, using their unique and relevant expertise that each bring to their approach of a project. One of MBC Group’s Senior Cost Consultants, Sylvain Levesque, knows it will be his last job. Aside from the independence he is privileged to have because of the trust in his abilities, the job is also ever-changing. It is never the same house or situation, and he never tires of meeting and interacting with new people on a regular basis. Having been with the company for over 10 years, Sylvain is confident that clients trust MBC Group, and rely on individuals like Cost Consultants to perform the essential and efficient mediation required for losses that have created a lot of chaos in their lives.

The industry is evolving, and MBC Group is offering a fresh approach to a form that no longer works. Christian Deselliers, a Cost Consultant who started in March of 2019, has over 20 years of experience in disaster restoration, and he is confident MBC Group is offering exactly the kind of innovation needed to streamline loss management. If a consultant is on a file that they notice has a requirement for an Engineer or Environmental Consultant, or vice versa, MBC has an extensive and diverse team readily available, eliminating the cost and time associated with finding and scheduling required experts from external sources.

Hired just at the end of September, Luc Dumouchel – MBC Group’s new Director of Operations – is already impressed with the level of professionalism and knowledge of the team. He looks forward to maintaining the efficiency and core values of MBC Group’s operations, so it remains the reliable and trustworthy company while it continues to grow. Appraisal services may have been the main component for MBC Group in its inception, but the company has now expanded far beyond that. With Luc’s experience managing operations in different industries, he is confident this growth is an essential part of any business who hopes to stand out in today’s economy.

Across the board, MBC Group staff are excited to witness and be a part of MBC Group’s innovation and growth. To reiterate Marc Bourret’s beliefs, this is a team that share the ambition to stand out from the rest of the industry and consistently deliver high-quality services. MBC Group’s employees feel like they are part of something bigger. From the front desk administrative staff to the field staff and up to the executive team, everyone plays an important role at MBC Group. That passion for teamwork is extended to MBC Group’s clientele, in the work performance that MBC Group prides itself on.

To learn more about our services please visit our website at www.mbc-group.ca or call us toll-free at 1-800-547-0608.

[French translation to follow]

Le Groupe MBC est une équipe forte d’une vaste expérience et de compétences considérables qui ont évolué au fil de leur riche histoire et de leurs diverses expériences. L’équipe des provinces de l’Est comporte des experts-conseils qui font partie de l’entreprise depuis bien avant le changement de nom de l’entreprise à Groupe MBC, lorsqu’elle était encore Bourret Appraisal and Consulting. Marc Bourret, fondateur et PDG, se souvient de l’époque où il était à son compte et où il a pris le risque de se lancer seul dans la création d’une nouvelle entreprise. Il est fier du chemin parcouru par l’entreprise et de la manière dont ses efforts ont mené à toute une équipe d’experts-conseils déterminés, dévoués et chevronnés qui travaillent dans le respect des normes élevées sur lesquelles la clientèle du Groupe MBC a appris à compter.

Marc est impressionné par la relation entre les anciens de MBC et la façon dont ils transmettent leurs connaissances et leur expertise à la jeune génération d’experts du Groupe MBC. C’est la formule parfaite d’énergie et de connaissance. Antoine Caron, vice-président de l’ingénierie du Groupe MBC, est un excellent exemple du type d’énergie qui propulse le Groupe MBC. Avec la croissance que connaît actuellement le Groupe MBC, Antoine espère avoir d’autres occasions de s’étendre au-delà du secteur des assurances et de continuer à participer à des projets de conception de plus grande envergure. Il est fier de l’équipe qui s’est développée et a confiance en ses capacités à mener à bien les prochaines étapes de la croissance et de l’innovation. Le Groupe MBC se distingue de ses concurrents parce qu’une équipe de projet peut être constituée de consultants adaptés aux spécificités de chaque région du Canada pour répondre aux besoins du client et aux exigences de chaque projet spécifique, tout en maintenant un délai d’exécution rapide.

Les membres de cette équipe sont bien formés et on peut donc compter sur eux pour travailler sur la base de leur mandat, en utilisant leur expertise unique et pertinente que chacun apporte à son approche d’un projet. Sylvain Levesque, l’un des experts-conseils principaux en estimation de coûts du Groupe MBC, sait que ce sera son dernier emploi. En plus de l’indépendance qu’il a le privilège d’avoir en raison de la confiance en ses capacités, le travail est également en constante évolution. Ce n’est jamais la même maison ou la même situation, et il ne se lasse pas de rencontrer et d’interagir régulièrement avec de nouvelles personnes. Ayant travaillé pour la société pendant plus de 10 ans, Sylvain est convaincu que les clients font confiance au Groupe MBC, et comptent sur des professionnels comme les experts-conseils en estimation de coûts pour effectuer la médiation essentielle et efficace requise pour les sinistres qui ont créé beaucoup de chaos dans leur vie.

L’industrie évolue et le Groupe MBC propose une nouvelle approche pour une formule qui ne fonctionne plus. Christian Deselliers, un expert-conseil en estimation de coûts qui a rejoint l’entreprise en mars 2019, cumule plus de 20 ans d’expérience dans la restauration après sinistre, et il est convaincu que le Groupe MBC offre exactement le type d’innovation nécessaire pour rationaliser la gestion des sinistres. Si un expert-conseil travaille sur un dossier pour lequel il constate le besoin d’un ingénieur ou d’un conseiller en environnement, ou vice versa, MBC dispose d’une grande équipe diversifiée rapidement disponible, ce qui élimine les coûts et le temps associés à la recherche et à l’organisation des experts requis auprès de sources externes.

Engagé tout juste à la fin du mois de septembre, Luc Dumouchel – le nouveau directeur des opérations du Groupe MBC – est déjà impressionné par le niveau de professionnalisme et de connaissance de l’équipe. Il compte bien maintenir l’efficacité et les valeurs fondamentales des opérations du Groupe MBC, afin que l’entreprise demeure fiable et digne de confiance tout en poursuivant sa croissance. Les services d’évaluation ont peut-être été la principale composante du Groupe MBC à ses débuts, mais l’entreprise s’est maintenant étendue bien au-delà de ce domaine. Fort de son expérience dans la gestion d’opérations dans différentes industries, Luc est convaincu que cette croissance est un élément essentiel pour toute entreprise qui espère se démarquer dans l’économie actuelle.

Le personnel tout entier du Groupe MBC est ravi d’être témoin et de faire partie de l’innovation et de la croissance du Groupe MBC. Pour reprendre les convictions de Marc Bourret, il s’agit d’une équipe qui partage l’ambition de se démarquer du reste de l’industrie et de toujours fournir des services de grande qualité. Les employés du Groupe MBC ont le sentiment de faire partie de quelque chose de plus grand. Du personnel administratif à la réception, en passant par le personnel de terrain et jusqu’à l’équipe de direction, chacun joue un rôle important au sein du Groupe MBC. Cette passion pour le travail d’équipe s’étend à la clientèle du Groupe MBC et dans le rendement au travail dont le Groupe MBC est particulièrement fier.

Pour en savoir plus sur nos services, visitez notre site Web à www.mbc-group.ca ou appelez-nous sans frais au 1-800-547-0608.

Robin Abel started with MBC Group as our Chief Scientist in August and has hit the ground running in the last couple of weeks, stirring up new directions for MBC Group to grow. He came from the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory Service, an overarching unit which analyzed and identified trace evidence materials. There, his favourite kind of analysis was unknown substance identification – such as identifying whether white powder sent to an individual in the mail was a threat or just sugar from an angry person’s kitchen.

Robin has extensive experience in the scientific realm. He has worked in London developing radioactive medications to assist with chronic disease research, as well as with accelerant detection canines and identifying sensitivity targets for fire debris analysis. One of Robin’s more interesting projects involved analyzing the elemental distribution in 3500-year-old mummies’ teeth to determine how close they lived to the sea and for how long. It was his work with fire investigation and ignitable liquid analysis which led him to MBC Group, through the world of fire losses. Where his previous work involved identifying criminal activity in police cases, MBC Group identifies and characterizes the same materials and analyzes what they mean at a variety of scenes. Robin has joined the company with a vision of what fire analysis could be in Canada, something that has a lot of potential for national growth. This is the first of many visions Robin sees for MBC Group’s expansion into new territory.

There is nothing Robin won’t try if it is worthwhile. Even with his three children, he loves to do experiments and engage them in learning. Fancy lab equipment can be expensive and hard to find, so he often finds ways to duplicate the processes using repurposed equipment at home. With a frame and saran material filled with water, Robin and his kids formed a huge lens to concentrate the rays of the sun. They were able to explore how hot it could get, making some glass out of sand.

Robin has a passion for finding new questions that need answering and for providing answers that other people or organizations may not be interested in providing. And MBC Group, in his eyes, is the perfect place to do that. He believes that people should keep their eyes open and look for new opportunities and new ways of doing things. For him, it is easy when you are working in an area with regulations and legislated guidelines to get locked into them and continue on a prescribed path. But what if we look at opportunities to develop and generate the next standard procedure? Is there a better way of doing things going forward, and is there a way to convince the organizations who make the standards of that methodology?

We are excited to have Robin leading the charge for MBC Group’s newest venture: Research and Development. Robin is applying his experience and finding questions that MBC Group has the opportunity to explore and answer. His current project involves automation of certain lab processes. It isn’t about taking humans out of processes but taking repetitive or time-consuming tasks and letting a computer do them for humans. In his eyes, computers are getting better and better at learning. Robin would like to teach them to see what we see when analysing a sample and doing complicated interpretation tasks, so that it can speed up the slow phases and we can then step in to analyze those results and get involved at the most interesting stages. He is enthusiastic about what is to come, and how far MBC Group can expand and diversify. We are all on our toes to see where Robin can take us, and the questions and answers that he finds along the way.

Paul Brietzke, a Senior Appraisal Consultant, joined MBC Group in March of this year. With his years of experience as a Catastrophic Loss Project Manager for various restoration companies, as well as years in classrooms and the trades, have left him ready to apply his expertise in a new and challenging way. MBC Group prides itself in hiring consultants with a wide array of experience, much like Paul, who are trusted to give expert advice which comes from a strong foundation in experience.

The Appraisal division of MBC Group presents a wide array of projects, from reviewing project bids to making sense of the financials involved with a project and being involved at the ground level of an insurance loss. For Paul, a rewarding part of a project can often be connected to the individual experience of approaching each project with compassion and helping those impacted get back to normal as soon as possible. It can be an overwhelming experience for those affected clients, and Paul thrives in his role of making it simple and easy for those individuals as he gets to work managing the entire process and communicating with all parties, from insurance companies to contractors. Expertise like Paul’s, is required to manage every level of a catastrophe in the most streamlined and efficient manner possible; to take on a project that is messy in nature and produce a clean, presentable legal document that will provide clarity to the client.

For Paul, MBC Group represents the future of the industry – paving the way for how large losses are most effectively managed. Working at MBC Group is for individuals who want a change, something that will give them the ability to take on a diverse range of projects and continue to challenge them on a regular basis. MBC Group offers its consultants endless opportunity to take advantage of what they already know and have learned, and to think critically in their approach to loss management to find the best solutions for their client base. This is what drew Paul to MBC Group and what excites him the most about his role and future with the company.

When Paul isn’t rocking it as an appraiser, he does not mind “life behind bars” … that is the bars of his motorcycle Elizabeth, named for Elizabeth Bennet from ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’.

Paul, we look forward to seeing what you accomplish during your time at MBC Group!