Business Leader Laura Ward Corners the Market on Successful Parenting

A tough, tenacious thinker at the head of Ward Insurance Group is also a kind-hearted, passionate dog-lover at her acreage. Laura Ward, wife of Layne Ward and mother of daughters Morgan and Ayden (and of dogs Casey, Paris and Roo), juggles it all with elegance and grace.

“I’ve never once felt neglected or felt that work took priority over our family,” said her daughter Morgan. “Being surrounded by friends who struggled with this made me realize how lucky I am to have a mother like mine.”

The beautiful family Laura has today started on a golf course, when she met Layne while she was working for his best friend’s insurance company. A first date at Red Deer Alberta brought with it average food but memorable conversation.

“We were both so obsessed with each other, food quality was the last thing we cared about,” recalled Layne, noting there was “very much a spark between us.”

A trip to Austin, TX together can be remembered best by Laura hitting a tee shot 50 yards longer than Layne, with onlookers whispering to him, “I think you have a keeper there son!”

Laura eventually proposed to Layne in the restaurant atop the Calgary Tower, 626 feet high. “That is what I love about Laura— if she wants something, she does not wait, in any aspect of her life,” Layne proclaimed.

As the couple approach their 22nd year of marriage, Layne admits he’s still in awe of Laura every day, sharing that she is an “inspiration” to the family.

Laura emulates a well-rounded golf game by balancing parenting and her demanding occupation, keeping an open door of communication with her daughters. “She has raised our girls to know that there is nothing out of bounds that they can talk about,” said Layne.

Whether it be to chuckle, chat, complain or cry, Laura maintains her unwavering dedication. “Whenever I am sick or even just having a bad day, she’s always the one to make sure I am alright. The world could be collapsing around her, and she would still be checking up on her loved ones,” explained Morgan and Ayden, proudly. “She’d let her busy career take the back burner for a few days, if it meant making sure her family was doing okay.”

The girls appreciate and admire how Laura validates their emotions and how she treated them as adults from a young age, though she never failed to help them enjoy being kids. Short excursions to nearby Banff or for shopping, as well as trips to New York and Disneyland, stand out as highlights of the girls’ childhood. The latter two are memorialized by precious moments getting princess makeovers and getting lost in the Big Apple.

Strength, perseverance, worth-ethic and a self-made attitude have carried Laura to great heights professionally. Owner of her own business after 26 years in the insurance and finance industry, Laura has a great deal to be proud of. Layne described her as having a “knack for learning new things with such curiosity and wanting to know how things work. She is very much a self starter and learner in many ways.”

Laura also applies a practical and scholarly Intelligence, providing her a multi-facetted view to any problem she faces inside and outside of the business world. The aforementioned work ethic carries to how well Laura prioritizes her other responsibilities as well.

“She’s always reaching out to her other friends and family, going for coffee and catching up, and giving them the same love and support she’s given me,” her daughters noted.

The same way a pro golfer can drive, chip and putt in their own idiosyncratic style, Laura Ward immerses herself in her work, her family, and her friends with her own unique charm. Her keen sense of humor evokes laughter from those around her, and an innate ability to create warmth makes everyone feel safe.

“Her charisma and kindness are noticeable upon meeting her, which is something I also look up to,” her daughters said.

They continue to learn valuable lessons from Laura that they plan on carrying with them onto whatever fairway life takes them.

“My mom teaches me something every day, and her advice is something I will value and live by for the rest of my life.”