LMG Finance is one of Canada’s premier finance and insurance outsource companies, you may have heard of them, or seen their logo at one of the many events they sponsor annually. What you might not have known is that LMG Finance and co-owner Rob Williamson has a very close tie to Thompson Rivers University.
Williamson, TRU BBA (00) Alumni and former varsity hockey player, started the company in 2002 with partner Gerry Borden. They are a finance and insurance (F&I) outsource company, offering customized F&I solutions to hundreds of leisure and recreational vehicle dealerships across Canada. At the time of inception this niche offering aligned perfectly with the emerging technology and demographics of the area, allowing them to become and remain very successful over the years.
They started off small in 2002 but shortly after launching had a number of TRU alumni join the team, including Mike McPhee, who remains today as the Sr. Sales Manager, Brian Finch (03) and Dino Bernardo (01), now co-owner of the Commodore Grand Cafe and Lounge. Today, LMG employs 19 TRU Alumni of its 33 employees, all who come from a vast array of educational backgrounds such as business, arts, computer science, digital art and design and administration.
“We are very much a benefactor of TRU,” said Williamson. “We have been able to hire many of our employees from the University, as well as co-op students, international students and we gain many of our connections through TRU. Because we are an outsource company, all of our team members are very strong, and we can rely on the University to provide the skills necessary to be successful in business,” he said.
Not only does LMG employ a plethora of TRU Alumni, Williamson and some of his other employees take part in the TRU mentorship program as career mentors, as well as the School of Business and Economics Kickstart 101 programs and support various events around campus year round. Williamson also spent 4 years on the TRU Alumni & Friends board, just recently stepping down this June 2014. However, the foundation he has set for new board members is a solid one and he will be greatly missed.
Williamson says they plan to expand the company even further in the future, reaching into new markets and providing more business and employment opportunities.
Congratulations to Rob Williamson and LMG Finance, we wish you all the success in the future. Thanks for continually supporting Thompson Rivers University.
