As Pie’s first Chief Claims Officer, Dimitrius King is responsible for leading and implementing the company’s claims strategy. Over the past 15 years, Dimitrius has held various strategic and claims leadership roles in both personal lines and commercial lines at Liberty Mutual and The Hartford. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Dimitrius discuss his shift away from one of the largest insurance organizations in the world into insurtech, claims, and Dimitrius’s commitment to improving DEI in the insurance industry.

Key Takeaways

• Dimitrius shares the career path that gave him exposure to several aspects of the industry.

• Transitioning from a large, established organization to a smaller company.

• Questions to ask yourself when approaching a major transition.

• Tactics for effectively enhancing a company culture.

• Building a foundation for an organization that can expand into the future.

• The current state and future of the role of insurtech.

• Dimitrius shares his message for people who are considering a career in claims.

• The impact of new technology in the claims space.

• Strategies for better communicating the insurance industry’s value proposition.

• The importance of DEI efforts in the insurance industry.

• Dimitrius’s advice for attracting new talent to the industry.

• Micro to macro level, a look at the future of the insurance industry.

• Dimitrius shares his advice to his early-career self.

Description: After 39 years on the carrier side of the industry, Greg Massey retired from Zurich and launched GJM Advisors, LLC in 2022. Now he provides Property & Casualty product, strategy, portfolio management, education, and leadership advisory & consulting. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire welcomes Greg for a conversation about the post-career phase of life. As soon as he retired, Greg found himself entertaining offers for consulting, advising, and staying active in the insurance industry. He highlights the variety of work that he has done, how the industry can better attract and retain talent, and his advice to take more risks in the earlier stages of a career.

Key Takeaways

• Greg highlights his career and his experience with post-retirement job offers.

• Career growth opportunities in the program space.

• Market changes in the capital that is going into the program space.

• Addressing the talent gap across the insurance industry.

• Industry adaptations to talent over the years of Greg’s career.

• Greg’s dedication to the CPCU Society has impacted his career in positive ways.

• Stepping back from a main career and into a consulting role in the industry.

• Tactics for attracting new talent into the insurance industry.

• Greg’s recommendations for effectively training new talent.

• A five-year look at changes and improvements in the industry.

• Greg’s early career advice and assurance to himself.

After graduating from FSU’s Risk Management/Insurance program, Tom Budz began his insurance career at AmTrust, where he held several underwriting positions including Specialty Practice Underwriter working with specialty verticals and national brokers. Tom currently works as a Middle Market Underwriter for Chubb and works part-time at the local fire department and as a volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister program. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire sits down with Tom for a look at the lessons that firefighting can teach insurance about safety and success. He highlights his decision to join the insurance industry, what he sees as a middle-market underwriter, and how his role as a firefighter contrasts with his work as an underwriter.

Key Takeaways

• Tom’s career in insurance began with a simple interview.

• How insurance programs can better promote themselves to close the industry talent gap.

• Tom’s experience as an underwriter hasn’t been anything like he expected.

• Firefighting keeps Tom plenty busy outside his day job hours.

• Perspectives that Tom has gained as he has surveyed fire damage.

• Trusting the insurance experts allows things to get done faster.

• The counterintuitive lessons learned from lifting equipment and fire extinguishers.

• Tom’s training experience in the fire department translates to his work in the insurance office.

• Whether relocating for work or working remotely, attracting new talent to the industry requires options and flexibility.

• Tom’s take on the value of a hybrid work schedule.

• Life lessons from Tom’s work as a firefighter that apply to anyone.

• Tom’s success and progress encouragement for his early-career self.

Manohar Pradhan is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer with responsibility for Insurance Products and IT operations at Cabrillo Coastal. He joined Cabrillo as a systems analyst in 2009 and grew his career through a series of leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including Assistant Vice President, Applications and Technology, Vice President, Applications, and Infrastructure Operations. In 2017, he was named Chief Information Officer and today he holds both CPCU and ARe designations. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Manohar joins Chris Hampshire for a look at what it means to work for a coastal company in the insurance industry, the role of technology, data, and analytics, and what exactly the evolving future of the insurance industry might look like.

Key Takeaways

• Manohar’s first exposure to insurance was at a consulting firm in India.

• The intersection of the business and technology sides of insurance attracted Manohar to the industry.

• The motivation behind Manohar earning his CPCU designation.

• A day in the life of a Chief Technology Officer.

• Factors that contribute to the current crisis state of coastal property insurance.

• The data and analytics tactics that are driving better results in coastal property insurance.

• Proactive steps in resolving claims are made possible by data and analytics.

• A five-year look at the future of coastal property insurance, technological advances in insurance coverage, and mitigation standards.

• Manohar’s business and technology advice to his early career self.

Doug McElhaney is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and will be the opening Keynote Speaker at In2Risk 2023. Doug is the global leader of McKinsey’s dedicated group of AI practitioners serving P&C and life insurance companies. In this role, Doug leads a global team of data scientists, AI experts, and data engineers that help leading insurance companies build next-generation analytics solutions and centers of excellence, helping insurers expand their use of external data in their AI models and solutions. He has also helped both life and P&C insurers develop innovative new pricing and underwriting capabilities using third-party data and machine learning. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire sits down with Doug for a discussion about the application of AI, the advancement of data analytics, and other timely topics in the insurance world.

Key Takeaways

• Solving a variety of problems has been the aim of Doug’s career journey.

• A lagging utilization of innovation in insurance has presented opportunities for growth.

• As a consultant, Doug has found an excellent alternative way to apply his skill.

• Doug’s definition of the potential and hype of artificial intelligence.

• An overview of the positive and potential negative applications of AI.

• Could AI help address the talent gap in the insurance industry?

• Advice and sources for keeping up with technological innovations.

• Tactics for preparing the future workforce with needed skills.

• Appealing to people who might be considering a career in the insurance industry.

• A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.

• Doug’s wise advice to his early career self.

Amanda Sulkosky is a senior analyst for the business, planning, and analysis department at NJM Insurance Group. Amanda earned the CPCU designation in 2022 and is actively involved in the Central Jersey Chapter of the CPCU Society, where she assists with volunteer recruitment and development. She is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Committee and Tech & Innovation Committee, where she brings her expertise and insights to help drive innovation and progress within the organization to the global CPCU society. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire welcomes Amanda for a conversation about the finance side of the insurance industry, why Amanda chose the insurance industry, and her insights into attracting new talent to the industry.

Key Takeaways

• The family and career path that led Amanda to the insurance industry.

• A comparison of Amanda’s experience with an insurance carrier to other finance fields.

• A typical week in the life of Amanda’s accounting work.

• Accounting work contributes to the overall health of an organization in a variety of ways.

• Reasons anyone should consider a career in the insurance industry.

• Strategies for attracting the next generation of talent into the industry.

• Considerations when deciding between a global or regional entity.

• The value of Amanda’s CPCU designation in her career and efforts for continued education.

• Involvement in both global and local committees has benefitted Amanda’s career.

• A five-year look at the evolving role of technology in the insurance industry.

• Amanda’s encouraging advice for her early career self.

Justice Peprah Agyei is the Regional Manager of the National Insurance Commission in Ghana, a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), and an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the United Kingdom and Ghana (ACII, ACIIG). He holds an MPhil in Enterprise Risk Management and Business Consulting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Justice discuss insurance in Ghana and Africa and the positive ways his CPCU designation has impacted his career.

Key Takeaways

• Highlights of Justice’s professional journey into the insurance industry.

• An overview of the insurance landscape in Ghana.

• Two main contributors to the growth of personal insurance coverage in Africa.

• The motivation behind Justice’s app-technology approach to offering insurance.

• Highlights of the commercial insurance growth in Ghana.

• Justice details the impact of his letter to the president of Ghana regarding unemployment insurance during COVID.

• The motivation behind Justice’s articles and how he is benefitting the industry.

• Justice outlines the ways his CPCU designation has benefitted his career.

• The early career advice Justice wishes he would have known years ago.

Quotes

• “Insurance is something interesting. It’s something I can think of as my profession.”

• “Insurance education has grown very well in the past years.”

• “Penetration is still low, around 2%, but the coverage has gone up.”

• “This approach has made it easier even for those who are not educated in insurance.”

• “My CPCU designation is one of the great things that has happened to me in my insurance career.”

• “When I joined the CPCU, that’s when the magic started.”

Description: Dr. Simi George is the Chief Data Scientist and Product Officer at NeuralMetrics, which enables actionable and transparent risk-assessment intelligence for P&C carriers, brokers, and agents. She has more than 20 years of experience in data science, descriptive statistics, and analytics, delivering global impact via cutting-edge products and data-driven management. Previously, she headed the Data Science and Applied AI organization at AXA XL. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Simi sit down for a conversation about how data science is driving decision-making in the insurance industry today.

Key Takeaways

• Simi knew by age 10 that she wanted to be a scientist but only entered the insurance industry six years ago.

• The elements of the insurance industry appeal most to Simi.

• Simi’s message to data scientists who might be considering the insurance industry.

• Innovations and ideas are driving the industry forward today.

• A snapshot of data analytics in the current insurance industry.

• Data analytics needs from various segments within the marketplace.

• Defining unstructured versus structured data.

• Simi’s predictions for the next stage of data analytics in the insurance industry.

• The future of the insurance industry is going to include improved interpersonal interactions.

• Simi’s experience as a female leader in the industry.

• What has surprised Simi in the six years she has been involved in the industry? 

• Simi’s advice to her past self includes earning her CPCU designation.

Eric Hubicki is a Senior Vice President of Underwriting for North Carolina-based Topsail Reinsurance Underwriters, LLC. He has more than 25 years of experience in primary and reinsurance underwriting operations. After spending time on the primary side in underwriting and management roles, Eric started his reinsurance career with SCOR Reinsurance. He was an integral member of a specialty lines unit at Munich Re and BMS Intermediaries. Before joining Topsail Re, he was a Director at Arch Reinsurance Company. Eric’s reinsurance responsibilities included marketing, underwriting, and account management for national, regional, specialty, and niche insurance companies. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Eric sits down with Chris Hampshire for a conversation about the world of reinsurance and fronting and the importance of insurance education and involvement in professional organizations in the insurance industry.

Key Takeaways

• Eric’s accidental entry into the insurance industry.

• Questions Eric asked himself when transitioning into reinsurance.

• The importance of creating connections across the industry.

• A top-down approach attracted Eric to reinsurance.

• What does a fronting carrier do and how do they approach the marketplace?

• Eric’s forecast on the future of the fronting space.

• With six insurance designations, Eric appreciates the value of continued education.

• Eric’s roles and responsibilities as a mutual board member.

• The career benefits of involvement in professional organizations.

• Eric’s best practices for effective mentoring and attracting talent to the industry.

• Eric’s message for anyone considering a future in the insurance industry.

• What Eric knows now that he wishes he had known at the beginning of his career.

Quotes

• “In the insurance industry, I’ve never stopped learning and it’s always challenging.”

• “I’ve always been impressed in the insurance industry with just how good the people are.”

• “CPCU has always been the gold standard of my insurance designations.”

• “Insurance may not be the sexiest industry on this earth, but it is a wonderful place to be.”

Erin Dop is a multi-line insurance producer and third-generation insurance professional at Fullenkamp Insurance, the agency her grandfather started in 1963. She is the latest CPCU designee in her family and is active in the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) association. Erin was the recipient of the C. Daniel Fullwider Young Agents of the Year award for the state of Iowa in 2021. She continues to promote the industry through her efforts with the IIAI on various committees including the education committee and as the current young agent committee chair. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Erin joins Chris Hampshire for a conversation about growing up in the insurance industry, how digital evolutions affect small agencies, and the value of Erin’s CPCU designation and involvement in the CPCU Society.

Key Takeaways

• The motivation behind Erin’s decision to follow the family path into insurance.

• An average day in the life of Erin’s work at Fullenkamp Insurance.

• Business acquisition and retention for a regional agency in the age of digital insurance.

• Erin’s team educates clients with newsletters, in-person meetings, and a personal connection.

• A look at digital evolutions on the small agency front.

• Attracting and retaining talent starts with a robust compensation package.

• Erin’s message to new talent is to just give it a shot.

• The social impact aspect of the insurance industry is an attractive feature for the next generation.

• Erin highlights her scholarship opportunities and the professional and personal importance of her CPCU designation.

• The impact of involvement in the CPCU Society on Erin’s career.

• A five-year forecast for the future at Fullenkamp Insurance.

• Erin’s advice to her early-career self.

Quotes

●       “It’s tough to move completely to a digital standpoint when the relationship is so key.”

●       “It can be tough to get people excited about working in the insurance industry if they’ve never had a conversation with their agent.”

●       “Why insurance? Why not! Why not give it a try?”

●       “If I have questions or concerns… I know I can reach out to someone in the CPCU Society.”

●       “We are all after the same goal of doing what’s right for the insured.”