IN-the-Know
Amy Waninger is the Founder & CEO of Lead at Any Level, where she helps organizations transform their STEM professionals from reclusive nerds into inclusive leaders. Amy offers assessments, advisory services, and training on essential skills for inclusive leaders. She is the author of eight books, including Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career. Amy spent twelve years working in the insurance industry, where she achieved the CPCU designation in 2016 and the Certified Insurance Data Manager (CIDM) designation in 2018. She also holds associate...
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Rose Hall is a visionary innovation strategist and risk management expert with 25 years of experience. She leverages innovation to solve complex business problems and create unique growth opportunities at the intersection of technology and risk. Her unique expertise spans the insurance, construction, and technology industries, and was cultivated in senior leader roles at global organizations such as AXA XL and Turner Construction. As CEO of RH Business Ventures, she advises the insurance, technology, and construction industries, focusing on transforming risk management through innovation and...
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Mark Walls is the Chief Marketing Officer at Safety National, a multi-line specialty insurance and reinsurance carrier and member of the Tokio Marine Group. With over 30 years of workers’ compensation and risk management experience, Mark’s career spans claims management, client engagement, strategic analysis, and market research. He previously served as VP Client Engagement at Safety National and as Senior VP at Marsh’s Workers’ Compensation Center of Excellence. Mark is the founder of the Work Comp Analysis Group on LinkedIn, the largest online discussion group dedicated exclusively...
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Katie Reynolds is the Executive Director of AIRROC, the Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run-Off Companies, the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to promoting the interests of the legacy insurance and reinsurance community. She brings nearly a decade of experience in the legacy sector from claims leadership roles at RiverStone and The Hartford. An active AIRROC member since 2020, Katie has served on committees, the NextGen Council, and the Board of Directors. She holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. On this episode of...
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This episode of In The Know features host Chris Hampshire and Leah Ohodnicki, Executive Vice President of Carrier Relations at RT Specialty. Leah leads strategic initiatives to strengthen trading partnerships and drive growth across the wholesale insurance landscape, and brings two decades of experience spanning retail brokerage, E&S carriers, MGUs, and program business. Leah began her career at Marsh in 2006, advancing through leadership roles in marketing and business development. In 2015, she joined Argo Group, where she led distribution for the group and later led Specialty Programs....
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In this special episode of In The Know, our podcast host Chris Hampshire takes on the role of guest when he is interviewed by Spenser Villwock, Executive Director of the CPCU Society and President of Associations at The Institutes. Chris works with leading P&C carriers and program administrators to design impactful claims management programs as a Vice President of Sales in Gallagher Bassett’s Carrier Practice. He was elected as the Global CPCU Society President in 2022, served as the President-Elect in 2021, began a three-year term on the National CPCU Society's Leadership Council in...
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In this 5th anniversary episode of In the Know, one of our earliest podcast guests returns to help us celebrate and to determine which of his 2020 predictions have come true. Rob Galbraith is the founder and CEO of Forestview Insights, an independent consulting, research, and training company focused on enabling organizations to create and build a lasting culture of innovation. Rob has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry in various leadership positions, and is the author of the international best-selling book The End Of Insurance As We Know It. He is a recognized...
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Marc Adee is the CEO of Crum & Forster, a leading specialty insurance carrier founded in 1822 and headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Marc joined Fairfax in 2000 and holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He serves on the boards of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, the Community Foundation...
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, better known as The Iron Cowboy, is a world-renowned keynote speaker, bestselling author, and endurance athlete who redefined human potential by completing 50 Ironmans in 50 days across all 50 states — and then doing the unthinkable — 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days. Before becoming the greatest endurance athlete in history, James was a successful entrepreneur, running a thriving mortgage company and helping hundreds of clients build wealth through homeownership and strategic refinancing. That same relentless mindset that powered him through thousands of miles now...
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, Chief Executive Officer of , has more than a decade of executive experience in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence, including Global Head of Innovation and Advanced Technology at Kaiser Permanente and Chief Data Officer of AIG. While at AIG, she was named Insurance Woman of the Year by the Insurance Technology Association for her data innovation work. Wilson has been a steady supporter of diversity. She launched the Kaiser Permanente Women in Technology group, focused on mentorship and retention for women in math, technology, and science. At AIG, she launched Global Women in...
info_outlineConnor Thomson is a second-year law student at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. After graduating summa cum laude with University Honors from Saint Joseph’s University’s Maguire Academy of Insurance and Risk Management in 2022, he matriculated to Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. In March 2023, at the age of twenty-three, Connor earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and began his tenure at Stickley Law, LLC, a boutique insurance defense firm that specializes in fighting fraud. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Connor consider what Gen-Z is looking for in the insurance industry, what compelled Connor to earn his CPCU designation at such a young age, and what the future of the insurance industry could look like.
Key Takeaways
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Connor is a law student and one of the youngest CPCU designations ever.
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Claims is the aspect of insurance that most appeals to Connor.
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The value of earning a CPCU designation at an early age.
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The impact of internships on a successful start to the insurance industry.
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Volunteer work during law school has helped Connor identify his future.
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Connor’s experience on the stage at In2Risk.
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Ocular disability has impacted, but not limited, Connor’s determination to succeed.
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Writing and researching are key elements of Connor’s continued education.
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Connor’s message to Gen Z about a future in the insurance industry.
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A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
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Connor’s advice to his early career self.
Quotes
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“I didn’t know much about insurance at the time, but I did a lot of research and learned that insurance is about more than selling policies.”
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“Claims is the perfect intersection of the law meets business.”
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“To me, it was an easy choice to pursue the CPCU designation at a very young age.”
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“There is clearly a dire need for young talent in the insurance industry.”
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“I think the one strategic business unit that is not getting that much attention is claims.”
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“The insurance industry has done a great job of investing in the next generation of insurance talent.”
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“When we get back together in five years, I don’t think we’ll be discussing this talent shortage anymore.”
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“There are more people today than ever before making a conscious decision to study risk management and insurance in college.”