Skip to Content

Jim Ruta - The Back Story

Jim Ruta's back story illustrates a remarkable journey from a top-selling agent to a global thought leader and advocate for the life insurance profession. He broadcasts the Voice of Experience




Jim after his first Solo as a private pilot 1992

Jim and his late Mutual Life Agency Partner, Don Ayer 1985


Jim’s first promotion to Associate Branch Manager, Kitchener, ON 1982

Jim with S. Ross Johnson, former president of Prudential of America in Canada at Jim’s wedding in 2000

Jim Ruta's back story illustrates a remarkable journey from a top-selling agent to a global thought leader and advocate for the life insurance profession:


Jim began his life insurance career in 1977 with Mutual Life of Canada, selling 103 lives in his first year at the age of 22 and opening one of the company's first detached offices. His talent quickly led him into sales management in 1981, where he became the youngest agency manager and was instrumental in elevating Mutual's Kitchener Agency to the second-highest ranking in Canada. He also doubled his sales force in Toronto.

He was recruited by Confederation Life in 1988, taking their Midwestern Ontario agency to Number 2 in Canada and becoming a top recruiter. In 1992, he joined Canada Life, ultimately leading their flagship multi-million-dollar agency on Bay Street, overseeing 5 offices, 15 managers, and 250 agents, and bringing hundreds of new entrants into the business. He was also a co-founder instrumental in establishing IDC Financial (now IDCWIN).

In 1999, Jim established Jim Ruta Workstyles International Inc., launching his career as a speaker and coach for financial advisors worldwide. He has spoken on four continents and many countries including the United States, Mexico, Singapore, Lebanon, Poland, Romania, Hungary, India, and Russia. Notably, he has addressed the Main Platform of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Annual Meeting five times, as well as other major industry events like GAMA LAMP, BLIS, and the Canada Sales Congress. He has produced popular weekly advice videos ("Ruta's Rules," "Inside the Advisor's Study") for over a decade and maintained a weekly YouTube channel for eight years. He also authored best-selling books and a long-running column in Canada's "Insurance Journal".

Jim is a co-founder and host of the Canada Sales Congress, an annual event dedicated to bringing industry masters to Canadian advisors. In 2022, he launched SOLIS (School of Life Insurance Selling), a unique program featuring exclusive video conversations with world-class agents, coaches, and trainers, offering sales insights and monthly group coaching sessions, along with personal coaching. He also coaches industry icons, helping many achieve Top of the Table status.

Throughout his career, Jim has been dedicated to his crusade to "preserve, promote, and propel the noble profession of selling life insurance" and to "Make Insurance Great Again".


A history of success, an encyclopedia of experiences, a leader by practice, Jim Ruta is your Goto Speaker and Coach to elevate your life insurance sales results.  

Book Jim Ruta



Jim's BioBehind the scenes

Jim's Bio

Jim Ruta BA RHU EPC FDFS® 

Jim Ruta “creates the heat” when he speak and when he coaches. His passion, wisdom, experience, and enthusiasm are catchy and help any life insurance professional be better and do better. 

Jim is a member of the International Financial Hall of Fame and the Canadian Life Insurance Hall of Fame for his lifetime contribution to the life insurance advisor industry worldwide. He was also recognized as a “Fellow of Distinguished Financial Services” by Knowledge Bureau. 

He has spoken on the Main Platform of the Million Dollar Round Table Annual Meeting and been invited back 5 more times. He has spoken on 4 continents to major company and association programs and is co-founder and host of the Canada Sales Congress. He has written 4 best selling books and has been a popular columnist for Insurance Journal for more than 20 years. He has a popular YouTube Channel and has been posting a weekly educational video on Facebook Live for nearly 9 years. Jim’s SOLIS “How To” Conversations with industry icons podcast is in its 4th year and features the world best sharing their secrets of success. 

Jim started as a career agent in Winnipeg with over 100 lives at age 22 and by age 40 was executive manager of Canada’s largest life insurance agency with over 250 agents and 15 managers doing multimillion dollar business. He helped create several MGAs and has been and entrepreneur for more than 25 years.  

Jim has coached some of the world’s best advisors including Van Mueller, George Sigurdson, Sim Gakhar, and Marc Silverman. His simple sales approach and custom advice have helped aspiring advisors 10x their business and more. He truly is the voice of experience and coach to champions, and no one brings more experience, enthusiasm, and energy to an audience.

Behind the scenes

Jim and his wife Rhonda live in Burlington, Ontario, Canada where Jim is very involved with his church and enjoys golf.

Jim builds friendships and long term relationships. He loves to help unconditionally and is always supportive to all people around him.