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“The driving force for the development of new products is not technology, not money, but the imagination of people.” – David Packard, Co-Founder of Hewlett-Packard
Ours is a people business…how many times have we heard that. Generally it refers to the relationship-side of what we do. But I think it also applies, vigorously so, to the intellect we bring to bear on the insurance problems we’re entrusted to solve.
In about a month’s time, we’ll be together for our 24th annual gathering “in the desert”. In the past, we called it the Mid-Year Educational Workshop. This year we’ve overhauled the format and content to transform it into a Leadership Forum. We’ve changed it up – based on your needs and desires -- to give you more time to meet with your associates and colleagues to learn what’s going on in the market, to question patterns and trends, and to press for workable solutions; especially in today’s balancing act environment.
While there’s significant open time now to conduct your own business, we have program content applicable to all of us that you’ll want to participate in. On Thursday morning the NAPSLO Board of Directors will host a Town Hall meeting where we will brief you on our activities and initiatives, but more importantly field any questions you may have or comments you may choose to share with us. If you’re not aware, our Board is composed of ten broker members and five company members; all from our membership. While the Board meets regularly, we’ve never had the chance to interface – all at once – with our membership. This is an excellent opportunity for you, therefore, to impact the Board’s thinking and deliberations as we strive to do what’s best for NAPSLO. If you’d like to submit a question or comment ahead of time, please send it via email to townhall@napslo.org.
On Friday morning, a panel of industry leaders will converse about the current challenges we all face and how they are owning up to them. Participating on the panel will be Neal Abernathy of Swett & Crawford, E.G. Lassiter of the RSUI Group, Anthony Markel of Markel Corporation, and Matthew Power of Lexington Insurance Company. These guys aren’t shy or without opinion – don’t miss this.
And I’d also like to put in a special plug for Dr. Paul Heaton’s Spouse session on “Caring for the Caregiver”. Many of us are involved in caring for the exo-generation, or will be. Notwithstanding the financial challenges, such care giving can be both physically and emotionally grueling. I’ve come to know Paul (as Letha’s husband) over the course of the last few years -- he’s smart, yet witty; probing, yet respectful. This will not be some dry discourse…by all means attend if you can. (Please notify NAPSLO if you plan to attend.)
Our Leadership Forum kicks off a day earlier this year and registration is well underway. All the information relating to the meeting, as well as on-line registration, may be found at http://midyear.napslo.org.
Safe travels, see you in Scottsdale!
More than 500 Registered for Mid-Year Meeting
Membership Directory to be Delivered Electronically in 2010
The 2010 NAPSLO membership directory will be made available to members electronically as a PDF document. In the past, one printed copy was sent to each member office and limited additional copies were made available.
This year a notice that the directory is available will be sent to each member office, committee members, and recent attendees of the NAPSLO Annual Convention, Mid-Year meeting, and schools. The 2010 directory is available in the Members area under Membership Directory.
“Our goal is to provide NAPSLO membership information to additional people in each NAPSLO member firms offices in a more economical fashion,” said President Marshall Kath. “The information in the directory is widely used but in the past the directories were not as widely distributed.”
Membership update forms were sent to members in late November and NAPSLO staff recently completed the updating process.
Registration Open for
Registration is open for the
The brochure and registration materials for the school are available to download from the NAPSLO website.
This program was designed for senior-level members who wish to broaden their perspectives on important social, political, and economic issues influencing the insurance industry. Participants will enhance their leadership skills and become more able to effectively manage change at the personal, team, and organizational levels, and will return to their organizations with the tools and mindsets to think and act more strategically. Those who attend will develop the enterprise perspective required to make winning choices about running their businesses in today’s complex environment.
"The NAPSLO Executive Leadership School challenged me to think differently and to consider "what's possible?", said Doug Grant of Colony Insurance who attended the 2009 school. " I found the case studies, the analysis and discussions very applicable to how I lead both my professional and personal life. The NAPSLO Executive Leadership School was the best conference I have attended in years."
Participants will crystallize their personal world views about how to compete successfully in their market spaces, develop a deeper understanding of social, political, and economic forces affecting their business environments and relate the broad issues in the world to NAPSLO’s industry and to the career experiences—and challenges—of peer participants.
"The program forced me to "think in questions," said Andrew Whittington of RSUI Group. "To consider the possibilities of leadership and how to inspire those around me. The professors engaged the students by using real life case studies and this forced me to stretch my skill set, build my confidence and image what is possible."
The faculty for this program was selected from the Darden faculty to provide a framework for future success in strategically managing, developing and leading your organization. Faculty members for the 2010 school are:
Career Awareness & Internship Committees Merge
Automation Conference to Feature Vendor, Carrier Panels, Timely Sessions
Registration is underway for the AAMGA Automation Conference, set for March 13-16 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, and the 2010 conference will feature panels on future directions of vendors and carriers regarding technology, and sessions on security, innovations, business intelligence, and premium payment options. In additions the annual vendor forum and an update on the E&S Joint Working Group will be featured.
The conference is open to NAPSLO members and online and paper registration materials are available on the AAMGA website.
The Keynote Address, sponsored by NAPSLO, will be The Changing Service-Enabled Landscape - Technology Innovations for the Insurance Industry, presented by Dr. James Senn of
The Excess & Surplus Lines Joint Working Group update will review the collaboration between key industry associations to further workflow automation and the electronic exchange of data utilizing recognized standards throughout the E&S transaction food chain.
In addition to the main programs there will be a series of sessions for attendees to choose from, including: Disaster Recovery and the GA Office; Business Intelligence, the Coming of Age; Technology on the Horizon; and Collecting Premiums (using electronic Bill Presentment, integrated telephone payments (IVR), credit/debit cards and eCheck payment acceptance).
Carl Herberger, who presented at the 2009 conference, will speak on security concerns in The Perils of Human Nature: Social Engineering War Stories.
There will also be the E&S Carrier/Lloyd’s Panel to discuss the directions markets are headed with technology Presenting will be representatives from the following companies: Bell & Clements, Nautilus Insurance Group, Lloyd’s, Northland Insurance Companies, Markel Companies, Scottsdale Insurance Company, Maxum Specialty Insurance Group and Western World Insurance Group.
A vendor panel, featuring representatives from leading solutions providers - including Appulate, ADTS, Epic Premier and Vertafore – will discuss key topics including policy issuance solutions, their plans for interface capability, use of the XML standard, and use of web services to call carrier and other systems.
The final session will be a moderated open question and answer forum. It will not only discuss an overview of the learning experience from the conference but will also discuss any relevant industry topics.
New Members
Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 856-4099 (847) 256-2055 Fax Richard D. Cagney
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