A.m. Best Radio Podcast

Juan Andrade, president and CEO, Everest Re Group, said the rate of change continues to increase, putting greater emphasis on the use of data, analytics and effective leadership.

Kirstin Marr, chief analytics officer, Insurity, said studies show that many workers must upgrade skills or retrain to fill available jobs. Marr spoke with AM Best TV at the Emerging Leaders Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

Insurers can help transition pandemic remote hires with "soft skills" into collaborative team members by employing effective strategies, said Judy Busby, senior vice president of executive search and corporate strategy, The Jacobson Group.

Margaret Spence, founder, Inclusion Learning Lab, said insurers should be open to recruiting candidates with diverse backgrounds, attention to detail and abilities to succeed with customers.

Andrew Robinson, CEO, Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, said the organization has instituted professional development plans for all employees. Robinson spoke with AM Best TV at the Emerging Leaders Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

Connected health devices are driving healthy behaviors, and technology is the ‘”glue of the intersection” where those behaviors can be communicated back to life insurers, said Matt Berman, president, Foresters Financial US.

Aon Edge President and CEO John Dickson said the rise of unprecedented flooding events throughout the year is reinforcing the need for flood insurance, preparation, continued investment and the ability to quickly deploy resources.

Gary Session, Exdion Solutions Senior Vice President, Client Success Management said that while the brokerage community is not typically at the cutting edge of technology, tools such as AI could help stem the impacts of inflation

Scott Cornell, Travelers’ transportation lead and crime & theft specialist, discusses what cargo thieves are targeting and how the insurance industry should be working with clients to mitigate heists. 

College and university experts must examine whether art collections are large enough to warrant a separate fine arts policy, and how issues of rightful ownership come into play, said Stacie Kroll, managing director, higher education practice, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Mark McElroy, executive vice president and head of insurance at TransUnion, discusses a new survey on life insurance that illustrates the low rate of penetration and what agents and brokers can do to turn the tide through more digital offerings.

In a single flight, stratospheric imaging robots can capture what nearly 800,000 drones can capture, thereby shrinking the timeline of mapping a large portfolio from years to one flight, said Rema Matevosyan, CEO, cofounder, Near Space Labs.

Despite the Russia/Ukraine crisis, trade credit insurers are expected to report strong results for 2022, said Mathilde Jakobsen, director, analytics, AM Best, referencing a new Best's Market Segment Report.

Craig Weber, insurance practice leader at Cognizant, explains Metaverse and why companies should invest in its applications to help improve customer and employee experience, sustainability and operational efficiency, 

Tim Nunziata VP head of Cyber Risk, Nationwide Management Liability and specialty said that when it comes to a cyber breach, there are a number of tools an insured can use to fight back.

Matt Reilly, managing director, head of Insurance Solutions, and Scott Hawkins, managing director, head of insurance research, both from Conning, discuss the findings of a recently released survey illustrating the current environment.

Inflation is putting pressure on the insurance industry to maintain stability, while also holding a line on premiums, said Randy Hodge, executive vice president, staff insurance operations, FM Global.

"You're just going to see a lot of similarities with increased inflation and increased costs for every aspect of a claim," said Cullen Sophy, US CEO, Charles Taylor Adjusting.

Heather Majewski, head of life health solutions at Swiss Re, explains why life insurers should engage with policyholders participating in health & wellness programs and the benefits for both.

Risk and opportunity are plenty in the California private flood insurance segment, said Christopher Graham, senior industry analyst, AM Best, referencing a new Best's Commentary.