Councilcast

As Fall conference season gears up, BrokerTech Ventures’ John Jackovin, Executive Director of the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator, shares some insight into the upcoming BrokerTech Connect, a broker-focused mini-event held during InsureTech Connect in Las Vegas in October. Jackovin discusses the evolution of the conference over the years and what’s hot in Insurtech right now.

Can we fix the polarization that has engulfed our politics and government? According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, public trust in government has edged near all-time lows in recent years. The nonpartisan organization She Should Run believes part of the answer to fixing this problem includes increasing the number of women in public office. To understand how increasing women’s participation in public office could improve public trust in government, podcast producer Zach Ewell spoke with Tracey Vasile, a member of the Planning Board for Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots. Vasile is also senior vice president for client strategy at Verisk, an information services company that specializes in risk. The New England native discusses her journey serving in elected office, the importance of women running, and recent risk trends.

In this edition of our AXA XL podcast series, chief client and distribution officer Matt O’Malley sits down with Leader’s Edge after taking on this newly created role for the insurer. He explains the interconnected risk that drove AXA XL to create this position and what he hopes to achieve in the role. He also talks market trends including the early Atlantic storm season, cyber risk, and opportunity in casualty.

In this episode of Politics & Risk from The Council’s government affairs team, SVP Joel Kopperud interviews Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney, who represents Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District. The congressman discusses his party’s new excitement surrounding the presidential ticket after President Joe Biden’s withdrew from the 2024 election, possible running mate picks for Vice President Kamala Harris after she became the Democratic Party candidate, and what’s at stake in November.

For over 34 years Mike St. Lawrence traveled the United States selling alien abduction insurance on local TV news and radio shows. With nearly 7,000 coverages sold at a $24.95 asking price, the Florida resident offered a $10 million payout for proof of abduction. The catch: The payout would come at $1 annually for 10 million years. Following our 2021 interview with St. Lawrence, podcast producer Zach Ewell recently attempted to reach the self-proclaimed comedian insurer to see how his business was going and pick his mind on current UFO phenomena.

In this episode we meet Dan Horton, CEO of the Horton Group Horton shares how he made the career jump from airline pilot to insurance executive, the influence that family has had in his life, and the importance of company culture.

How is artificial intelligence shaking up the film industry? Sinead Murphy, managing director at carrier MiC Specialty, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the film and media industries. With over 12 years of underwriting experience, Murphy shares how AI risks will impact E&O, cyber, and other policy coverages. She also discusses how this new technology is affecting the relationship between brokers and carriers. This conversation comes nearly a year after the Screen Actors Guild went on strike for reasons that included AI being used to replace actors’ performances.

In this edition of the Politics & Risk podcast, The Council’s government affairs team is onsite at the Employee Benefits Leadership Forum (EBLF) with Council VP of health policy & strategy Katie King. King oversees the Council of Employee Benefits Executives’ agenda and reveals new insights presented to the group by McKinsey, including findings from McKinsey’s brand new 2024 employer survey. The team also discusses what potential federal budget and tax code decisions could mean for employer-sponsored insurance next year.

Blake Watts, channel partnerships leader for Ochsner Health, has a busy agenda for The Council’s Employee Benefits Leadership Forum [EBLF] this year. Speaking with Leader’s Edge on the first day of the meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Watts said he was looking forward to conversations with his peers on healthcare point solutions and partnering with the consulting community. In this podcast, Watts dives into “point solution fatigue” and research that has thrown the value of these services in healthcare into question. He also discusses Ochsner’s focus on value-based care and addressing health challenges in the company’s home state of Louisiana, among other topics.

In this episode we meet Belen Tokarski, President and COO of Mylo. Tokarski shares inspirational stories of family members who inspire her, how she fell into the insurance industry. And why she’s sticking around.

In the latest episode of Politics & Risk from The Council’s government affairs team, SVP Joel Kopperud interviews Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who has represented Colorado’s 7th Congressional District since 2023. Having served in the Colorado state legislature for a decade prior to becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pettersen shares the top issues for Coloradans, including housing and climate change. As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Pettersen also dives deep into the systematic issues that Congress faces when getting work done.

This Spring has seen protests pop up on college campuses all over America. As a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, student organizations have been demanding action from their universities to divest from Israel. Meanwhile counter protests have also occurred. While some protests have stayed peaceful, others have broken out in violence. Lucy Straker, Focus Group Leader of Political Violence & Deadly Weapons Protection at Beazley, and Matthew Westhoff, Head of North American Commercial Property at Beazley discuss strike, riot and civil commotion policies (SRCC). Additionality they share the risks associated with the upcoming 2024 election and current heightened political climate.

A conversation with GameStop’s Co-founder Video games, eccentric personalities and past presidential candidates have all made their way through Gary Kusin's career. The entrepreneur and business mentor is the former CEO of FedEx Office and co-founded the company now known as GameStop. Kusin shares how he started the first large-scale video game retailer, why GameStop surged in the financial market during the meme stock craze of 2021, and how a summer internship at an insurance company changed his outlook on leadership and life. We spoke with Kusin ahead of the April 30 publication of his new book, Always Learning.

In this episode we meet Tim Hall, CEO of Relation Insurance Services. Hall shares how he got his start creating a business in high school, what life is like in his home state of Nebraska, and how the insurance industry needs to sell itself to a younger generation.

Donnacha Smyth, president of global excess casualty for AXA XL, discusses pressure points in the market and his takeaways from brokers. In the newest addition to our AXA XL podcast series, Donnacha Smith, president of global excess casualty for AXA XL, discusses ongoing claims litigation and nuclear verdicts, geopolitical tensions, climate change and renewables, and how to remain relevant for clients dealing with these pressures.

Creating efficiency and speed for agents and brokers is a major topic in this podcast sponsored by BrokerTech Ventures. Jeff Lobeman, assistant vice president for digital and head of innovation, and Bob Pick, CIO and executive vice president, both at Tokio Marine North America, discuss how they stay on top of brokers’ operational and customer service needs, balancing automation and human interaction, and what’s next for insurers and the internet of things.

"I like to be where the rubber meets the road." In this episode we meet Jenni Lee Crocker, President of PCF Insurance Services. Crocker shares how growing up in a small town in Virginia shaped her outlook on life, and how experiences from her local community gave her the tools and can do attitude to tackle whatever her job and the industry demands of her. She also explains what characteristics contribute to good office culture.

With a reduction in deals and dollars, insurtech investment going forward will favor companies with a proven track record and products that will be widely usable across the insurance industry, says Kylie Hubbard, director of innovation at Insurica. In this podcast, sponsored by Ascend, Hubbard also provides a broker perspective on the state of data connectivity and discusses whether and how the insurance industry will use technologies such as blockchain and AI.

A conversation on digital evolution with IVANS CEO Reid Holzworth. We discuss connectivity, carriers data evolution and how AI is really being used in the insurance industry.

A discussion with Pamela Wheeler, Chief Diversity Officer at NFP. In this episode we meet Pamela Wheeler, who shares stories about her early career in the sports industry working for the WNBA. Then Wheeler dives deep into why she traded in sports for insurance, and why its important to understand DE&I as a business imperative.