An executive hired by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to help cut costs received more than $188,000 for expenses claimed in 2010 — in addition to his $315,000 annual salary, CBC News has learned.

Art Kirkner, a U.S citizen, was hired as one of ICBC’s 15 vice-presidents in 2008, with responsibility for ICBC’s claims centres and other field services.

In the process, Kirkner was involved in laying off several managers in an attempt to cut costs.

In 2010, Kirkner’s salary and expenses $188,681 totalled $504,505, the second highest salary in the public corporation after CEO Jon Schubert, who pulled in $504,771, according to an ICBC financial statement.

ICBC declined interview requests about Kirkner, but a spokesman said much of the 2010 expense claim was for temporary accommodation and for relocation to Vancouver, although Kirkner had joined ICBC two years earlier.

Kirkner left ICBC last summer.