Leader's Edge

This episode marks the beginning of a series of interviews with subject matter experts from U.S.-based insurer Nationwide.

In this episode we meet Ben Davis, a loss control manager with Nationwide’s loss control services team. Davis helps us better understand business continuity plan development (including the important difference between business continuity planning, disaster recovery, and contingency planning, and how they work together) and the critical importance of having plans in place for your organization, regardless of size. We talk weather disasters, cyber security, construction, supply chain, agriculture and more, and how business continuity planning plays an integral role for each business need and operational aspect, regardless of industry. Davis also highlights the opportunity for brokers and insurers to work together to ensure their clients have proper BCP coverage beyond standard policies. “Even the best insurance coverage cannot be the sole remedy,” says Davis. “A business continuity plan that includes integrated ins coverage [is] really the best risk management strategy that the insured can have.”

Tune in to hear Gabby Taveras, co-founder of Equal Pay Group, a D&I consulting firm, on why now is the time to close the wage gap.

Taveras also shares how to educate organizations on integrating inclusivity and equity into business decisions, hiring practices and retention strategies.

We discuss what UnitedHealthcare is doing to address healthcare disparities and access to care, as well as the effectiveness of wellness programs and the future of telehealth.

Business leaders are looking for answers to what they see as unsustainable practices in our healthcare system. Shawn Gremminger, director of health policy at the Purchaser Business Group on Health, which supports public and private purchasers of healthcare, discusses the issues critical to their members. These include market consolidation of health systems, drug pricing reform, value-based payment in employer plans, and how a public option would mingle with ESI.

This is part 2 of our conversation with AXA XL’s Maria Duhart, Head of the Commercial Bonds, Political Risk, and Credit & Bond Practice, and Stuart Barrowcliff, Vice President & Senior Underwriter of AXA XL’s Political Risk, Credit & Bond team in the Americas.

Here we turn to Covid-19 and the effects on the political risk and commercial bond markets. And we talk about AXA XL’s work in sustainability and climate change.

In this episode of Falling Into It, we meet Ilana Shackelford, a 32-year-old account coordinator on the executive risk team at ABD, who hopes to manage her own book of business one day, while continuing to effect change in the industry.

This episode marks the beginning of a series of interviews with subject matter experts from global insurer and reinsurer AXA XL. In this episode we meet Maria Duhart, head of the company’s commercial bonds, political risk and credit and bond practice. Joining her is Stuart Barrowcliff, vice president and senior underwriter of AXA XL’s political risk credit and bond division. They discuss the impact of political volatility on global investments in resilience and economic infrastructure as well as areas in which investment is growing.

In this episode of Falling Into It, we meet Isaac Lintz, a 28-year-old new to the brokerage scene whose pursuit of a career in insurance was fueled by his experience as a college athlete. Lintz, who played wide receiver for the University of Northern Iowa, spent several years in sales oriented roles following graduation, only to find his true passion in insurance brokerage in December 2019. Here, he discusses how being a college athlete helped him adjust to the pressures of starting fresh in a new field without any formal insurance background. Lintz found early success at Holmes Murphy thanks to his natural ability to learn and adapt, and to communicate with others. His mantra "slow down to speed up" has helped him gain knowledge and confidence as he continues down the path to a bright future.

Ramnath Balasubramanian is a senior partner at McKinsey focused on insurance and private equity. He works extensively with insurers, brokerages, private equity sponsors and portfolio companies on a range of topics including strategy, digital and analytics transformations, and distribution. Matthew Scally is a McKinsey partner serving private equity clients on engagements including the development of funds, diligence efforts and supporting portfolio companies after acquisition. He also works within the insurance and employee benefits ecosystem serving brokerages, carriers, benefits administration platforms and benefits aggregators.

Q&A with Andy Mathisen, Co-Founder and CMO, GloveBox. The 31-year-old talks about the company he co-founded, jumping into the commercial insurance space and what it was like growing up in a family full of insurance agents. Falling Into It is a new, limited-series podcast focused on young professionals in the insurance and risk management industries.