Headquarters:

Vancouver, BC

Year founded:

2022

Number of employees:

Phone:

604 398 2399

Email:

admin@ascentinsurance.ca

Website:

ascentinsurance.ca

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/ascent-insurance-services-inc

John Glynn

President

Corwyn Amendt

President

Riyaad Ammantoola

Vice President, Market Development and Growth

Leadership

John Glynn started his career by working with two of the province’s largest insurance providers, gaining extensive experience in group benefits and client advisory. Over five years, he developed a deep understanding of client needs and recognized that a more personalized, unbiased approach would better serve them. This realization led him to become an independent advisor, allowing him to offer comprehensive, tailored insurance solutions across a broad range of providers.

President

John Glynn

Corwyn Amendt, president of Oliver Insurance Software, is a seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience modernizing group benefits administration. He has led major platform transformations and digital innovation across regulated environments. At Oliver, he drives a focused strategy to deliver scalable, user-centric solutions for unions, trust funds, employers, and members. Combining deep industry expertise with strong product vision, Amendt guides teams to improve operations while meeting strict compliance and data-integrity requirements. Known for his collaborative style and commitment to meaningful change, he is a respected leader in benefits technology and organizational transformation.

President

Corwyn Amendt

Riyaad Ammantoola is a transformative leader in the pensions and benefits industry, known for elevating service delivery, operational excellence, and member outcomes. With over 17 years of experience across major institutions in Canada, the US, and Europe, he has led award-winning teams through modernization, digital innovation, and service redesign. As vice president at Oliver, Ammantoola advances a people-first vision for benefits administration, integrating technology, human-centered design, and operational strategy. He holds designations in financial planning, retirement consulting, Lean Six Sigma, and change management, demonstrating his commitment to continuous improvement and exceptional client experience.

Vice President, Market Development and Growth

Riyaad Ammantoola

Ananda Rao Thudi

Senior Technical Strategist and Domain Expert

Rao Thudi is a veteran technology leader with over 30 years of experience advancing solutions in the pension, health, and welfare industry. Beginning his career in the early 1990s with a Master of Computer Applications, he spent several years in India’s software sector before moving to Canada in 1999. Since joining CDAT/Oliver that same year, Rao has been a key contributor to the organization’s evolution. Known for his analytical mindset and strength in functional and technical problem-solving, he brings deep expertise in data migration and a longstanding passion for building and enhancing Oliver’s products and capabilities.

Senior Technical Strategist and Domain Expert

Ananda Rao Thudi

Rob Fuller

Head of School (10-12)

Rob Fuller commenced as head of school (Years 10–12) in 2024. He joined Kingswood College from Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, where he was director of curriculum. He is a passionate teacher of politics, history and English and has held roles such as year level coordinator and curriculum leader across the middle and senior years. He is deeply committed to supporting students through their VCE journey and enhancing teacher practice. At Kingswood, Fuller has introduced improved subject selection processes, reimagined the Student Representative Council and strengthened student-centred initiatives that promote resilience, character and meaningful real-world learning experiences.

Head of School (10-12)

Rob Fuller

Tina Flyger

Head of People and Culture

Matthew Westwood-Hill

Chief Information Security Officer

Kathy Pallasis

Manager, Human Resources

Pam Chhabra

Manager – Residential Strata

Tina Flyger commenced as head of people and culture in 2024. With over 15 years of human resources experience, she believes people are the cornerstone of any organisation. She takes a collaborative approach, working closely with executives, managers and teams to shape and deliver effective strategy. She is a dynamic, approachable and highly experienced people and culture leader, with a background spanning both schools and industry. Flyger’s expertise is key to nurturing staff and students, strengthening relationships, and fostering a positive, forward-looking culture that supports the continued growth and success of the Kingswood College community.

Head of People and Culture

Tina Flyger

Matthew Westwood-Hill is a seasoned cyber security leader with over 20 years’ experience in digital forensics, incident response and information security. He has led teams at SBS, CyberCX, and Ernst & Young, managing major incidents and aligning security strategies with business goals. Westwood-Hill is known for his innovative, risk-reducing solutions and clear communication with executives and regulators. He drives awareness, compliance and resilience through training, policy and strategic planning. A frequent speaker and media contributor, he holds advanced qualifications in cyber security and digital forensics and is a recognised expert witness committed to continuous learning and emerging threat readiness.

Chief Information Security Officer

Matthew Westwood-Hill

Kathy Pallasis, manager, human resources at Frontier Software, leads HR strategy and operations from Melbourne. She oversees policy development, employee relations, and internal communications, working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams. Pallasis is known for her clear, responsive communication and collaborative approach. She manages employee records, supports strategic planning and coordinates workplace logistics. With experience in enterprise software, payroll systems and governance, Pallasis is a trusted resource for internal stakeholders. She holds a humanities degree, is a member of AHRI, and actively contributes to continuous improvement and inclusive workplace practices through policy and operational leadership.

Manager, Human Resources

Kathy Pallasis

Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

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“We don’t wait for issues to arise – we regularly review plans, highlight emerging risks or opportunities, and suggest improvements where appropriate”

John Glynn, Ascent Insurance Services

“In the group benefits space, we’re not just providing plans – we’re supporting employees’ health, financial security, and peace of mind”

John Glynn, Ascent Insurance Services

Client retention at Ascent is notably high, and the firm attributes this directly to its proactive engagement model. Rather than completing a plan setup and stepping back, Ascent maintains regular structured reviews and keeps a close watch on plan performance, emerging risks, and market changes. “We don’t wait for issues to arise – we regularly review plans, highlight emerging risks or opportunities, and suggest improvements where appropriate,” Glynn says. This combination of accessibility, responsiveness, and ongoing advisory is what makes Ascent’s client relationships long-standing rather than transactional. Looking ahead, Ascent’s ambitions are deliberate and grounded. The firm intends to deepen its advisory capability, invest further in client communication, and grow in a controlled, sustainable way that preserves the high-touch service model that defines it. “The aim is to expand in a controlled and sustainable way, bringing on the right clients and maintaining the high-touch, relationship-led service that defines our approach, rather than scaling for volume alone,” he explains.

IQumulate invests in education and people, which are vital to attracting new business and talent to the company. “We have long tenures for several of our key staff, including some in leadership positions, and this sound working knowledge of our business, practices and industry provides great insights and a wealth of experience to offer our clients,” says Bastow. “Our new head of sales, Graeme Gordon, formerly manager for New Zealand, joins us in Australia to drive our sales strategy and lead our team to successful outcomes for our clients and our business. We look forward to great things ahead with Graeme as he continues to be active and present in the New Zealand market as well as building sound working relationships and new connections in Australia.” Clients can also expect a lot from working with IQumulate. “Through active engagement with our trusted broker network, IQumulate provides relevant information, education and training content,” says Graeme Gordon, head of sales. “Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available and how IQumulate can spread the cost of insurance and help borrowers get the right level of insurance cover to free up their cash flow for other expenses or business growth opportunities. Premium funding is often considered a tool for those who simply cannot afford to pay their premiums in full. While this is certainly a significant driver for many, it is also successfully used by profitable companies who use premium funding to manage their cash flows more wisely or better manage their liquidity.”

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Benefits

Compensation

Culture

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Innovation

Reputation

Sustainable programs

Overall

Much of Ascent’s trajectory can be traced to Glynn’s influence. Combining strong relationship-building skills with operational discipline, he has set the tone for how the firm approaches both business development and service delivery. That philosophy has driven steady growth through referrals and long-term partnerships, and it underpins Ascent’s internal culture too. Glynn’s hands-on mentorship is central to team development, ensuring that every client interaction reflects a consistent standard of expertise and care. The most significant strategic shift of recent years has been a deliberate move away from standardized benefits toward highly customized, client-specific solutions. Ascent recognised early that even a well-structured plan fails if employees do not understand or engage with it. The firm responded by placing benefits education at the heart of its service model – simplifying communication, improving employee uptake, and helping clients see a measurable return on their investment. Ascent’s specialist strength lies in helping employers balance cost control with meaningful employee value. “We work closely with clients to align their benefits offering with their workforce profile, industry, and company culture,” Glynn says. That includes evaluating different carrier options, plan structures, and funding arrangements to identify the right fit.

For small and mid-sized businesses across Canada, navigating the complexities of group benefits can be daunting, especially without a dedicated in-house HR team. Ascent Insurance Services has built its reputation by stepping into precisely that gap, offering an advisory-led, relationship-first approach that transforms benefits from a corporate obligation into a genuine asset. Based in Vancouver, Ascent was founded on a simple but powerful conviction: that insurance should be personal. “In the group benefits space, we’re not just providing plans – we’re supporting employees’ health, financial security, and peace of mind,” says John Glynn, founder and president. That responsibility permeates every level of the organization, from how it recruits and trains its team to how it structures client engagements. Internally, collaboration is prized and expertise is shared freely. Externally, clients experience the same ethos: a partner that is transparent, approachable, and genuinely invested in their success.

Operators, not tourists Oliver is led by people who’ve lived inside the systems they’re building. CEO Gerald Cole sets the vision around usability, integration depth, and long-term leverage — where data and architecture compound in value over time. President Corwyn Amendt drives execution, ensuring the platform evolves in lockstep with operational reality. Vice president Riyaad Ammantoola brings a delivery-first mindset shaped by pensions, analytics, and service design, while senior technical strategist Rao Thudi anchors the platform with the deep systems expertise required to keep complex environments stable and scalable. This isn’t innovation theater. It’s applied systems thinking. From foundation to flywheel Over the past several years, Oliver has invested heavily in the fundamentals: API infrastructure, group billing, multi-plan administration, data integrity, and disciplined onboarding frameworks. That foundation now powers something more important — momentum. New clients go live faster. New capabilities layer in without destabilizing operations. New ideas move from concept to production without multi-year programs. The roadmap builds forward from there: expanded real-time capabilities in Oliver Connect, deeper API infrastructure, stronger support for pensions and multi-employer environments, and selective AI features focused on reducing administrative drag, not replacing human judgment. Consulting services continue to evolve alongside the platform, aligned to execution, not theory. A different definition of leadership Some companies lead with history. Others lead with promises. Oliver leads with architecture, execution, and results. We believe the next generation of insurance and benefits platforms won’t be defined by how long they’ve existed, but by how effectively they help organizations adapt, connect, and move forward in a complex world. That’s the work we’re here to do. And we’re just getting started.