Removing Friction for Growth in Wholesale Specialty with Leah Ohodnicki
IN-the-Know
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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Flipping the Script on Host Chris Hampshire
IN-the-Know
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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Building a Culture of Innovation with Rob Galbraith
IN-the-Know
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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Unpacking 200 Years of Insurance History with Marc Adee
IN-the-Know
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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Redefine What's Impossible with The Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence
IN-the-Know
, 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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The Data Revolution in Modern Claims Management with Heather Wilson
IN-the-Know
, 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...
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InsurTech Ecosystem and the Future of Innovation with Delli Bhaskar Jagadeesan
IN-the-Know
Bhaskar serves as a Principal Technology Evangelist on Guidewire’s Global Technology Alliances and Marketplace team. In his role, he works with solution, technology, and systems integration partners to develop technical integration strategies and promote Guidewire’s cloud platform. He’s also a passionate supporter of the Guidewire Insurtech Vanguard program, which helps insurers discover innovative InsurTechs. Bhaskar brings a unique blend of P&C insurance domain expertise, technical background, and deep knowledge of the Guidewire ecosystem. His experience spans enterprise software...
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Caribbean Insurance Insights with Ranesha Dean
IN-the-Know
Ranesha Dean is a branch manager for Caribbean Alliance Insurance Company, a regional general insurance company in the Eastern Caribbean, and is responsible for the Bahamas operations. Her career in the general insurance industry began in 2009, and she has worked in various roles over the years, including sales, underwriting, claims, and compliance. She holds a BA in economics and finance from The University of The Bahamas (formerly College of The Bahamas) and several designations with The Institutes, including the CPCU designation (2022). Ranesha is an avid insurance learner eager to dive...
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Composing the Next Insurance Generation with Jim Jones
IN-the-Know
Jim Jones is the co-creator of the new In The Know podcast music and has been the Executive Director of the Katie School of Insurance & Financial Services at Illinois State University since 2001. The Katie School supports over 500 students majoring in Risk Management and Insurance (RMI), actuarial science, and other majors, who are interested in careers in insurance. Jones works with ISU faculty, staff, administration, and industry executives in helping to develop talent for industry and educate students at the velocity of change. He holds an MBA in International Business from Saint Louis...
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Identifying Emerging Issues and Exposures in the Insurance Industry with Tim Fletcher
IN-the-Know
Tim Fletcher is Gen Re’s VP, Senior Emerging Issues Specialist, and an avid contributor to Gen Re’s blog, and he edits the UM/UIM Liability Laws Survey. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (Bachelor of Arts, Journalism) and the Michell-Hamline School of Law (Juris Doctor), and currently serves on CPCU’s Reinsurance, Excess & Surplus Lines Interest Group and as chapter governor for the Upper South Region. He is a founding member of the Atlanta Insurance Coalition for Change and a guest lecturer on Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University and many industry...
info_outlineKara Skinner is a third-generation surety professional with an extensive background in surety, helping clients understand and obtain surety credit. Over the years, Kara has worked with many surety companies, retail agents, obligees, attorneys, engineers, and contractors. She has managed the surety bond department of a major insurance wholesale brokerage. Kara is a past President of the Surety Association of Washington, a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, and an active member of several committees of other insurance and construction organizations. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Kara dive into all things surety, including the process of how it works and how the 4,000-year history of surety is shaping the future of the industry.
Key Takeaways
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From ballerina to bonds, Kara is a third-generation surety professional.
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Surety is a financial product more than an insurance product.
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The surety process from both the commercial side and performance and payment bonds.
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An overview of the current state of the surety industry.
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The most exciting elements of the surety aspect of the insurance industry.
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Insights into the benefits of being a third generation in surety.
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Kara’s advice for going out on your own, especially as a woman in the industry.
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Lessons learned from forming her own business, starting with relationships.
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The value of getting involved in professional organizations.
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Sharing information about bonds so that everyone can access them.
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Teaching, for Kara, started as a marketing idea.
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Kara’s advice for anyone considering a career in surety.
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Being a female CEO in a male-dominated industry.
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Ideas for better supporting women of color in the industry.
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Addressing the talent gap in the insurance industry.
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The future of surety relies on its 4,000-year history, which includes typewriters.
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A look to the fast-moving future of insurance.
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Kara’s relationship advice for her early career self.
Quotes
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“I like to say that surety is the opposite of insurance.”
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“The idea in surety is that we underwrite to zero losses.”
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“Surety is an exciting part of the insurance industry because it’s really different.”
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“Going out on your own isn’t for everybody. It’s a lot of work, but I love it.”
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“This is such a unique and different product that everyone needs to know about it.”
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“I want to get other agents as excited about surety as I am.”
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“The concept of surety has been around for 4,000 years. It’s the most archaic part of the insurance industry.”
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‘The future is coming faster and faster, and we need to be ready for it.”