Chris Hamel

National Senior Vice President, Public Sector+

I’m Chris Hamel, National Senior Vice President of the Public Sector+ practice group at Axis Insurance. I lead a team dedicated to serving Canada’s public sector – including municipalities, school boards, healthcare institutions, First Nations, and religious organizations – by delivering strategic insurance and risk solutions that help them navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence.

My career has been driven by a strong commitment to public service. I began as a lobbyist with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, advocating on key policy and regulatory issues. I later moved into senior roles with global brokerages, focusing on public sector accounts and alternative risk strategies. I hold CAIB and CRM designations and have led initiatives such as reciprocal insurance models for municipalities, education, and contagious disease – solutions that give clients more control over risk and deliver measurable, long-term savings.

At Axis, I design complex risk programs tailored to the unique needs of public entities across Canada. I bring deep expertise in pooling, reciprocals, and non-traditional risk financing, and regularly speak at national conferences and education associations across North America. I also work closely with organizations like ASBO International and support faith-based risk groups across the continent.

What drives me is helping clients turn risk into opportunity. Whether it’s enabling a municipality to take charge of its liability exposure or guiding a school board through cyber resilience planning, my goal is to empower organizations to make smart, strategic decisions that strengthen their operations and serve their communities.

Outside of work, I’m a former football player and coach with a lifelong passion for the CFL. I have a strong interest in foreign languages and can hold conversations in at least four. Roman history fascinates me, and I’ve explored ancient ruins across Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. As a devoted father of six amazing kids, I unwind with science fiction – both books and movies – and enjoy the outdoors through hiking, biking, and paddling as a longtime member of road and water clubs across North America. When traveling, you’ll often find me in museums, art galleries, or pilgrimage churches, immersed in culture and history.