OUR STAFF – CORNERSTONE

We’re proud of our people. Individually, they’re Jedi Masters of their own particular disciplines. Together, they’re a crack team – the ones you call in when the regular troops can’t handle the mission.

Owen Corus – President, CEO

There’s over 75 years of insurance tradition wrapped up in Owen. His mom, dad, and granddad were all brokers before him. Since assuming full ownership in ’87, he’s mergered and acquisitioned and evolved the brokerage into the full-service, customer-based company it is today.

In that time, Owen’s role has changed from helping people to helping people help other people. His management style, however, hasn’t changed a bit. He still leads from the front, by example. He’d never ask someone to do something he wouldn’t do himself, when he makes you a promise or gives you his word, he always keeps it.

Email: Owen Corus

Karim Mouait – VP Business Development

If Cornerstone had an international man of mystery, it’d be Karim. He’s not only a world traveller, writer, and musician – he’s a martial arts expert besides. It makes you wonder: why isn’t this guy out saving the world?

Of course, if you asked him, he’d tell you he was – one policy at a time. Karim takes care of business (so to speak), as managing partner making sure our new clients are well looked after and that the brokerage runs smoothly on the operations side of things.

Email: Karim Mouait

Tanya McPeak –  Personal Lines Manager

Things have worked out very differently from what Tanya had imagined when she finished university. Her original plan was to continue on to law school, but her life played out in a different way. Now, she’s a proud mother with a healthy obsession for rescuing (and keeping) animals. Born and raised in Edmonton, Tanya’s held many different positions in a variety of industries. The one thing that ties all of her experience together – she loves helping people. This is also why Tanya enjoys working for Cornerstone. She loves how grateful her clients are when she’s able to save them money. Great customer experience is something that drives her.

Email: Tanya McPeak

James Rutherford – Commercial Account Manager

James grew up on a farm in small-town Saskatchewan before moving to Alberta to complete his post-secondary studies. Since then he has come a long way in becoming an expert in advising on how to best protect your business needs. A love of dogs and music means that you might spot him at the off-leash area, or one of our city’s live music venues playing guitars or supporting local and touring musicians. According to James, “the best thing about insurance is how every commercial establishment is different from every other one”.

Email: James Rutherford

Jim Schoonmaker – Commercial Account Manager

After a successful and rewarding career in alcohol beverage brand development and distribution, Jim decided that it was time to get a real job! Introduced to the Insurance Industry by a dear friend, he dove deep and never looked back. That was 16 years ago, and over that time Jim has worked his way through personal lines and eventually developed into the commercial insurance professional he is today.

Service, Service, Service, … it never gets old for Jim, he prides himself on timely professional insurance service solutions for all his clients. What a perfect fit at Cornerstone! A supportive team and room to stretch. Jim enjoys walking his dog, gaming with his grandchildren and living at his small lake house.

For Jim, Life truly is a Beach!

Email: Jim Schoonmaker

Wendy Kushnir – Commercial Broker Support

With 17 years of experience, Wendy can’t seem to get enough of insurance. Having briefly left the industry to try her hand in electrical work, she found that she couldn’t stay away for too long, making her return to insurance in 2017 when she joined the Cornerstone team.

Wendy loves spending time with her three adult children and has a passion for cars and the gym!

Email: Wendy Kushnir

Joyce Fung – Personal Insurance Specialist

It’s personal for Joyce. She’s been in the business for 30+ years, crafting insurance solutions that make sense. If something happened and you had to make a claim, Joyce would move heaven and earth to make things right. Helping people, and keeping them safe and happy – that’s the best part of her job. Outside of work, Joyce loves to collect things – stamps, postcards and even cookbooks! She can often be found in her kitchen trying to improve her cooking skills by recreating meals she has seen online or on tv.

Email: Joyce Fung

Laura Langille – Personal Insurance Specialist

Laura has been in the industry since 2008. She moved from Nova Scotia to broaden her life experiences and has enjoyed every minute. She started as a receptionist and progressed through hard work to her current position. Now she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Laura enjoys the level of responsibility of discussing and customizing the insurance needs of her clients. Outside of work she enjoys travelling and is Cornerstone’s ‘shoe’ aficionado.

Email: Laura Langille

Shania Woudstra – Personal Insurance Specialist

Shania grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba where she started off her working career at the family printing business. In 2015 she moved to Alberta to start some new adventures. These adventures include travelling around, making new friends, getting married and starting off her career in the Insurance world. Shania has always loved helping others and is always looking forward to meeting new people.

When Shania isn’t at work you can find her sitting around a campfire with friends, binge-watching her favourite TV show or just relaxing at home with her family.

Email: Shania Woudstra

Gerardo Rosales – Personal Insurance Specialist

Gerardo has been in the insurance industry since 2011 in various roles such as claims adjusting, underwriting and currently as a broker. He enjoys all the rewarding challenges that come from day-to-day life as a broker and is always staying up to date with current changes in the insurance industry to better service his clients.

When he is not working his regular job at Cornerstone, you can bet he is writing in his spare time. He has published his first novel and hopes to complete the trilogy in years to come.

Email: Gerardo Rosales

Ann Sulaiman – Personal Insurance Specialist

Starting in 2005 as a Life Insurance agent and becoming a Personal Line Specialist in 2016, Ann has always been a big believer in insurance products. She values offering this service and catering to her client’s needs to protect them and their families. Ann also has a passion for sewing and fashion design and used to own a Bridal store in Edmonton. Ann enjoys spending her time outside of work going on trips with her husband where they will rent a car and explore different cities.

Email: Ann Sulaiman

Tanya Jaeger – Personal Insurance Specialist

Before diving into personal lines insurance, Tanya Jaeger spent many years in management in the hospitality industry. Her experience, knack for problem solving and a genuine desire to help others is what made Cornerstone and the insurance industry the obvious choice for Tanya.

She is a lover of the outdoors, country music, and good food. When she’s not problem solving and helping her clients, you’ll likely find Tanya J. at the lake with all her favorite people, usually with a fishing rod in hand. She has even caught a 450 lb sturgeon… if you don’t believe her, she’s got the photos to prove it!

Email: Tanya Jaeger

Bridget Millen – Broker Underwriter

Bridget’s a keeper. She’s been with Cornerstone from almost the very beginning, and we’ve been exceptionally lucky to have her. She started as a service rep – helping clients, attending to their needs – and, right off the bat, she was a complete professional. Fast-forward two decades or so and now Bridget has a unique position: in-house underwriter for the Peace Hills policies. It’s a mountain of paper, and it’s her job to make sure that every form is correct, in every respect. When she’s not at her desk underwriting, Bridget enjoys painting, Zumba and gardening. She also has an undying love for all animals.

Email: Bridget Millen

Deborah Christensen – Receptionist

Deborah is very much a “people person” and truly believes that the first contact people have with Cornerstone Insurance should always be a positive one. Her years of teaching and positions involved with being that initial contact with customers have developed those skills.

Deborah loves to meet and assist people when she is not busy with her family activities. She enjoys sharing her love of Zumba, encouraging and assisting people of all ages and fitness levels to have fun while developing a healthier lifestyle.

Email: Deborah Christensen

David Corus – CFO

Following in his father’s footsteps, David decided to enter the insurance industry in 2014. It didn’t take long for him to join the family business at Cornerstone in 2016 and he enjoys learning something new about the business each day. Always a team player, David can be found playing Slo-Pitch or Ball Hockey in his free time. He has a degree in Psychology and has also received his Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation from the University of Alberta.

Email: David Corus

Gilles Wilvers – Certified Financial Planner ® – Abacus Wealth Management

Gilles spent a rewarding 25 year career helping people build their dream homes as the Manager of a top Home Improvement Retailer and then renewed his passion for helping people in his new career as a Financial Advisor. Now he gets to help clients build their financial future every day.

With a world of education and training since 2009, as well as a wealth of personal  insurance and financial products and strategies to help clients with all their financial goals and dreams, Gilles would be happy to meet with you to help you build and protect your financial future

Email: Gilles Wilvers

Kevin Corus – Creative Director

Cornerstone is in his blood so to speak; Kevin is the youngest son of owner Owen Corus. His career at Cornerstone began when he was just ten years old, working weekends to help clean the office. Now he handles the graphic design and marketing needs of the brokerage.

Kevin has a degree in Kinesiology and a diploma in Visual Communication. In his free time, you can find him playing basketball or drawing on his tablet.

Email: Kevin Corus