Property and casualty insurer Aviva Canada Inc. and Mills Brokers Insurance Solutions, both based in Toronto, have partnered with the Ivey Business School at Western University, London, Ont., to offer women in the insurance industry a scholarship to attend the Ivey Leadership Program.

The Women Creating Legacy in Insurance Scholarship Fund fund honours a leader in the insurance industry, Christie McKechnie (formerly Mills), who opened her own insurance brokerage in 1979 and went on to inspire women and men in the insurance sector.

As a tribute to her accomplishments, the scholarship is dedicated to promoting the advancement and leadership of women in insurance. Nominations are open to women aged 40 and under across Ontario who share McKechnie’s pursuit of excellence, commitment to innovation and dedication to putting customers at the heart of every decision.

Nominations are open until Oct. 2, for the November Leadership Program course. Nominations for the April 2018 program will be accepted in early 2018.

“[Christie] was successful because she built her business and her relationships around the principles of integrity and accountability. She grew the business and made all business decisions based on these principles and it earned her tremendous respect from peers, employees and clients,” says Amy Mills, daughter of Christie McKechnie and president of Mills Brokers Insurance Solutions, in a statement.

“We’re proud to honour Christie’s accomplishments in the insurance industry by offering other exceptional women the opportunity to advance their careers and create an extraordinary legacy,” adds Jason Storah, executive vice president, broker distribution of Aviva Canada. “Our hope is that these scholarship recipients will become ambassadors for the values of this award.”

To learn more about scholarship fund, click here.