This session will provide an overall economic outlook of the property/casualty insurance industry. This session will include a high-level look at industry trends and disrupters. The always-popular Robert Hartwig, Ph.D., will provide important insights that will help you manage your company’s risk.

Robert Hartwig, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Risk & Uncertainty Management
University of South Carolina

This session examines the coverage issues involving the COVID-19 pandemic and property/casualty insurance, specifically business income coverage, to build a substantive case for why most policies do NOT cover viral pandemics.

Bill Wilson, CPCU, ARM

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
InsuranceCommentary.com

Geospatial analysis has evolved rapidly the last few years, from identifying and returning building and property attributes to predicting the likelihood of a claim on a property. Today, geospatial analytics and remote property intelligence solutions are being successfully deployed throughout the policy lifecycle to improve risk selection, proactively address property issues with insureds and agents, accelerate claims decision-making, and detect potential fraud. With so many options, insurance carriers looking to implement this technology are now left to wonder where the best place to start is and how to get the best return on investment.

Dave Tobias

Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Betterview

It's ransomware. No, it's a data breach. Wait, is it a business email compromise, too? Ransomware has evolved to become not just a cyberattack, not just extortion, but something that triggers most, if not all comprehensive cyber coverages. During this session, a panel of legal counsel will discuss recent ransomware strains and coverage implications. The panel will also discuss the coverages that may be important for the next wave of attacks.

Monique Ferraro

Cyber Counsel
HSB

Property/casualty commercial lines underwriting will look different by 2030. Small markets are already shifting to new digital transformational business models. Midsize and large businesses are the new open space ripe for digital transformation and the leap into a new model for 2030. Every commercial lines insurance business has a choice to make – either stay the course or embrace a paradigm shift. During this session, Deb Smallwood will share a recipe for transformational change that is business led and technology enabled with a focus on creating a culture of change readiness.

Deb Smallwood

Senior Partner, Carrier Transformation
Strategy Meets Action, A ReSource Pro Company

Digital dependence amid the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the continued buildout of 5G cellular networks may have ushered in our technologically driven future in the blink of an eye. Yet, for all the promises and enhancements 5G offers, insurers need to prepare to navigate the numerous accompanying concerns and risks. This session will examine the current status of 5G deployment, the risks 5G may pose, and the opportunities it may present now and after the COVID-19 pandemic. By understanding how the risk environment will be impacted, attendees can better arm their short-term and long-term strategies.

David Geller, CPCU, SCLA

Product Development Specialist
ISO

During the last few years, geospatial analysis has evolved rapidly from returning data about buildings and properties to factoring in multiple geospatial data sources to predict the likelihood of a claim. As geospatial analysis has evolved, so have savvy insurance carriers that are now transitioning from reactively paying claims to proactively addressing building and property issues to avoid potential claims.

Dave Tobias

Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Betterview

Recent record-breaking wildfire seasons mean insurers are likely facing long-term trends of increasing wildfire activity. Wildfire risk assessment for property insurance is a complex interplay of large-scale data and analytics. Yet, with coordinated research and education comes the potential to mitigate wildfire losses by helping stakeholders stay prepared and informed in a dynamic environment.

Dr. Arindam Samanta

Director, Product Management
Verisk

Homeowners carriers and personal lines carriers with legacy identity theft expense policies need to consider the new and complex emerging risks that impact policyholders and their families. Today’s personal fraud risks are far cries from mail theft and dumpster diving of the early 2000s. One example of just how much life has changed is the exponential growth of video gaming fraud. With 2.6 billion mobile gamers, 1.3 billion PC gamers, and more than 729 million console gamers around the world, if you aren’t playing video games, its certain you someone who is. This session will look at standard homeowners’ legacy identity theft coverages and how they fail to respond to more and more modern risks. Video gaming fraud case studies and trends will be used to reveal the many cracks in and weathering of existing homeowners’ personal fraud/identity theft coverages. Finally, the presenter will talk about how updates to personal cyber policies that cover a broader breadth of personal fraud perils, such as those found in video gaming fraud, can provide added value and protection for policyholders.

Eduard Goodman, JD, LLM

Global Privacy Officer
Cyberscout

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives to an unprecedented degree. To what extent did the pandemic alter the growing social inflation threat that had been building? Does the industry still face the specter of nuclear verdicts and inflated settlements? Or has COVID-19 introduced a level of rationality and personal responsibility among jurors? Do the root causes of social inflation remain; and if so, to what degree? This session will explore these factors and provide suggestions as to how the industry might navigate its way going forward.

Tim Fletcher

Senior Emerging Issues Specialist
Gen Re

During the COVID-19 lockdown, collecting key underwriting data for commercial properties became a big challenge. Many limitations have changed the dynamics and are shifting the way insurers are willing to interact with each other, their customers, and their partners. Insurers have had to rethink the way they operate to continue to serve their customers while also collecting the key data they need to make timely decisions without disrupting or risking their underwriting results. During this session, attendees will learn about the consequences of this challenging situation and the limiting factors to collecting data. They will learn about the shifts in demand behavior and how to ensure data quality and accuracy in a world of virtual surveys. Finally, they will learn which risks are better suited for this method and why.

Elizabeth Casas

Head of Product Innovation for Commercial Property Underwriting
ISO

Insurers face significant challenges related to writing and managing cyber risk. The relentless pace of new cyber threats combined with a lack of access to industry-wide cyber exposure information has made day-to-day effectiveness and long-term profitability seem daunting. Insurers are left with fundamental challenges about how to execute and sustain a successful cyber program. This session will help insurers understand the challenges they face and equip them with best practices to more effectively and efficiently operationalize and deliver customer-focused cyber solutions. Attendees will be able to relate the information learned to their own practices to determine if they are caught up. They will also learn how to consider infusing best practices to improve their program management and underwriting strategies.

Alan Frith

Assistant Vice President
Verisk Cyber Solutions

Policyholders and facing a multitude of threats – faulty wire transfers, social engineering, and phishing and ransomware attacks What are the real-life scenarios for businesses when their policies are not in line with the cyber trends? Join this session to find out.

Joe Salpietro

Vice President of Claims
Cyberscout

The past few years have seen an expansion of cyber products in the personal lines market. This session will focus on the “why” behind personal lines cyber insurance by not only outlining the products available, but more importantly, focusing on the need for these protections.

Jeff Cron

Vice President and Solutions Leader
Berkley Re Solutions

Recent years have set a new standard in flood frequency and severity in the United States. These unpredictable events highlight the need for your clients and policyholders to have effective flood coverage that mitigates risk and builds stronger resiliency to severe weather.

Serena Garrahan

Vice President, Inland Flood Product Manager
Munich Re

Raghuveer Vinukollu

Natural Catastrophe Solutions Lead
Munich Re

This engaging session will explore the agent-underwriter dynamic by shining a light on both roles in today's market, including the realities each face. Attendees will discover the factors influencing decision-making and share ideas for creating more efficient and effective communication, all with the goal of creating mutually beneficial business relationships and driving business outcomes.

Meg McKeen, CIC

Founder
Adjunct Advisors LLC

One out of five occupational fatalities is attributed to workplace violence. One in seven Americans don't feel safe at work. Two million workers report being victims of workplace violence each year. Americans miss 1.8 million days of work each year. Our customers rely on us to protect them. During this session, attendees will learn about current coverages and services carriers can bring their customers in an efficient easy-to-understand manner. They will also hear how carriers are using various coverage and service solutions to address this increasingly troublesome exposure.

Christopher Ellis

Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Berkley Re Solutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many premium audit departments to increase the number of virtual audits because they follow social distancing guidelines and don’t require people to be physically present at insureds’ facilities.  Virtual audits may also take on an expanded role in the post COVID-19 era, becoming part of the “new normal,” as carriers realize the rewards of decreased audit costs, a reduced carbon footprint, and the ability to balance workloads among auditors. During this session, the presenter will explore helpful tips, lessons learned, and best practices that can be used to help create and enhance a successful virtual audit program.

Kristen Chenowith, APA, CIPA

Technical Manager, Workers’ Compensation, PAAS
Verisk

Is your organization prepared for the upcoming wildfire season? During this session, attendees will learn about the changes in the wildfire risk landscape and the lessons that have been learned since the devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons.

Mark Bove

Meteorologist and Natural Catastrophe Solutions Manager
Munich Re

The small commercial market is in a “race to zero.” Insurers and managing general agents are on a mission to reduce the number of application questions until the only data that needs to be entered is name and address. However, there are several pitfalls in this journey, and missteps can mean wasted investment and backward movement. During this session, attendees will learn concrete actions that can be taken to accelerate the race to zero. The presenter will address best practices in incorporating data and analytics to reduce application questions, common missteps taken while automating underwriting and how to avoid them, and how to bring together data, analytics, technology, and innovation to increase the number of risks being automatically underwritten.

Othman Loudghiri

Product Manager, Small Commercial Underwriting
ISO

Tracey Waller

Director, Small Commercial Underwriting
ISO