Mutual Insurers: The Perfect Business Model?
Insurance Speak
Four years ago, Chuck Chamness stepped away from his 18-year tenure as president and CEO of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. He looked around at the state industry he’d long worked for and with, and he saw a mélange of strong businesses facing seemingly insurmountable headwinds: Inflation, catastrophe costs, regulatory uncertainty, public perception problems, and the poky pace of technology adoption all served as fiscal stressors for insurance carriers; particularly smaller, regional, mutual insurance operators. In this January 2025 interview, Chamness expands on what...
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When ‘I Do!’ Turns Into ‘Oh No!’
Insurance Speak
Deidre LeBlanc of Travelers joins us for a discussion on wedding worst-case scenarios and how insurance can safeguard a couple’s big day.
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From Amateur to Professional: How Hobbies Fuel Insurance Success
Insurance Speak
Historically, hobbies were thought of as both frivolous and productive. It is worth noting, however, that some major advances happened as the result of hobbyists. Consider Comet Hale-Bopp, which was discovered in 1995 by two amateur astronomers. On this episode of Insurance Speak, we capitalize on Insurance Careers Month to talk with three insurance executives about the ways in which their hobbies inform their careers. With an eye toward illuminating the types of skills and interests that can translate well to the insurance world, Grace Global Capital Managing Director Grace...
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Shining a Light on Solar Risk
Insurance Speak
In this episode of Insurance Speak, KwH Analytics CEO Jason Kaminsky talks about jiw company’s annual Solar Risk Assessment, a report that aims to advance the solar and renewable-energy storage industries. This research is designed intentionally for a non-technical financial community. It provides investors, insureds and insurance organizations with the latest insights on the evolution of solar facility risk and mitigation strategies.
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Insurance Protections for Greenwashing and ESG Claims
Insurance Speak
Insurance protections for greenwashing and ESG claims Description: Carolyn Rosenberg of Reed Smith discusses how greenwashing claims have evolved and how businesses can protect themselves with the right insurance.
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What Keeps Today's Business Leaders Up at Night?
Insurance Speak
Today's CFOs worry about economic uncertainty, market competition, talent retention, cyber threats and a host of other operational concerns. It’s no wonder: These C-Suite leaders are taking on more responsibility than ever before, and that includes making decisions about insurance, according to the Travelers 2024 CFO Study. Being a CFO is “a much more complex role” than it used to be, explains Joan Woodward, executive vice president of Public Policy for Travelers and president of the Travelers Institute. She also hosts the topical weekly podcast, “Wednesdays with Woodward.” In...
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Healthy Business Cybersecurity Starts with a Check-Up
Insurance Speak
Roger Spears of Schneider Downs discusses how businesses can evaluate their cybersecurity practices and limit their vulnerability to online threats.
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Cyber Insurance in 2024: Prices Down, Coverages Expand
Insurance Speak
In 2024, cyber insurance prices are down and coverage options have expanded as carriers become ever more savvy regarding cybersecurity measures. Here, we look at how far the cyber insurance market has come over the last two years, with insights from Flow Specialty's midyear Cyber Insurance State of the Market Market Report, as compared to this archival interview with a HSB cyber expert.
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Curbing Critter Car Claims
Insurance Speak
Ken Huening, CEO of CoverSeal, discusses rodent-related vehicle claims and how drivers can proactively protect their rides from the climate change-driven increase in these incidents.
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With Great Influence Comes Great Responsibility
Insurance Speak
Influencer. It’s a word and an idea that a decade ago seemed like a fad. But thanks to the cross pollination of niche communities on the internet and digital-marketing smarts, today’s social-media celebrities are hotter than ever. Such "influencers" have built an industry that’s worth millions and hold sway over significant segments of humanity. With all of that influence comes murky and often misunderstood risk, liability and insurance concerns. On this episode of Insurance Speak, Katie Pope, vice president of Executive Lines at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, illuminates...
info_outlineThe risk landscape for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) markedly changed over the last five years as enterprises first adjusted to the shutdowns and distanced interactions dictated by the COVID pandemic, and then as lasting societal shifts (like the rise of remote workers) settled into daily life in the time since the pandemic. The insurtech firm Bold Penguin set out to better understand these business changes and what they mean to insurance professionals and organizations, in order to better direct and advise its industry partners. In this episode, Bold Penguin Vice President of Carrier Operations Nicole Farley talks about the growing commercial-insurance opportunities for agents and brokers along with other insights from the company’s new report, “The Evolving Risks of Small Businesses.”