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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-K

Commission file number 1-31310

HUB INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes x     No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.     x

Indicate by check mark whether registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).     Yes x          No o

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (i.e., other than directors, officers, or holders of more than 5% of the registrant’s common stock although such exclusion is not intended, nor shall it be deemed, to be an admission that such persons are affiliates of the registrant) computed by reference to the closing sales price on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2003 was $299,261,012.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, issued and outstanding as of March 3, 2004 was 30,299,170.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Those sections or portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A (the “2004 Proxy Statement”) involving the election of directors and other matters at the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the registrant to be held on May 11, 2004, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.

HUB INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Hub”, “we”, “us”, “our” and the “registrant” refer to Hub International Limited and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly stated. We publish our consolidated financial statements in U.S. dollars. All reference in this report to “dollars” or “$” refer to U.S. dollars and all reference to “Canadian dollars” and “C$” refer to Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted. Except as otherwise indicated, all financial statements and financial data contained in this Annual Report on From 10-K have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada, or Canadian GAAP, which differs in certain respects from generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. Please see note 18 to our audited consolidated financial statements for a description of the material differences between Canadian GAAP and U.S. GAAP.

Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This Form 10-K includes, and from time to time management may make, forward-looking statements which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to our plans and objectives for future operations. These forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. These uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to risks associated with:

•	implementing our business strategies;
•	identifying and consummating acquisitions;
•	successfully integrating acquired businesses;
•	attaining greater market share;
•	developing and implementing effective information technology systems;
•	recruiting and retaining qualified employees;
•	fluctuations in the demand for insurance products;
•	fluctuations in the premiums charged by insurance companies (with corresponding fluctuations in our premium-based revenue);
•	any loss of services of key executive officers;
•	industry consolidation;
•	increased competition in the industry;
•	the passage of new federal, state or provincial legislation subjecting our business to increased regulation in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “expect,” “intend,” “will likely result” or “will continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

We are a leading North American insurance brokerage providing a broad array of property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services. We focus primarily on middle-market commercial accounts in the United States and Canada, which we serve through our approximately 2,500 employees in more than 150 locations, using a variety of retail and wholesale distribution channels. We define the middle market as those clients with 20 to 1,500 employees, which typically generate annual commissions and fees ranging from $2,500 to $250,000. Since our company was formed in 1998 through the merger of 11 Canadian insurance brokerages, we have acquired an additional 95 brokerages and have established a strong presence in the northeastern, midwestern and western United States and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Through a combination of acquiring quality brokerages with proven track records and organic growth, we have grown our revenue from $38.7 million in 1998 to $286.4 million in 2003, of which 78% of the increase is attributable to acquisitions.

We operate through an organizational structure comprised of our head office, larger regional brokerages that we call “hub” brokerages and smaller brokerages that we call “fold-ins.” Our head office oversees the acquisition of hub brokerages, coordinates selling and marketing efforts, identifies cross-selling opportunities among our brokerages, negotiates significant contracts with insurers and handles certain general administrative functions. We have 10 hub brokerages, five operating in the United States and five in Canada. Each hub brokerage has a significant market presence in a geographic region of the United States or Canada. Each hub provides insurance brokerage services and is responsible for integrating the fold-in acquisitions in its region.

We have traditionally operated our hub brokerages in a decentralized manner so they may more effectively address their local market conditions. A hub brokerage is responsible not only for the development of its own business, but also the identification of fold-ins that can be acquired by and integrated into the operations of the hub brokerage. This process allows each hub brokerage an opportunity to strengthen its regional market presence by acquiring new or complementary products and services and management talent and improve profit margins through the reduction or elimination of redundant administrative functions, premises and systems. Our structure enables our hub brokerages to more effectively and quickly meet the changing needs of our clients in various markets, while benefiting from the operating efficiencies and leverage of a large brokerage. As we continue to grow, however, it is likely that added investment will be made to coordinate more functions from our head office to enhance the potential for cross-selling, international coordination, marketing efficiency, total expense management and financial controls.

Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports will be made available free of charge through the Investor Relations section of our Internet website (http://www.hubinternational.com) as soon as practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Our products and services

We offer commercial and specialized insurance products and services to businesses, personal insurance products and services to individuals and program products to affinity groups and associations. We offer three categories of commercial products and services: property and casualty products, employee benefits and risk management services. We offer two categories of personal products and services: property and casualty products and life, health and financial products and services. Our program products involve the development, in collaboration with insurance companies, of baskets of insurance products for members of affinity groups or associations, such as lawyers’ associations, medical associations and other professional groups. Our specialized risk products cover diverse exposures such as environmental, professional liability and directors’ and officers’ liability.

Our business is compromised of two geographic segments, the United States and Canada. The mix of products and services we offer in the United States differs from those we offer in Canada. Our product mix in the United States is comprised of more commercial line products and services as compared with more personal line products and

The chart below lists a selection of our commercial and personal insurance products and services.

Commercial insurance

Personal insurance

Strategy

Our primary goals are to further develop our position as a leading North American insurance brokerage and to generate significant sustained shareholder value. We plan to achieve these objectives by executing the following strategies:

Focus on middle-market commercial accounts. We focus our sales efforts on middle-market companies. We believe that the insurance and risk management needs of these companies are underserved because many of the brokers that target them have limited capital resources and lack the breadth of products and services that we are able to offer due to our scale and strong insurer relationships. We primarily target commercial accounts because they generally generate higher profit margins than personal accounts. Commercial accounts also provide us with the opportunity to sell personal insurance products and employee benefits to the employees of those businesses.

Grow organically. We intend to increase profitability per customer and attract new clients by leveraging our existing infrastructure to sell a broad range of products and services through the efficient use of a variety of distribution channels, effectively and efficiently identify and target profitable client segments by employing technology to capitalize on our extensive customer databases, and maximize cross-selling opportunities among our brokerages.

Grow through selected acquisitions. The introduction of new brokerages through acquisitions is a fundamental component of our strategy. We have acquired an additional 95 brokerages since our formation in 1998. We acquire brokerages to grow our revenue, complement and supplement our existing products and services and add experienced management. In addition, acquisitions of larger brokerages allow us to further expand our hub platform and geographic footprint. We believe that we are well positioned to compete for quality brokerages and that our proven success in consolidating brokerages in the past will make us attractive to regional brokerages seeking to join with and share in the resources of a larger North American brokerage.

Standardize procedures to increase operating efficiency and reduce costs. We strive to implement the best operating and sales practices of our brokerages across our company. We provide centralized marketing support to our brokers for many specialized risk programs and group home and auto plans and we integrate promotional programs, internet technology, procurement and risk management across our brokerage offices. Our brokerages share certain systems, such as accounting and payroll processing, which reduce redundancies and increase operating efficiencies. In addition, we continue to implement a comprehensive quality control program and a standardized approach to our sales and marketing efforts across our brokerages.

Recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. We have formalized our recruiting and training program to continue to build and sustain a sales and service team with a wide variety of experience and capabilities. We recruit directly from college campuses and other industries and provide new employees with effective training and attractive compensation packages. In addition, we are developing a company-wide sales culture by promoting the techniques and results of our most successful producers through regular newsletters, sales meetings, sales tracking, awards, recognition programs and training. We have implemented Hub Academy which is a formal program designed to provide educational and training opportunities to our employees who want to advance their professional skill sets. Programs such as the new producer training program are designed to groom selected candidates to be successful producers within our company. Participants spend several weeks learning about the insurance industry, our company, quality standards, products and services and leading sales techniques from our leading producers, members of management, representatives of insurance companies and other members of the industry.

Competitive advantages

We believe the following competitive advantages will enable us to achieve our objectives:

Decentralized hub approach. Our decentralized hub approach allows us to react to regional market conditions while still centrally managing the growth and profitability of our business with consistent standards. Our geographic diversity allows us to balance our revenue stream across markets and better insulate us from regional adverse developments. Our hub structure provides us with a ready platform, capable of reacting quickly to smaller brokerage acquisition opportunities, and to assimilate fold-ins once acquired.

Broad array of products and services offered through multiple distribution channels. We offer a broad array of products and services, which allows us to maintain and maximize existing client relationships and attract new clients. We offer these insurance products and services through four distribution channels: retail, wholesale property and casualty, wholesale life and financial and call-centers. Our diversity provides us not only with the flexibility to determine the most appropriate products and services but also, distribution channels to employ for particular market segments.

Benefits of scale. Our scale, relative to smaller brokerages, provides insurers with greater incentives to work with us. Enhanced insurer relationships often result in mutual cost savings, increased volume overrides and contingent commissions, favorable commission rates, collaborative marketing arrangements and product design, exclusive distribution rights for certain territories and products, and, in some cases, expanded authority to price and approve insurance policies on behalf of insurance companies. Our scale also makes us attractive to smaller brokerages as a potential acquiror.

Committed and experienced management. Most of the senior managers of our brokerages have over 20 years of experience in the industry, extensive contacts in the insurance brokerage industry, and participate in prominent industry associations, brokerage networks and insurance company brokerage councils. Most of management also has significant shareholdings in our company. A significant number of the shares held by management are subject to transfer restrictions, in some cases for up to ten years. In addition, designated key employees in each brokerage are rewarded for their contribution to our success through a bonus program that recognizes brokerage and over-all company performance in excess of specified targets. We believe that these strategies encourage loyalty and align the interests of management of our brokerages with our corporate goals and the interests of our shareholders, combining to create a powerful incentive to maximize financial results.

Our operations

We were created in November 1998 when 11 Canadian brokerages merged to form Hub. Significant events that have occurred since our formation in the last five years include:

•	January 1999 — Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) purchased 5.4 million common shares of Hub for $34.2 million cash.
•	January 1999 — We completed a financing whereby we issued a total of 2,838,080 common shares, on a private placement basis, at a price of $8.60 per common share or approximately $24.4 million in the aggregate. Fairfax purchased, through certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, 1,185,184 of the common shares.
•	February 1999 — We completed a public offering in Canada of 865,624 common shares at a price of $8.60 per share for total proceeds of approximately $7.4 million and listed our common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).
•	During 1999 — We acquired 44 brokerages in Canada and completed our first acquisition in the United States, Mack and Parker, Inc. (Mack and Parker).
•	During 2000 — We acquired 18 brokerages in Canada and the United States including C.J. McCarthy Insurance Agency, Inc.
•	During 2001 — We acquired 16 brokerages in Canada and the United States including J.P. Flanagan Corporation (Flanagan), Kaye Group Inc. (Kaye) and Burnham Insurance Group, Inc.
•	June 2002 — We completed an initial public offering in the United States of 6,900,000 common shares, at a price of $14.00 per share. Total net proceeds from the offering after deducting total expenses were approximately $88.1 million.
•	During 2002 — we acquired 8 brokerages in the United States and Canada including Hooper, Hayes and Associates, Inc. (Hooper Hayes) and Fifth Third Insurance Services, Inc., which we have renamed Hub International of Indiana Limited (Hub Indiana).
•	During 2003 — we acquired 9 brokerages in the United States and in Canada with total annualized revenue of $8.0 million.

Our operations are currently conducted from principal offices located in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Battle Creek, MI, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Acquisition process

Our senior management is responsible for identifying and negotiating the acquisition of hub brokerages that are strategically suited to our growth strategy. Typically we are familiar with the owners and management of the acquisition target well before we initiate discussions. Most of the hub brokerages we acquire are owner operated. We perform extensive diligence on potential targets and we determine what the budget of the acquired brokerage, including payroll and other adjustments, will be prior to completing the acquisition.

We anticipate that we will selectively acquire more hub brokerages in geographic regions where we currently have a limited presence, most notably the southeastern and southwestern United States. There are many more brokerages in the United States that we would consider suitable hub brokerage acquisition candidates than in Canada due to the market size of the United States. Each new hub will be characterized by the following attributes:

•	an experienced and talented management team prepared to make a long-term commitment to executing our strategic business plan;
•	the ability to identify, acquire and seamlessly integrate smaller brokerages (fold-ins) in its region;
•	specialization in certain products or services that may be beneficial to or complement our other brokerages; and

•	a demonstrated record of organic growth and profitability, operating at, or capable of achieving in the near term, minimum financial performance targets.

We expect that future acquisitions will be financed with available cash, the issuance of common shares, the proceeds of other financings, or a combination of the foregoing.

The retention of existing management at the hub brokerages we acquire is important to the successful integration and subsequent operation of acquired brokerages. We have in the past encouraged, and may continue in the future to encourage, existing management to stay with the acquired hub brokerage by using our common shares to pay a large portion of the acquisition price. The shares the owner/management receive are, in some cases, subject to transfer restrictions, for up to ten years. We also utilize our equity incentive plan to grant options to acquire our shares, restricted shares and restricted share units (in lieu of cash compensation or in consideration of non-competition covenants) which have vesting, exercise and transfer restrictions that are designed to encourage the long-term commitment of management to our company.

Distribution channels

We utilize retail, wholesale and call-center distribution channels, and have the ability to employ these distribution channels for specific market segments. Our brokerages use one of, or a combination of the following different distribution channels:

•	Retail sales and service centers that target middle-market companies provide a broad range of property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, risk management and financial services from traditional office locations leased by our brokerages in local communities.
•	Retail call-centers provide sales and services by telephone to individuals or members of employee groups, associations, affinity groups and specific communities. We operate call-centers in Chicago, Saint John, New Brunswick and Chilliwack, British Columbia;
•	Wholesale life and financial services centers, known as managing general agents, provide life and financial products and expertise to independent agents on a wholesale basis from our locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto; and
•	Wholesale property and casualty insurance centers provide products, international risk solutions, captive management programs and specialty lines to independent brokers and corporations in North America and internationally from our locations in New York, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

In addition, we are a member of the Worldwide Broker Network, a consortium of international brokerages which we can access to service clients resident in the United States and Canada who require insurance internationally.

Competition

The insurance brokerage industry is highly competitive. We face several sources of competition including other brokerages, insurance companies, banks and other financial services companies. Brokerage consolidators have been active in the market over several years. Consolidators, often publicly traded corporations, consolidate small to medium size independent brokerages with a view to strengthening their competitive position and increasing their market share. In addition to direct competition from the insurance companies, new sources of competition are emerging as banks in the United States accelerate their efforts to diversify their financial services to include insurance brokerage services (often through the acquisition of established insurance brokerages) and as the Canadian chartered banks lobby for greater flexibility to create and market insurance products.

We compete for clients in both the United States and in Canada on the basis of reputation, client service, program and product offerings and the ability to tailor our products and risk management services to the specific needs of a client. We believe that we are in a favorable competitive position in most of the meaningful aspects of our business because of our broad array of products and services, diversity of distribution channels, industry focus and expertise, and management experience.

Like some of our competitors, we focus our sales efforts primarily on middle-market commercial accounts. We believe that the most likely source of competition for us in the United States will be other brokerages who pursue an acquisition or consolidation strategy similar to ours. We believe that our primary competitors in Canada are local retail brokers.

Government regulation

Licenses

In every state, province and territory in which we do business, the relevant brokerage is required to be licensed or to have received regulatory approval to conduct business. In addition to licensing requirements, most jurisdictions require individuals who engage in brokerage and certain insurance service activities to be licensed personally.

Our operations depend on the validity of and continued good standing under the licenses and approvals pursuant to which we operate. Licensing laws and regulations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and are always subject to amendment or interpretation by regulatory authorities. Such authorities generally have the discretion to grant, renew and revoke licenses and approvals.

Privacy

The management and dissemination of information is critical to our business. We gather information from our clients to assess and address their insurance needs. We share information both internally, among our employees, and, where appropriate and permitted, between our brokerages, as well as externally, with insurers. We believe we have taken appropriate steps to safeguard our clients’ information. In both the United States and Canada comprehensive privacy laws have been introduced to protect the privacy of individuals from the undisclosed or non-consensual sharing of sensitive information for commercial purposes. As the gathering and use of information is such an integral component of our business, we must always be alert for changes in the information regulatory environment.

Employees

As of December 31, 2003, we employed 2,472 persons on a full-time basis, 2,022 of whom were employed in sales and customer service and 450 of whom were employed in corporate, finance and administration. None of our employees are represented by a labor union and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We believe our relationship with our employees is good.

We have generally entered into agreements containing confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions with our employees and consultants who have access to our proprietary information. In addition, each member of senior management of our brokerages is subject to an employment agreement that sets out the terms of his or her employment. These agreements typically include non-solicitation and non-competition covenants, which continue for up to two years after the cessation of employment.

Risks related to our business

We may be unsuccessful in identifying and acquiring suitable acquisition candidates, which could impede our growth and ability to remain competitive in our industry.

Our strategic plan includes the regular and systematic evaluation and acquisition of insurance brokerages in new and existing markets. Since our formation in 1998, approximately 78% of our revenue growth has been attributable to acquisitions. However, we may not successfully identify suitable acquisition candidates. Prospective acquisition candidates may not become available or we may not be able to complete an acquisition once negotiations have commenced. We compete for acquisition and expansion opportunities with entities that have substantially greater resources than we do and these entities may be able to outbid us for these acquisition targets. If we fail to execute our acquisition strategy, our revenue growth is likely to suffer and we may be unable to remain competitive.

Our continued growth is partly based on our ability to successfully integrate acquired brokerages and our failure to do so may have an adverse effect on our revenue and expenses.

We may be unable to successfully integrate brokerages that we may acquire in the future. The integration of an acquisition involves a number of factors that may affect our operations. These factors include:

•	diversion of management’s attention;
•	difficulties in the integration of acquired operations and retention of personnel;
•	entry into unfamiliar markets;
•	unanticipated problems or legal liabilities; and
•	tax and accounting issues.

A failure to integrate acquired brokerages may be disruptive to our operations and negatively impact our revenue or increase our expenses.

Insurance brokerages that we have acquired may have liabilities that we are not aware of and may not be as profitable as we expect them to be.

Since our formation in November 1998 through the merger of 11 insurance brokerages, we have acquired an additional 95 brokerages. Although we conduct due diligence in respect of the business and operations of each of the brokerages we acquire, we may not have identified all material facts concerning these brokerages. For example, on one occasion we discovered a brokerage’s liability for unaccrued corporate taxes only after we had completed the acquisition of the brokerage. Unanticipated events or liabilities relating to these brokerages could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Furthermore, once we have integrated an acquired brokerage, it may not achieve levels of revenue, profitability, or productivity comparable to our existing locations, or otherwise perform as expected. Our failure to integrate one or more acquired brokerages so that they achieve our performance goals may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

If we fail to obtain additional financing for acquisitions, we may be unable to expand our business.

Our acquisition strategy may require us to seek additional financing. If we are unable to obtain sufficient financing on satisfactory terms and conditions, we may not be able to maintain or increase our market share or expand our business through acquisitions. Our ability to obtain additional financing will depend upon a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. We may not be able to obtain additional satisfactory financing because we already have debt outstanding and because we may not have sufficient cash flow to service or repay our existing or additional debt. For example, as of December 31, 2003, we had $113.8 million of total debt and our two credit facilities contain covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain certain financial ratios and restrict our ability to incur additional debt.

We cannot accurately forecast our commission revenue because our commissions depend on premium rates charged by insurance companies, which historically have varied and are difficult to predict. Any declines in premiums may adversely impact our profitability.

In 2003, we derived approximately 91% of our revenue from commissions paid by insurance companies on the sale of their insurance products to our clients. Our revenue from commissions fluctuates with premiums charged by insurers, as commissions typically are determined as a percentage of premiums. When premiums decline, we experience downward pressure on our revenue and earnings. Historically, property and casualty premiums have been cyclical in nature and have varied widely based on market conditions. Significant reductions in premium rates occurred during the years 1988 through 2000 as a result of expanded underwriting capacity of property and casualty insurance companies and increased competition. In some cases, property and casualty insurance companies lowered commission rates. The years 2001 through 2003 saw premium rates increase. Although we cannot predict changes in premium pricing, we did begin to see some reductions in pricing in the latter part of 2003 in the United States. Canadian rate trends have trailed those of the United States, leading to expectations that Canadian premium rates

Insurance company contingent commissions and volume overrides are less predictable than normal commissions, which impairs our ability to forecast the amount of such revenue that we will receive and may negatively impact our operating results.

We derive a portion of our revenue from contingent commissions and volume overrides. The aggregate of these sources of revenue generally has accounted for approximately 6% of our total revenue. Contingent commissions may be paid by an insurance company based on the profit it makes on the overall volume of business that we place with it. Volume overrides and contingent commissions are typically calculated in the first or second quarter of the following year by the insurance companies and are paid once calculated. As a result of recent developments in the property and casualty insurance industry, including changes in underwriting criteria due in part to the higher numbers and dollar value of claims as compared to the premiums collected by insurance companies, we cannot predict the payment of this performance-based revenue as accurately as we have been able to in the past. Further, we have no control over the process by which insurance companies estimate their own loss reserves, which affects our ability to forecast contingent commissions. Because these contingent commissions affect our revenue, any decrease in their payment to us could adversely affect our results of operations. Recently, legal proceedings challenging the appropriateness of revenue sharing arrangements between insurance companies and brokerages, including contingent profit and volume override arrangements, have been commenced against certain insurance brokerages. These proceedings allege that such revenue sharing arrangements conflict with a broker’s duty to its clients. While we have not been named as a defendant in any such proceeding, and disagree with the underlying premise that these revenue sharing arrangements create a conflict of interest, we could be the subject of a similar action in the future. A finding that such arrangements conflict with a broker’s duty to its clients could have a material adverse affect on our revenue and profitability.

Proposed tort reform legislation in the United States, if enacted, could decrease demand for liability insurance, thereby reducing our commission revenue.

Legislation concerning tort reform is currently being considered in the United States Congress and in several states. Among the provisions being considered for inclusion in such legislation are limitations on damage awards, including punitive damages, and various restrictions applicable to class action lawsuits, including lawsuits asserting professional liability of the kind for which insurance is offered under certain policies we sell. Enactment of these or similar provisions by Congress, or by states or countries in which we sell insurance, could result in a reduction in the demand for liability insurance policies or a decrease in policy limits of such policies sold, thereby reducing our commission revenue.

A substantial portion of our total assets are represented by goodwill and other intangible assets as a result of our acquisitions and under new accounting standards, we may be required to write down the value of our goodwill and other intangible assets.

When we acquire a brokerage, virtually the entire purchase price for the acquisition is allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The amount of purchase price allocated to goodwill is determined by the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable assets paid by us to acquire the brokerage.

On July 1, 2001, we adopted the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Accounting Standards Board Handbook Section 1581, “Business Combinations”. These new rules require that all business combinations after

On January 1, 2002, we adopted CICA’s Section 3062, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”. For all business combinations accounted for using the purchase method prior to June 30, 2001, Section 3062 eliminates the amortization of goodwill, requires annual impairment testing of goodwill and introduces the concept of definite life and indefinite life intangible assets. Indefinite life intangible assets, similar to goodwill, will no longer be amortized and will be tested at least annually for impairment. A deterioration in our operating results may adversely affect the carrying value of our goodwill and other indefinite life intangible assets. The loss of a significant client at one of our brokerages could result in an impairment of goodwill associated with such brokerage, which would cause us to take an impairment to goodwill. Such an impairment would adversely affect our earnings.

The loss of members of our senior management or a significant number of our brokers could negatively affect our financial plans, marketing and other objectives.

The loss of or failure to attract key personnel could significantly impede our financial plans, growth, marketing and other objectives. Our success depends to a substantial extent not only on the ability and experience of our senior management but also on the individual brokers and teams that service our clients and maintain client relationships. In the past, we have experienced short-term disruptions to certain brokerage operations due to the early retirement of senior members of management at those brokerages. Our operations are not generally dependent on any one individual; however, the loss of Martin Hughes, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer could negatively impact our acquisition strategy in the United States due to his significant relationships and expertise in the insurance industry.

The insurance brokerage industry has in the past experienced intense competition for the services of leading individual brokers and brokerage teams. We believe that our future success will depend in large part on our ability to attract and retain additional highly skilled and qualified personnel and to expand, train and manage our employee base. We may not be successful in doing so because the competition for qualified personnel in our industry is intense. If we fail to recruit and retain top producers, our organic growth may be adversely affected.

Competition in our industry is intense, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may lose market share and our business may be materially adversely affected.

The insurance brokerage business is highly competitive and we actively compete with other insurance brokerages for customers and insurance company markets, many of which have existing relationships with insurance companies or have a significant presence in niche insurance markets that may give them an advantage over us. Because relationships between insurance brokers and insurance companies or clients are often local or regional in nature, this potential competitive disadvantage is particularly pronounced. See “Business — Competition” for a further discussion of the level of competition in our industry.

We face competition in all markets in which we operate, based on product breadth, innovation, quality of service and price. We compete with a number of brokerages in the United States, who may have greater resources than we do, as well as with numerous Internet-based, specialist and regional firms in the United States and Canada. If we are unable to compete effectively against our competitors, we will suffer a loss of market share, decreased revenue and reduced operating margins.

In addition, regulatory changes in the financial services industry in the United States and Canada have permitted banks, securities firms and insurance companies to affiliate, causing rapid consolidation in the insurance industry. Some insurance companies are engaged in the direct sale of insurance, primarily to individuals, and do not pay commissions to agents and brokers on policies they sell directly. Increasing competition from insurance companies and from within the financial services industry, generally, could have a negative effect on our operations.

We do business with certain subsidiaries of our largest shareholder and if a conflict of interest were to arise it may not be resolved in our favor and could adversely affect our revenue.

As of December 31, 2003, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited owned or controlled 26% of our common shares, 32% if Fairfax converted our convertible subordinated debentures it holds. We do business with certain subsidiaries of Fairfax which represented approximately 10% of our revenue in 2003. We expect that this percentage will decrease as we complete more acquisitions in the United States. If a conflict of interest arose between us and Fairfax or one of its subsidiaries, we cannot assure you that this conflict would be resolved in a manner that would favor us. In addition, if Fairfax were to sell our common shares that it owns, it may no longer be as interested in continuing to do business with us which could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and expenses and such a sale by Fairfax could also impact our share price.

We depend on our information processing systems. Interruption or loss of our information processing systems could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our ability to provide administrative services depends on our capacity to store, retrieve, process and manage significant databases and expand and upgrade periodically our information processing capabilities. Interruption or loss of our information processing capabilities through loss of stored data, breakdown or malfunctioning of computer equipment and software systems, telecommunications failure, or damage caused by fire, tornadoes, lightning, electrical power outage or other disruption could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have disaster recovery procedures in place for all our hub brokerages and insurance to protect against such contingencies, such procedures may not be effective and any insurance or recovery procedures may not continue to be available at reasonable prices and may not address all such losses or compensate us for the possible loss of clients occurring during any period that we are unable to provide services.

Privacy legislation may impede our ability to utilize our customer database as a means to generate new sales.

We intend to utilize our extensive customer databases for marketing and sales purposes, which we believe will enhance our ability to meet our organic growth targets. However, new privacy legislation, such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in the United States and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada, as well as other regulatory changes, may restrict our ability to utilize personal information that we have collected in our normal course of operations to generate new sales. If we become subject to new restrictions, or other regulatory restrictions, which we are not aware of, our ability to grow our business may be adversely affected.

The security of the databases that contain our customers’ personal information may be breached which could subject us to litigation or adverse publicity.

We depend on computer systems to store information about our customers, some of which is private. Database privacy, identity theft and related computer and internet issues are matters of growing public concern. We have installed privacy protection systems and devices on our network in an attempt to prevent unauthorized access to information in our database. However, our technology may fail to adequately secure the private information we maintain in our databases and protect it from theft or inadvertent leakage. In such circumstances, we may be held liable to our customers, which could result in litigation or adverse publicity that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our corporate structure and strategy of operating through decentralized brokerages may make it more difficult for us to become aware of and respond to adverse operating or financial developments at our brokerages.

We depend on timely and accurate reporting of business conditions and financial results from our brokerages to affect our business plan and determine and report our operating results. We receive end of month reports from each of our brokerages regarding their financial condition and operating results. If an adverse business or financial

Our profitability and liquidity may be materially adversely affected by errors and omissions.

We have extensive operations and are subject to claims and litigation in the ordinary course of business resulting from alleged errors and omissions. Errors and omissions claims can involve significant defense costs and may result in large damage awards against us. Errors and omissions could include, for example, our employees or sub-agents failing, whether negligently or intentionally, to place coverage or to notify insurance companies of claims on behalf of clients, to provide insurance companies with complete and accurate information relating to the risks being insured or to appropriately apply funds that we hold for our clients on a fiduciary basis. It is not always possible to prevent and detect errors and omissions and the precautions we take may not be effective in all cases.

The amount of coverage limits and related deductible amounts of our errors and omissions insurance policies are established annually based upon our assessment of our errors and omissions exposure, loss experience and the availability and pricing of coverage within the marketplace. While we endeavor to purchase coverage that is appropriate to our assessment of our risk, we are unable to predict with certainty the frequency, nature or magnitude of claims for direct or consequential damages.

Our profitability and liquidity may be adversely affected if in the future our insurance coverage proves to be inadequate or unavailable or there is an increase in liabilities for which we self-insure. In addition, errors and omissions claims may harm our reputation or divert management resources away from operating our business.

If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements for insurance brokerages, we may not be able to conduct our business.

Our business is subject to legal requirements and governmental regulatory supervision in the jurisdictions in which we operate. These requirements are designed to protect our clients by establishing minimum standards of conduct and practice, particularly regarding the provision of advice and product information as well as financial criteria.

Our activities in the United States and Canada are subject to regulation and supervision by state and provincial authorities. Although the scope of regulation and form of supervision by state and provincial authorities may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, insurance laws in the United States and Canada are often complex and generally grant broad discretion to supervisory authorities in adopting regulations and supervising regulated activities. This supervision generally includes the licensing of insurance brokers and agents and the regulation of the handling and investment of client funds held in a fiduciary capacity. Our ability to conduct our business in the jurisdictions in which we currently operate depends on our compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated from time to time by the regulatory authorities in each of these jurisdictions.

Our clients have the right to file complaints with the regulators about our services, and the regulators may investigate and require us to address these complaints. Our failure to satisfy the regulators that we are in compliance with their requirements or the legal requirements governing our activities can result in disciplinary action, fines, reputational damage and financial harm.

In addition, changes in legislation or regulations and actions by regulators, including changes in administration and enforcement policies, could from time to time require operational improvements or modifications at various locations which could result in higher costs or hinder our ability to operate our business. See “Business — Government regulation.”

Risks related to our common shares

The price of our common shares may fluctuate substantially, which could negatively affect the holders of our common shares.

The price of our common shares may fluctuate substantially due to the following factors: (1) fluctuations in the price of the shares of the small number of public companies in the insurance brokerage business, (2) announcements of acquisitions as part of our growth strategy, (3) additions or departures of key personnel, (4) announcements of legal proceedings or regulatory matters and (5) the general volatility in the stock market. The market price of our common shares could also fluctuate substantially if we fail to meet or exceed securities analysts’ expectations of our financial results or if there is a change in financial estimates or securities analysts’ recommendations. From the beginning of 2002 to March 3, 2004, the price of our common shares on the TSX has ranged from a low of C$15.50 to a high of C$29.00, and on the NYSE has ranged from a low of $11.45 to a high of $17.90.

In addition, the stock market has experienced volatility that has affected the market prices of equity securities of many companies, and that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. A number of other factors, many of which are beyond our control, could also cause the market price of our common shares to fluctuate substantially.

Significant fluctuation in the market price of our common shares could result in securities class action claims against us.

Significant price and value fluctuations have occurred with respect to the securities of insurance and insurance-related companies. Our common share price is likely to be volatile in the future. In the past, following periods of downward volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, class action litigation has often been pursued against the respective company. If similar litigation was pursued against us, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

Our largest shareholder may substantially influence certain actions requiring shareholders approval.

As of December 31, 2003, Fairfax owned or controlled 26% of our common shares. Fairfax also owns or controls $35 million of subordinated convertible notes, which it can convert at any time into our common shares at C$17.00 per share. If Fairfax converts the notes it would hold 32% of our common shares. Under our by-laws and articles of incorporation, Fairfax has the ability to substantially influence certain actions requiring shareholder approval, including:

•	electing members of our board of directors;
•	adopting amendments to our articles and by-laws; and
•	approving a merger or consolidation, liquidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.

Fairfax may have different interests than you have and therefore may make decisions that are adverse to your interests.

We are incorporated in Ontario, Canada, and, as a result, it may not be possible for shareholders to enforce civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States.

We are organized under the laws of Ontario, Canada and some of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for the holders of our common shares to enforce against us in United States courts judgments based on the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States. In addition, there is doubt as to whether the courts of Canada would recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers based on the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state or hear actions brought in Canada against us or those persons based on those laws.

Item 2. Properties

We maintain our corporate headquarters in Chicago, Illinois at premises that we sublet from Mack and Parker, one of our subsidiaries. This facility, totaling approximately 3,500 square feet, contains corporate, finance, administration, sales and customer support functions. The lease on the premises expires on October 1, 2011. In addition, our brokerages lease office space in the locations in which they operate, none of which is material. In total, we hold 158 leases covering approximately 720,000 square feet with a total annual base rent for all of these locations of approximately $10 million.

We believe that our facilities are well maintained and in good condition and are adequate for our current needs. We expect that suitable additional space will be available as required.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

In the normal course of business, we are involved in various claims and legal proceedings relating to insurance placed by us and other contractual matters. Our management does not believe that any such pending or threatened proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or future results of operations.

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003.

PART II

In connection with our initial public offering in the United States, our common shares became listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on June 18, 2002 under the symbol HBG. Our common shares are also listed and posted for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) in Canada under the symbol HBG. The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices per share for our common shares on the NYSE and TSX:

On December 31 2003, the closing price of our common shares on the NYSE was $16.76 and on the TSX the closing sale price was C$21.90. The exchange rate in effect at December 31, 2003 was C$1.00 per $0.7738. As of March 3, 2004, there were 30,299,170 of our common shares issued and outstanding. As of the close of business March 3, 2004, we had approximately 280 holders of record of our common shares.

We have no formal dividend policy other than the board of directors considers the payment of dividends as quarterly financial information becomes available. In the future, dividends will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors depending on our financial position and capital requirements, general business conditions, contractual restrictions and other factors. Dividends paid after December 31, 2002 have been, and dividends, if any, that may be declared in the future, will be declared in U.S. dollars instead of Canadian dollars.

We were formed in November 1998 through the merger of 11 independent insurance brokerages into a new company. The merger was accounted for using the pooling-of-interests method.

Our results for the five year period ended December 31, 2003 reflect the acquisition of brokerages that occurred in each respective period. These acquisitions were accounted for using the purchase method. Thus, results of acquisitions are only included from the date of acquisition forward. Accordingly, the results in each period are not directly comparable.

Our historical consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP, which differs in certain respects from U.S. GAAP. For a discussion of the principal differences between Canadian GAAP and U.S. GAAP as it relates to us, see note 18 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

(1)	Effective October 1, 2001, we adopted the U.S. dollar as our reporting currency. Our financial results for all periods prior to October 1, 2001 have been restated from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect at September 30, 2001 of C$1.00 = $0.6338.

(2)

As discussed in note 2, “Summary of significant accounting policies,” of the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements, we adopted Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Section 3062 on January 1, 2002. Upon adoption of CICA Section 3062, goodwill is no longer amortized. The following table illustrates the effect that CICA Section 3062 would have had on net earnings and per share information under Canadian GAAP for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999 had goodwill not been amortized:

(3)	We commenced payment of dividends in the second quarter of 2000.
(4)	We adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142 (SFAS No. 142) on January 1, 2002. Upon adoption of SFAS No. 142 goodwill is no longer amortized. The following table illustrates the effect that SFAS No. 142 would have had on net earnings and per share information under U.S. GAAP for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999 had goodwill not been amortized:

(1)	Effective October 1, 2001, we adopted the U.S. dollar as our reporting currency. Our financial results for all periods prior to October 1, 2001 have been restated from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at September 30, 2001 of C$1.00 = $0.6338.
(2)	Includes long-term debt and capital leases (including current portion), bank debt and subordinated convertible notes.

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this report. Certain information contained in “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations” are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements because of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this Form 10-K, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors”. Reference to “Hub”, “we”, “us”, “our” and the “registrant” refer to Hub International Limited and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly stated. Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in, and the term “dollars” and the symbol “$” refer to, U.S. dollars. The term “Canadian dollars” and the symbol “C$” refer to Canadian dollars. Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP). These principles differ in certain respects from United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and to the extent that they effect us are described in Note 18 to our audited consolidated financial statements.

Overview

Hub is a leading North American insurance brokerage that has grown rapidly since its formation in 1998 through mergers, acquisitions and organic growth. We provide a broad array of property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services through offices located in the United States and Canada. We are pursuing a growth strategy that includes expansion of our geographic footprint across the United States and deeper penetration of the insurance brokerage market in both the United States and Canada. Both acquisitions and internal growth are core components of our strategic plan for revenue expansion.

We anticipate that increases in revenue, higher revenue per employee, expense control and more advantageous commission arrangements with insurance firms will be instrumental in margin expansion efforts.

As of December 31, 2003, our operations included 10 regional “hub” brokerages — five in the United States and five in Canada — and more than 150 offices staffed by approximately 2,500 people. Our strategic plan calls for the addition of approximately 10 additional U.S. hubs to extend our geographic footprint. Brokerages large enough to be considered hubs will generally have annual revenue in excess of $10 million. In addition to larger, “hub” acquisitions by the parent corporation, each regional hub is tasked with pursuing smaller, fold-in acquisitions that either expand its geographic penetration or add new specialization or expertise to the regional operation.

We generally acquire larger, “hub” brokerages, for a combination of cash and stock. Although there are variations in the purchase terms for each hub, our goal is to pay 30% - 70% of the “hub” purchase price in our common stock, while setting escrow periods of up to 10 years for the sellers to hold these shares. We believe the use of escrowed stock in major acquisitions creates increased alignment of interests between senior managers and the public shareholders of the corporation. We have paid all cash for the acquisition of certain brokerages, and may pay an all cash purchase price for brokerages in the future. As of December 31, 2003, senior managers of the company and its hubs owned approximately 4,129,000 shares, or 12.5% of shares outstanding, while all employees as a group held approximately 9,176,000 shares, or 27.8% of total shares outstanding.

During the three years ended December 31, 2003, we acquired 24 brokerages in the United States and another 9 brokerages in Canada, adding a combined $156.5 million to our revenue as of the dates of acquisition. Of these acquisitions, 4 were regional hubs, all based in the United States. United States revenue has grown to 62% of our total in 2003 from 21% in 2000, reflecting primarily acquisition growth but also organic growth and our strategic plan to use acquisitions to expand across the United States. Organic growth is similar to the same-store-sales calculation used by retailers. It includes revenue growth from units included in our financial statements for at least 12 months. Because we apply the purchase method of accounting for acquisitions, acquired brokerages’ financial results are included only from the date of acquisition.

We acquired brokerages with aggregate annual revenue of $8.1 million in 2003, down from approximately $59.6 million of acquired revenue in 2002. The slower pace of acquisitions in 2003 resulted from a number of factors, including competition for brokerages by banks and other buyers willing to acquire insurance brokers at higher valuations than we and most industry peers have been willing to pay.

Our management believes pricing discipline is a key to successful acquisition efforts and did not complete potential acquisitions that did not meet our pricing criteria. During 2003, for example, we considered an acquisition of a large brokerage firm in Chicago, but decided against the potential transaction as a result of our due diligence process. This process led to diversion of a significant amount of management’s time, which weighed against other acquisition efforts. We still continue to have a goal of acquiring an average of 2 hub operations per year, increasing our base of U.S. hubs to 15 from the current six. Acquisitions will be driven by opportunity, pricing and fit, however, not by a rigid timetable.

Our revenue base is diversified across a large number of insurance products and services, including:

Commercial insurance

Personal insurance

Commercial lines have increased as a percentage of our total revenue, increasing to 77% in 2003 from 18% in 2001, largely as a result of our more rapid expansion in the United States, where middle market companies and other commercial clients are the primary source of revenue. In 2003, commercial lines constituted 89% of U.S. revenue and 58% of Canadian revenue. In British Columbia (Canada), we are the largest broker of government underwritten auto insurance, a personal line. In addition, Canada’s public health care system eliminates a significant portion of the demand for employer-provided health insurance, a major commercial product line for us in the United States.

We employ a number of distribution channels to deliver products and services to clients. Among the distribution channels we employ are:

•	Retail sales and service centers that target middle-market companies, providing a broad range of property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, risk management and financial services;
•	Retail call-centers provide sales and services by telephone to individuals or members of employee groups, associations, affinity groups and specific communities. We operate call-centers in Chicago, and in Saint John, New Brunswick and Chilliwack, British Columbia;
•	Wholesale life and financial services centers, known as managing general agents, provide life and financial products and expertise to independent agents on a wholesale basis from our locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto;
•	Wholesale property and casualty insurance centers provide products, international risk solutions, captive management programs and specialty lines to independent brokers and corporations in North America and globally from offices in New York, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

In addition, we are a member of the Worldwide Broker Network, a consortium of international brokerages which we can access to service U.S. or Canadian clients who require insurance internationally.

Because we have a diverse mix of products, services, insurer relationships and distribution channels, revenue and profitability levels are not usually highly susceptible to major changes as a result of a single product or service. (An exception occurred in 2003. See “US Results” on page 25.) However, general economic trends can influence both overall insurance rates — and commissions — and availability or costs of individual types of coverage.

During the 1990s, for example, insurance rates were generally considered low, or “soft,” as insurance companies sought to maximize the flow of premium dollars that they could invest profitability in a rising stock market and in other investments. Beginning in 2000, as return on investment began to shrink, insurance rates began to rise, or “harden,” a pace that accelerated rapidly after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. During the past two years, premium rates have remained firm for most types of coverage, rising 10% to 15% per year in many cases. During 2003, the Canadian market remained firm, but the U.S. market experienced some softening of premium rates for property and casualty coverage. Rates for liability, health and other types of coverage continued to experience increases however. Looking toward 2004, we anticipate some continued softening in the U.S. market and the beginning of softening in the Canadian market as the year progresses.

For us, as for other brokers, rising rates can present both positive and negative effects. Rising premiums usually yield stronger commission levels, if the insurance buyer maintains its coverage levels. However, many insurance buyers will respond to rising rates by reducing total coverage, often by raising deductibles, reducing limits of coverage, or by leaving some risks uninsured. In addition, a weak economic environment often leads to lower sales and employee headcounts at client companies, leading in turn to reduced demand for employee benefits, liability and other types of coverage tied to business activity levels. Our ability to achieve organic revenue growth is not solely dependent on

Our strategic plan has traditionally included a highly decentralized structure that offered a large degree of autonomy to each regional “hub” operation. We have sought to acquire strong businesses and retain the services and commitment of the management teams that built those businesses successfully. Decentralization has been a core component of this growth plan. As the company continues to grow, however, it is likely that added investment will be made to coordinate more functions from the head office, enhancing the potential for cross-selling, international coordination, marketing efficiency, total expense management and financial controls.

Because we are a service organization, compensation and other personnel costs make up the largest component of total expenses — 70% in 2003. Property and equipment are comprised primarily of furniture, computer systems and office equipment. Therefore, Hub’s capital resources, including external borrowings, internally generated cash flow and issuance of common shares, are targeted primarily toward acquisitions.

Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2003 compared to year ended December 31, 2002

We achieved growth in revenue and profitability in 2003. Although the pace of acquisitions did not match that of 2002, we benefited from strong organic growth rates in most hubs, contributions from brokerages acquired in 2002 and the currency exchange benefits of a strengthening Canadian dollar. Overall, our management believes the company made strong progress on several fronts in 2003, including increased penetration of the commercial middle market in British Columbia, expansion of the professional liability practice in Chicago and growth of the wholesale brokerage business in New York and Toronto.

As a result of these and other factors, we reported a 30% revenue increase to $286.4 million in 2003, while net earnings increased 24% to $36.5 million. Diluted earnings per share increased 8% to $1.14 from $1.06. The slower rate of growth in diluted earnings per share as compared to growth in revenue and net earnings reflected a larger number of average shares outstanding, resulting from both our U.S. IPO in June 2002 and the use of common shares in both acquisitions and compensation programs.

The table below shows a breakdown of our revenue by segment and type for 2003 including organic growth for 2003:

(in thousands of U.S. dollars, except percentages)