Councilcast

While on assignment to cover the disproportionate impact of natural catastrophes on low-income families and small businesses, journalist Russ Banham was evacuated from his own Los Angeles home. A Los Angeles County native, Banham himself was forced to evacuate his home with his family as the Eaton Fire edged toward his neighborhood in January. After the fire was contained, Russ was able to return to his neighborhood and house, still intact. He shares his personal experience and details from his reporting.

In this episode, Council VP of Health Policy & Strategy Katie King sits down with Dave Kerrigan, founder and CEO of benefits solution aggregator BenefitPitch, to get his take on the trends driving brokers and employers to prioritize solutions that thread the needle on controlling costs and retaining employees. From AI in benefits to the growth of individual coverage HRAs, Kerrigan discusses which solutions are top of mind, which are falling out of favor, and where we might see the most trend growths in 2025.

In this episode we meet Benjamin Verlingue, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Adelaide Group. Verlingue shares his story of becoming the 4th generation to run his family’s insurance business. He discusses what changes he wants to see during his time of leadership, and differences and misconceptions between U.S. and France.

In this podcast episode, we discuss women’s health and healthcare with chief medical officer Dr. Janet Choi and chief development officer Julie Stadlbauer from Progyny, a fertility, family building and women’s health benefits provider. From the history of exclusion in medical research, to the fragmented system and myriad point solutions now available, women’s healthcare requires expertise and navigation, the experts say. And it’s an opportunity for employers to better serve this crucial population.

In this episode, Matt Waters, head of US Middle Market for AXA XL, shares what it has taken for his team to build out its business over the past couple of years. Waters also discusses what characteristics impact the middle market and what industry segments the company is focused on.

In the second interview conducted on-site at The Council's Insurance Leadership Forum in October, Leader's Edge spoke with Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Goodwin offers insights on the political strife, past and present, that has challenged numerous generations of Americans. She also offers anecdotes concerning the history of the presidency, a message on the importance of young people bringing change to the world, and leadership lessons applicable to all.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the 2024 Insurance Leadership Forum, Leader's Edge held open mic hours in the magazine's podcast booth where conference guests could sit down and share thoughts on any topic. First to join in conversation was Kevin Davis, president of Kevin Davis Insurance Services, who shared how he uses his own podcast to help his business. Next, Leader’s Edge’s book reviewer Scott Naugle discussed the similarities between recommending a book and an insurance policy.

Can Congress pull a Christmas miracle? In this year-end episode of Politics & Risk, The Council’s senior vice president and vice president of government affairs, Joel Kopperud and Blaire Bartlett, discuss the turmoil in Washington, D.C., as Congress struggles to keep the government open through the new year. Additionally, Bartlett interviews Republican Rep. David Joyce, of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District. The congressman offers his thoughts on the incoming presidential administration and hot-button legislation pertaining to cannabis and banking.

Mark Siebold, SVP and head of workplace solutions at Wintrust Workplace Solutions, offers a comprehensive overview of health savings accounts (HSAs) and the benefits to both employers and employees.

Soldiers engaging in combat with native tribes in post-Civil War America. The free press waging a war of words on companies in the Wild West. A massive parade celebrating the tricentennial of the Massachusetts colony. These are all scenes that shaped the way American’s think about risk, from author Katherine Hempstead’s new book Uncovered: The Story of Insurance in America. The book shares how the American insurance industry developed over a period of centuries. In this discussion, Hempstead takes us through the stories and people in her book

Lívia Albuquerque Bisoni has had a fascinating life. After working in Brazil’s fashion industry and then pivoting to insurance and moving to Portugal, the 33-year-old today is head of international and institutional relations for MDS Group. Fresh off her team’s win in the Global Broker Smackdown at the 2024 Insurance Leadership Forum, Bisoni shares with Leader’s Edge how she was able to switch careers, the importance of international business etiquette, and what risk trends she foresees impacting clients next year.

Given his background working with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and medical insurers, as well as working with individuals to fill their prescriptions, Dr. Simon Leung, Vice President, Head of Pharmacy, Conner Strong & Buckelew has in some ways seen it all. Leung’s experience has shaped his approach to pharmacy benefit consulting and his view on transparency with respect to drug costs. He discusses where all the different industry players disagree, which cost-saving levers employers have access to and the value of different types of data that inform client strategy.

Leader's Edge was on-site at The Council's Insurance Leadership Forum in October to capture the conversations and energy that always accompany this key industry gathering. In the first of three special interviews conducted at ILF, retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander Europe and a current board member of global broker Aon, discusses what risks American companies face from abroad, what trends he foresees impacting the world, and what U.S. citizens can do to tamp down the political divisiveness running rampant in our country.

Personal Lines with Dottie Chalmers Cutter by A Council Platform - 868329

Everyone in the insurance value chain wins when the broker is equipped with better data, says Jeff Cohen, senior vice president at Zywave. Cohen paints a vivid picture of what a fully optimized digital industry could look like, but cautions that we’re not there yet. He discusses where the industry is on this journey, why digital evolution is moving at the pace that it is, and what we can do about it. He also digs into the differences between manual and digital processes, how to bring out useful data points for insureds, and how Zywave is building its data from the ground up.

Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers executive chairman Ken Crerar sits down for a candid conversation on leading The Council through 30 years of growth, change, disruption, and success.

Being a bank-owned premium financing company means that the economic environment, especially changes in banking, is a major factor in the business landscape, says Ben Rubin, chief risk officer for FIRST Insurance Funding & Wintrust Life Finance. In this podcast, sponsored by First Insurance Funding, Rubin discusses the particulars of the current financial services environment and how brokers can position premium financing in their conversations with clients. He also explains the different options it provides, how different sized companies might use premium financing in different ways, and more.

In this episode we meet Ryan L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Atlanta Life Insurance. Smith shares how his childhood entrepreneurial mindset led him to working with NBA legend Magic Johnson. He also discusses his perspective on life insurance, and why its vital for a family member to have.

For hundreds of years the insurance market known as Lloyd's of London has played a notorious role in the world of risk and finance. To understand how this market started, podcast producer Zach Ewell spoke with Geraldine Morgan, a history enthusiast who gives tours in London England around the history of Lloyds and insurance. Morgan takes us on a tour from the great fire of London of 1666 to the establishment of Lloyd’s Coffee Shop.

One year into the newly created role of head of North America, AXIS' Mike McKenna joins the Leader’s Edge podcast to discuss how he plans to execute on opportunities in the market as Axis dives deeper into specialty lines. McKenna drills down into where the opportunities are in the difficult casualty market, discusses the company’s new Lloyd’s syndicate focused on the energy transition, and talks about serving the lower middle market effectively.