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Online registration began in mid-June and with the economy and market continuing to be in the headlines, we expect to see another large group on hand in Atlanta. Highlights of the meeting include a presentation by William R. Berkley, Chairman and CEO of W.R. Berkley as the speaker for the annual Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation Lecture Series, our traditional opening reception, and a special program for Next Generation attendees on Tuesday afternoon.
The convention will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and Hyatt Regency Atlanta, located in downtown Atlanta. One major change this year is that the meeting will open on Monday, with the Opening Reception that night at the Hyatt. Most events will take place at the Marriott but meeting space will be available at both hotels.
Tuesday will be left mostly open for members to meet with other members, however there will be the Next Generation panel in the afternoon, followed by a reception for Next Generation members.
Wednesday will feature Mr. Berkley’s presentation, along with the traditional internship, ASLI, and membership awards and recognition program. There will be a “Happy Hour” in the Brokers’ Lounge on Wednesday afternoon for all members, prior to the many private member functions Wednesday night.
In today’s challenging environment the NAPSLO Annual Convention provides additional value as it provides the opportunity for members to meet with many other members in one place in the course of a few days.
NAPSLO’s goal is to assist members in conducting business, whether through our meetings or improving the regulatory environment we all work in. After many years of challenging work we are closing in on our goal of uniform regulations on tax payments for multistate risks. The Senate recently passed their version of financial services reform legislation, which includes the surplus lines reform language from the NonAdmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act.
While the NRRA language had been approved several times by the House of Representatives, this is the first time it has been approved by the full Senate. With the language also in the House’s version of financial reform legislation, the two chambers now must work to reconcile the differences and by July we hope to see the legislation signed into law.
This has been a long journey but has been worth it and the reforms should provide a better environment for both the insurance industry and consumers.
Annual Convention Registration Opens; More than 1,100 Registered More than 1,200 people have registered for NAPSLO’s 2010 Annual Convention, scheduled for October 11-14 in Atlanta, Georgia. The convention theme is “Adding Value…Promoting Growth.”
The Convention will open this year on a Monday at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The Opening Reception will take place at the Hyatt, and all other functions will take place at the Marriott.
The featured speaker for the convention is William R. Berkley, Chairman and CEO of the W.R. Berkley Corporation. He will present the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation Lecture Series on Wednesday morning during the general session. Mr. Berkley has been with W.R. Berkley since founding it in 1967.
Tuesday will be open for members to meet with other members, but all private member functions prior to 7:30 p.m. on that day must take place on-site at the convention hotels. Both on-site and off-site functions are allowed after 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
NAPSLO’s Next Generation will be hosting a panel discussion on Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., followed by a cocktail reception for Next Generation members from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
In continuation of NAPSLO’s Legacy Project to assist the cities that host the Annual Convention, this year NAPSLO selected the Atlanta Union Mission, which operates My Sister’s House.
My Sister’s House is a crisis shelter and a long-term residential recovery program for women and children, along with a therapeutic child development center. To assist the Atlanta Union Mission in their efforts, you can download a form to contribute.
Online registration began on June 15 and you can register by visiting http://annual.napslo.org and click on the Register Online link on the main convention page. Here you will be able to register for the Convention and will be provided a hotel reservation link to reserve a hotel room.
You must be registered for the convention to reserve a room. NAPSLO reserves the right to cancel any rooms registered under the NAPSLO hotel room block reserved by non-attendees.
Suite and Meeting Space information and forms are also available to download from the website as of June 15.
William R. Berkley to be Foundation Lecture Series Speaker William R. Berkley, founder of the Fortune 500 property-casualty insurance holding company, W. R. Berkley Corporation, has accepted NAPSLO's invitation to share his perspective on the current business environment as well as the insurance industry at the NAPSLO Annual Convention.
Mr. Berkley is the 2010 Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation Lecture Series Speaker and his program is set for Wednesday, October 13 at 9:30 a.m., during the general session program. The Foundation Lecture Series was established in 1998 to bring prominent business or political individuals to the annual convention to speak on relevant topics of the day.
Berkley, who founded the company in 1967, has served continuously as Chairman and CEO over the past 43 years. He has overseen the growth of the company into one of the largest commercial lines writers in the United States that operates in the following five segments of the property casualty insurance business: specialty insurance, regional property casualty insurance, alternative markets, reinsurance, and international. W.R. Berkley NAPSLO member firms include Admiral Insurance Co., Carolina Casualty and Nautilus Insurance Co.
During his career, Mr. Berkley has also founded a number of public and private companies, some of which he continues to lead as chairman or director, and has similar roles in several financial institutions, including two banks and a number of industrial companies.
A graduate of New York University and the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, he is active on the boards of both New York University and Georgetown University, and serves as Chairman of Achievement First, a group of charter schools serving inner-city children in the New York metropolitan area. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his business, civic and philanthropic activities over the years.
Member Dues Notices Mailed NAPSLO member dues notices for the 2010-2011 fiscal year were mailed to members in early June and are due August 1. Membership fees remain the same as 2009. NAPSLO accepts checks and credit cards for payment. If paying by credit card, please download the Credit Card form, complete and return with invoice and branch office forms. Members wishing to add branch office locations can complete the Branch Office form and return with dues payment.
Main Office - $1,000
Busy Time of Year for NAPSLO Schools Spring and summer are a busy time of year for the NAPSLO Schools as the
More than 30 Attend Second NAPSLO Executive Leadership School
At the school, designed for senior-level members of the industry, participants learned to enhance their leadership skills and become better able to effectively manage change at the personal, team, and organizational levels, allowing them to return to their organizations with the tools and mindsets to think and act more strategically. Those attending developed the enterprise perspective required to make winning choices about running their businesses in today’s complex environment.
Professors Alan Beckenstein, Alec Horniman, Sankaran Venkataraman were the instructors for the school and the courses were: An Assessment of the Present and Future Global Political Economy; Leading With the Enterprise Perspective; Leadership and High Performance; From Tactical to Strategic Leadership I & II; Leading Change I & II; Developing Strategic Capabilities; Understanding Industry Dynamics; Sharing Insights for Future Industry Leadership & Individual Statements About Future Personal Opportunities; and The Power of Story and Personal Engagement. A list of students in the class is availble here.
E&S School Sells Out
The curriculum focused on seven segments: regulation and oversight of the E&S industry; the advantages and disadvantages of various markets; the study of changing environments in the E&S marketplace; the basics of marketing; how MGAs and brokers maintain, market, and manage business with an emphasis on Internet technology; the importance of reviewing financial statements and accounting procedures; and the complexity, purpose and variations in the E&S market.
The school took place at the
A list of students in the class is availble here.
Advanced School Registration to Start in August
The Advanced School offers a comprehensive and advanced look at surplus lines and provides the opportunity to meet with others in the industry. The school is designed for insurance professionals with five or more years experience and provides an extended course of study for experienced surplus lines professionals. Completion of the NAPSLO E&S School is not a prerequisite.
The brochure and registration forms for the school will be mailed to members and also will be available for download.
The curriculum focuses on seven segments: the dynamics of the relationship between the excess and surplus lines company underwriters and the transactional brokers; recognizing scams in the non-admitted market; current federal legislative initiatives and their potential impact on the surplus lines insurance industry; a look at the surplus lines claims process, coverage and liability issues; reviewing financial documents, accounting and reporting procedures; standards and procedures to reduce errors and omissions exposures; and current reinsurance and alternative risk issues, trends and the impact on the marketplace.
The school will open with Nick Cortezi, CEO, All Risks, Ltd., making the Perspectives From the Top presentation and the International Panel will feature international and domestic insurance executives discussing current international issues regarding the insurance industry. Panelists will be Alan Waring, Crump International Ltd.; Glenn Hargrove, MarketScout; Nick Simmonds, Price Forbes & Partners; and David Burchett, Omega Underwriting Holdings.
Michael P. Fujii Resigns from the NAPSLO Board
NAPSLO thanks Mike for his service to the Board and our industry and wishes him the very best.
NAPSLO Director Candidate Suggestions Sought
NAPSLO members must submit the candidate names for consideration as director nominees no later than August 26, 2010, but members are encouraged to submit such names as soon as possible. Suggested candidate names may be submitted to the committee, in writing, by e-mail at nominations@napslo.org; by postal mail to the NAPSLO office; or directly to members of the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee is chaired by Immediate Past President John F. Wood, III, Specialty Risk Associates, Inc.. Members of the Committee are: Maureen Caviston, Partners Specialty Group, LLC; Gil Hine, McClelland & Hine, Inc.; Tom Kuzma, Nautilus Insurance Group; and Tom Mulligan, Western World Insurance Group.
As required by the Association's Bylaws, the Nominating Committee will prepare slates of officer and director nominees and submit them to the NAPSLO membership at least 30 days prior to the Annual Business Meeting.
Members will vote at the Annual Business Meeting on the slate of five directors, who serve three-year terms.
Characteristics the Nominating Committee considers in candidates include: integrity; personal character; willingness and ability to devote considerable time to the Association; ability to serve three to 10 years on the Board; a history of service to the industry, including NAPSLO committee work, involvement in state associations, active involvement in NAPSLO meetings or the NAPSLO schools; performing a leadership role in their own organization; and demonstrated leadership in the industry.
Technology Update The Retail Agent E&S Initiative (a collaboration of the IIABA's Agents Council for Technology, AAMGA, NAPSLO and ACORD) announced that Lloyd’s of London has joined the group and that a free webinar to review Lloyd’s proposals to standardize data collection from MGAs is set for July 13 .
“We are pleased to add Lloyd’s to the list of U.S. retail agents, brokers, MGAs, carriers and vendors currently involved in the process,” said Angelyn Treutel, Retail Agent E&S Initiative co-chair and vice president of the Treutel Insurance Agency in Bay Saint Louis, MS. “Our goal has been to ensure that all components of the transaction are involved in our discussions, and Lloyd’s joining the process helps us meet that goal.”
Lloyd’s will be coordinating efforts to improve the efficiency of electronically transferring data from MGAs in the U.S. to the London market.
“North America is an important component of business for the London market and Lloyd’s is working on improving the electronic transaction of data on both binding and open market business, and thus believes it is important to be part of this joint industry group,” says Adam Stafford, senior project manager of Lloyd’s market operations.
Webinar
The webinar is set for Tuesday, July 13 from 11:00 a.m. to Noon (Eastern). Tto register for the webinar go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/234333792
The webinar is entitled “Lloyd’s of London US Distribution Initiatives – Standards and Technology” and is aimed at MGAs, wholesalers, retail agents, carriers and vendors participating in the E&S program and broker markets.
Participating on the webinar will be Adam Stafford and Sarah Thacker, Lloyd’s of London; Mike Roy, CRC Insurance - Alabama; Angelyn Treutel, Treutel Insurance Agency; John Deibler, JBD Consulting; and Jeff Yates, ACT.
Federal Legislative Update
State Legislative Update
New NAPSLO Members
WHOLESALE BROKERS Insential, Inc.
Orchid Underwriters Agency, Inc.
COMPANY
UNDERWRITING MANAGERS
ASSOCIATES
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