Podcasts about WTW

Kate Fowler is the Global Head of Nuclear at WTW and a certified fire protection specialist. She previously contributed to Marsh's Global Specialty Energy & Power team, where she worked to advance nuclear energy initiatives. In this live from RIMS 2025 Chicago episode, Kate offers an insight into this highly specialized sector of risk management, including a look at the future of nuclear energy, the benefits of earning her ARM and CPCU advancing nuclear energy initiatives designations, and what she wishes she had known at the onset of her insurance career.   Key Takeaways: ● Kate's role with WTW aims to support the global construction practice with nuclear plant contractors and potential operators. ● Originally an architectural engineer, nuclear engineering wasn't in Kate's initial career plan. ● The technical ins and outs of fire protection. ● Transitioning from loss control to underwriting to the broker side. ● Nuclear energy is ramping up again for the first time in a decade. ● Energy independence is becoming a greater focus than ever before. ● Clean energy technologies will be part of future solutions. ● Kate's perspective and expectation shift from an underwriter to a broker. ● The benefits of ARM and CPCU designations in Kate's career. ● Considerations when moving from one established broker to another. ● Types of nuclear energy, including advanced reactors, fission, and fusion. ● Kate's experience as a woman in a male-dominated field. ● Kate still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up — and that's okay. ● Don't worry about a career plan, just follow the breadcrumbs. ● Recruiting talent in the nuclear insurance industry means building a talent pool.   Mentioned in This Episode: Kate Fowler WTW   Tweetables:   “Originally, I didn't even know nuclear insurance was a thing.”   “I want to do more for the nuclear industry and support more people in the nuclear industry.”   “For all of the new nuclear assets that are coming online, the first thing you've got to do is construct them.”   “My career has absolutely not gone the way I expected it to, and it has been amazing.”  

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews James Swanke, Lecturer in Risk and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Wisconsin School of Business. He currently serves as Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA program. Justin and Jim talk about his 42 years of experience in Risk Consulting with Willis Towers Watson, and his specialties there, particularly with captives. They discuss the University of Wisconsin-Madison Risk Management and Insurance MBA program, what the students learn, and the competitions they have won in the last year, and they look forward to winning this year. Also, Jim tells of disc jockeying in college, from Classic Rock to Polka.   Listen to learn about captive design, how to prepare for emerging trends, and who wrote the best music of the '70s.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our special International Podcast Day episode because it's released on September 30th. We will be joined by Jim Swanke. He's a lecturer in the Risk Management Program of the University of Wisconsin. [:46] Jim started his career in broadcasting, and he still has the voice. We've got a lot to talk about today! [:54] RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops! The next RIMS CRMP Prep Workshops will be held on October 29th and 30th and led by John Button. [1:06] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Workshop will be held on November 11th and 12th and led by Joseph Mayo. Links to these courses can be found through the Certifications page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [1:23] RIMS Virtual Workshops! RIMS has launched a new course, “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders.” It will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. [1:39] On November 11th and 12th, Chris Hansen will lead “Fundamentals of Insurance”. It features everything you've always wanted to know about insurance but were afraid to ask. Fear not; ask Chris Hansen! RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on virtual workshops! [1:58] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes. [2:09] Several RIMS Webinars are being hosted this Fall. On October 9th, Global Risk Consultants returns to deliver “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes”. [2:22] On October 16th, Zurich returns to deliver “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape”. On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:39] On November 6th, HUB will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars. [2:51] We're very excited that today is International Podcast Day! Before we celebrate, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and mourn the passing of Todd Cochrane. Todd was a podcast pioneer. [3:06] I've linked in this episode's show notes to a wonderful obituary from Podnews®, about his career, starting with his time in the Navy up to launching his own podcast, and writing Podcasting: The Do It Yourself Guide, from Wiley Publishing in 2005. [3:25] Over the last couple of months, I've had the pleasure of communicating with Todd over email for the Podcast Awards, and it was only last week that I saw the unfortunate news of his passing, which occurred suddenly on September 8th. [3:30] Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and the greater podcasting industry. [3:47] On with the show! This is our special International Podcast Day episode, and I am delighted to be joined by James Swanke, the Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA Program at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [4:06] Jim spent four decades at WTW, specializing in financial and strategic planning issues, as well as captive insurance company design. [4:18] Jim was recently quoted in a new professional report, available on the RIMS Risk Knowledge page, and sponsored by LineSlip Solutions, titled “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization.” [4:32] Jim got his start at the University of Wisconsin in broadcasting. We're going to talk about his career path and how being a disc jockey led him to where he is today, educating the next generation of risk professionals. Let's get to it! [4:50] Interview! Jim Swanke, welcome to RIMScast! [5:38] When Jim was in high school, he competed in forensics, in extemporaneous speaking. He did very well. He did well at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and it got put in the newspaper. WLDY, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, saw it in the newspaper and contacted him. [6:03] They were looking for a radio jock to “spin vinyls,” do some DJing, and read sports and news. That job helped Jim get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [6:21] Jim studied actuarial science and risk management. He went into the Bachelor's program, the MBA program, and the graduate program in risk management, insurance, and corporate finance. [6:40] Jim was hired by the Wyatt Company and did lots of feasibility studies. After 42 years at Willis Towers Watson, he retired. Now he teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [6:57] Broadcasting set Jim on his path. He says that everything about what we do in the captive and risk management area is about communication. If you're not communicating, listening, helping out, and building stuff, you're not going to be a success. [7:28] When Jim was a DJ at WLDY, they played different kinds of music. On Sundays, he played polka music. On Saturdays, it was country western, and Monday through Friday, it was rock music. Rock music is what he enjoys. At the top of every hour, he did the news and weather. [8:13] Justin recalls his own career. He was just waiting for podcasting to be invented, then he was able to make it all work out. [8:31] Jim worked with captives at Willis Towers Watson. He is quoted in a new LineSlip paper, “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization.” Justin saw his name there and thought it would be good to have him on RIMScast. [8:53] Jim described captives as a lifeline during extreme market conditions, comparing today's hard market to the turbulence of the 1980s. Jim tells what makes captives effective under hard conditions. Captives allow organizations to control their own destiny. [9:20] When you're in a hard market, having a captive allows you to take premiums that you normally pay to a commercial insurance carrier and put them into your captive insurance company. A captive is a subsidiary of the captive owner. [9:41] Most of the Fortune 500 companies in the United States have a captive. It allows them to arbitrage whatever's going on in the insurance marketplace. When we're having a difficult market, they put more of their premiums into the captive and rely on the captive more. [9:58] When the market softens, carriers may provide insurance at premiums that are lower than the expected losses. Organizations will buy commercial insurance all the time when the premiums are less than their projected losses. [10:14] Depending on where it is in the market, a captive has a role in an organization's risk management program. [10:27] Jim says a lot of organizations have looked to captives since 2020. We were in the midst of the pandemic, with all kinds of economic hardship. The insurance industry was in despair, as well. A lot of insurance companies cut back on the limits they were willing to offer. [10:49] Insurance companies put additional exclusions onto their insurance, so organizations had to rely on their own sophisticated ways of financing their losses. If they hadn't set up a captive, they set up a captive. If they had a captive in the past, they re-engineered it to do more. [11:15] They also used their captives to access the reinsurance marketplace. Reinsurance is insurance for insurance companies. A captive can be used as a platform to access reinsurers. [11:37] Even in difficult markets, having reinsurers involved created more competition, provided more limits, and there was more flexibility in the coverage terms. [11:48] That was when the pandemic was going on, which triggered the hardening of the market and the lack of availability of insurance. Organizations with captives relied on them and did more. Organizations without captives had captive feasibility studies done and formed captives. [12:09] Jim says the CEO of a captive should be a senior person who will monitor what's going on, fairly senior in the organization. It's not a full-time position. It takes three or four hours a month, plus board meetings. [12:46] A captive is required to have a captive manager, who is an accountant. They keep the books and interface for the captive with the regulator. The President or CEO of the captive relies on the captive manager to do a lot of the daily work. [13:09] Jim says you need a senior person involved so people take the captive seriously. The senior person is going to be the driver in reducing the severity of loss through loss prevention and loss reduction. Having a senior person is so important to the success of the captive. [13:40] There are lots of considerations when you're looking to make changes to your captive. Changes could include adding emerging types of risks, like cyber risk. If you're a hospital, a lot of medical malpractice captives have been hugely successful and have grown surplus. [14:08] Healthcare institutions are passing on some of their capitated risk exposures into their captives because they've done quite well with their medical malpractice. These risks are not correlated with each other, so there is a diversification benefit. [14:22] As you look to make these changes, you need to look at increasing risk assumptions, different attachment points on reinsurance, and changing your investment policy. You have lots of levers, and if you make changes, you need to analyze what the impact will be on your captive. [14:52] Jim talks about leaning into technology. Before 9/11, we didn't have the sophisticated software we've created in the last few years. [15:06] To look at covering all the possibilities and changing your captives, from adding new coverages to reinsurance reattachment points, was a monumental amount of actuarial work to figure out how to optimize your captive. [15:19] Recently developed software looks at all the possibilities in terms of changing your captive to optimize what you're doing. 20 years ago, Jim would spend months doing the actuarial work, working with an investment bank and charging them heavy fees. [15:39] Now, with new software, what took Jim months and months to do can be done in a matter of two to three days. The productivity today, in terms of optimizing your captive, is far greater than it was 20 years ago, because of the software that has been developed. [15:55] Jim likes that the software looks at all the risks and how these risks interact with one another. Looking at risks in a captive holistically is very important because many of these risks are hardly correlated with one another. [16:15] Looking at risks holistically, you can figure out the diversification benefit of having all of these risks within your captive, which has a major impact on the amount of economic capital that your captive will need to maintain. This software has been a game-changer. [16:34] RIMS Events! On October 1st through the 3rd, the RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held in North San Jose at the Santa Clara Marriott. The agenda is live. It looks fantastic! Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and register today! [16:55] On November 17th and 18th, join us in Seattle, Washington, for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025. The agenda is live. Check out Episode 357 for Justin's dialogue with ERM Conference Keynote Presenter Dan Chuparkoff on AI and the future of risk. [17:14] Visit the Events page of RIMS.org to register. [17:17] RISKWORLD 2026 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 3rd through May 6th. RIMS members can now lock in the 2025 rate for a full conference pass to RISKWORLD 2026 when you register by September 30th! [17:32] This also lets you enjoy earlier access to the RISKWORLD hotel block. Register by September 30th, and you will also be entered to win a $500 raffle! Do not miss out on this chance to plan and score some of these extra perks! [17:46] The members-only registration link is on this episode's show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to join us! Visit RIMS.org/Membership and build your network with us here at RIMS! [17:56] If you are listening to RIMScast on our broadcast day, that means today is September 30th. It is last call for registration at the Earlybird rate! [18:08] In the spirit of it being September 30th, which is International Podcast Day, let's return to our interview with Jim Swanke! [18:22] Jim is the Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The curriculum includes technology, AI, and automation. In his classes, Jim is using the new software he discussed earlier. [18:46] Jim taught a class the day before on the principles of risk management. He talked about how risks are interrelated with each other and how you need to analyze them holistically, figuring out how they are correlated, not in siloes. [19:13] The holistic view will give you the best answer in terms of the economic capital that will be required to put into your captive. If you're analyzing risks silo by silo for each risk, that will lead you to having more economic capital in your captive than you need. [19:35] Jim has learned, in 42 years of consulting, that the CFOs in these organizations don't want to trap cash in their captives. Teaching this software to this new generation of students, they will be able to step into the roles of captive managers that the industry will need. [20:07] We're at the tip of the iceberg with AI. We're still learning in Academia what the power of AI is going to be. Jim foresees AI being very important in handling claims and in underwriting. [20:30] AI will allow commercial insurance companies to have a better way of doing their pricing and making decisions on whether or not risks should be accepted. It will also be beneficial to captives. [20:43] Jim thinks AI will advance the technology far ahead. We're just beginning to touch on some of the advantages within the insurance industry and within captives. [21:05] Jim started teaching in 2011. When University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Dan Anderson retired, Jim was chosen to teach a class on sustainability that was started by Professor Anderson. He has taught it since 2011. [21:41] At the time, some students did not think anything was going on with climate change. A couple of students stood up in class and said all of this was just made up. It was a fantasy. [22:03] Today, when Jim goes into class, students are there a half-hour early and stay late. They are very connected and working together to figure out how to reduce CO2 emissions to slow down the heating of the planet and the extreme weather events that are coming more often. [22:24] The class has evolved over the years, and the students are more engaged than they ever have been. [22:33] The students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison were the winners of the Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge at RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. Jim knows all of those students and had a couple of them in his class yesterday. [23:04] The students won with the Huntington, West Virginia case study, a six-month project. Huntington is on the Ohio River, and with extreme weather events, flooding has become a big issue in that community. They competed with students around the world to solve the issue. [23:49] Each school's team came up with things that could be done and conducted an analysis on what they thought was the best way of handling it. The University of Wisconsin-Madison's team focused on resiliency with levees and dikes to hold back the flooding. [24:27] The four Wisconsin students presented their paper and won, out of 61 schools competing. The University of Wisconsin-Madison received $10K. The second-place university, DePaul, received $7.5K, and the third-place school, IIRM Hyderabad (past year winner), got $5K. [25:04] The University of Wisconsin-Madison team entered two other contests last year and won them both. The CICA Captive competition involved case studies around Kaneka captives. It required an essay and a PowerPoint deck. [25:52] The MBA students entered the A.M. Best competition for insurance solutions to a global issue. The students used a combination of parametric and indemnity triggers to provide insurance to the disadvantaged in the Caribbean and Latin America. [26:23] If there was hurricane damage, it would trigger a parametric to allow an amount of money to be paid immediately to these disadvantaged families. Then there would be the indemnity insurance that would look at the actual losses and true them up to the loss amount. [26:49] It involved the combination of parametrics and conventional indemnity insurance, which was noteworthy and probably pushed the team over the top. [27:11] The professor who was the advisor in the Spencer Challenge is Carl Barlett. Carl is an attorney by training, and he has the energy to work with bachelor's students. He's graduated hundreds of people out of his program over the last four or five years. [27:59] The University has Career Fairs where 60 or 70 companies will come to meet with students. That's a credit to Carl. Not a lot of companies will come to a university to meet with students. Because of the program he put together, lots of organizations want to hire students. [28:21] The University of Wisconsin-Madison business school is typically ranked number 1. [28:31] A Final Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [28:50] Since 1999, Spencer has awarded over $2.9 million to create more than 570 Risk Management Internships. The Internship Grants application process is now open through October 15th, 2025. [29:06] To be eligible, risk managers must be based in the U.S., Canada, or Bermuda. A link to the Internship Grants page is in this episode's show notes. You can always visit SpencerEd.org, as well. [29:19] Let's Get Back to Our Interview with Jim Swanke of the University of Wisconsin-Madison! [29:46] Jim tells his students that we don't know today what the emerging risks are going to be. What we need to do is design our risk management program and keep our eyes and ears open to what is going to happen next. [30:04] Jim cites The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It gets into what we need to do as people of risk management and societies to try to identify the emerging risks that will impact us going forward. [30:21] In risk management, we look at the past to try to project what's going to happen in the future. We were caught by the pandemic. Very little business interruption insurance was offered. If we had been forward-thinking, we would have thought about coverages for the emerging risks. [31:19] An emerging risk after 9/11 was that insurance companies put exclusions on their insurance policies, excluding terrorism. The Federal Government passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) and offered it as a backstop to insurance companies. [31:55] Anybody with a captive could access that reinsurance through the U.S. Treasury, using their captive insurance company. [32:23] Jim sees more employee benefits going into captives. The advantages you have in the P&C area are also in place for employee benefits. Organizations with large workers' compensation self-insurance programs are putting excess workers' compensation into captives. [32:57] Jim says you need to be nimble and on your toes. Emerging risks are going to come out over the next 10 to 15 or 20 years. Keep your eyes and ears open so when they emerge, you can deal with them to reduce the frequency and severity of loss and see how to finance them. [33:19] Jim highly recommends reading The Black Swan. It's a good way to begin to think about how you should think about emerging risks. [33:42] Jim says school is going really well. One thing he noticed this year is the diverse nature of his students. There are more disciplines within the risk management area that people are interested in. [33:56] In class recently, Jim had a group that was in the investment banking area, a group that was in HR, and a couple of students from China. There was a broad diversity in the class. [34:16] It enriches the conversation to have people coming from different places with different backgrounds and different educational experiences. It shows the power of having diversity in the classroom. It's exciting. [34:32] The class will write papers on Enterprise Risk Management and talk about captives, and more. They'll compete in the CICA Captive Competition again, to maintain their number one rating there! They're off to a great start! It's nice to see students so highly energized! [34:53] Jim says the future is bright with the students graduating from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [35:22] Justin and others have liked Jim's broadcasting voice. Jim thanks Justin for commenting on it. [35:55] Jim's time as a DJ was 50 years ago. He recalls two or three instances of hot mikes, when some of the FCC's seven deadly words may have been spoken. He says nobody wants that, but it was a real learning experience. [36:29] Jim recalls when the studio tower was hit by lightning. Jim was alone in the radio station when it happened. Lightning bolts were flying around the building after the tower got hit. The station went off the air, and Jim had to figure out a way to put it back on the air. [36:58] Jim highly recommends to young people, if you get an opportunity to get involved with radio or TV, give it a shot, because it's a lot of fun! Justin ties it to podcasting and video blogging. [37:42] Jim likes all the music of 1976 and didn't have a favorite album. He likes Deep Purple and Bob Seger. He says there's no better songwriter than Bob Seger. There was a diversity of good music going out at that time. It was a wonderful time to be working in a radio station. [38:47] Justin is a father of two young people under 12 who like to listen to classic rock. “Dancing in the Moonlight,” by King Harvest, is a greatest hit in the family. They love Van Morrison. [39:56] On the subject of podcasting, Jim thinks there is an opportunity to develop content that helps the everyday American with their personal insurances, like homeowners, auto, health, life, and how they buy their insurances. [40:45] In class recently, the MBA students, the brightest and best, designing plans for New York investment banks and worldwide financial institutions, told Jim that they had questions about what to buy in auto policies and homeowners policies. [41:07] Jim states that an insurance podcast for the everyday American is something the industry needs to be doing. Justin suggests that members of the global RIMScast audience could pick up the baton and get to work! [41:27] Maybe it becomes part of the coursework for a class like Jim's. It could be part of a challenge, like the Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge. [41:48] Jim says being able to talk about this with graduate students gives them some familiarity with what risk is, in terms of the instability of results. They can relate to it because they need to buy an auto policy or a homeowners policy. [42:03] While these coverages don't match up perfectly with what's going on in the commercial insurance marketplace, learning about them gives students a sense of what insurance is about, what risk management is about, and how to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. [42:22] Jim, it has been such a pleasure to speak with you and to pick your brain on risk management education, broadcasting, and music! Thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast! [42:33] Good luck to you and your students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as you look to the 2026 competitions. I can only imagine they're going to do great things! [42:58] Special thanks again to Jim Swanke for joining us here on RIMScast! For more information, check out the links in this episode's show notes. [43:06] Remember to check out “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization”, a Professional Report sponsored by LineSlip. It is available through the Risk Knowledge Page of RIMS.org. That link is also in this episode's show notes. [43:22] The paper features a lot of Jim's fascinating perspective and insights on captives. [43:28] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [43:56] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [44:14] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [44:33] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [44:48] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [45:02] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [45:15] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15. RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration through Sept 30! — Last Call! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization” — Professional Report, Sponsored by LineSlip | Featuring insight from James Swanke University of Wisconsin-Madison Wins 2025 Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge Internationalpodcastday.com Obituary for Podcasting Trailblazer Todd Cochrane RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes” | Oct. 9 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape” | Oct. 16, 2025 | Sponsored by Zurich “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times” | Oct. 30, 2025 | Sponsored by Swiss Re “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World” | Nov. 6 | Sponsored by HUB   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Virtual Exam Prep — Oct. 29‒30, 2025 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule Risk Appetite Management | Oct 22‒23 | Instructor: Ken Baker Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham Fundamentals of Insurance | Nov. 11‒12 | Instructor: Chris Hansen Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management (Part I) | Dec 4. See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes about Education, Risk Talent, and Captives: “Risk Management Momentum with Lockton U.S. President Tim Ryan” “RIMS 2025 Risk Manager of the Year, Jennifer Pack”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: James Swanke, Lecturer: Risk and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Wisconsin School of Business, Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA program Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

On this episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast, Alena Kharkavets – North American head of claims for WTW's insurance consulting and technology business – joined to discuss the … Read More » The post EP. 107: From Assistants to Actuaries, AI's Next Leap in Insurance appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

On this episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast, Alena Kharkavets – North American head of claims for WTW's insurance consulting and technology business – joined to discuss the … Read More » The post EP. 107: From Assistants to Actuaries, AI's Next Leap in Insurance appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

On this episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast, Alena Kharkavets – North American head of claims for WTW's insurance consulting and technology business – joined to discuss the … Read More » The post EP. 107: From Assistants to Actuaries, AI's Next Leap in Insurance appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

In this episode of BWD In The Know, Harry McNeill is joined by Kim Steiner, Head of North America's Life Practice at WTW, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it really means to build a career in life insurance. Kim shares her journey from intern to industry leader, reflects on the rise of AI and its real impact on actuarial work, and gives sharp, honest advice for anyone starting in the profession. From breaking down industry misconceptions to discussing the soft skills that matter most, this is essential listening for actuaries at any stage of their journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WTW w/ Ashley Rae & Stephen HarperBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/we-talk-weekly--2576999/support.

【本集節目由WTW韋萊韜悅贊助播出】 根據經濟部《2023 中小企業白皮書》統計，台灣有超過一半的企業主年齡已超過 50 歲，卻僅有 6% 的企業設有正式接班規劃。這樣的「接班空窗」不只是數字警訊，更可能成為台灣產業升級與 人才轉型的隱形引爆點。 但企業接班並不只是交棒那麼簡單。它更是一場關於組織制度重建與文化價值對話的深層變革—— 特別是當傳統家長式企業文化，遇上數位原生世代的全新價值觀時，接班人不僅要承接權力，更要 扛起戰略執行、數位轉型與文化翻轉的責任。 本集節目由《經理人月刊》總編輯齊立文，邀請全球知名的風險與人資顧問公司——WTW韋萊韜悅 資深副總 Tony Huang 黃鄭鈞，帶領觀眾從亞太與台灣市場的第一線觀察切入 !

Die Themen im heutigen Versicherungsfunk Update sind: Mehr als ein Viertel mit 45 Versicherungsjahren bekommt unter 1.300 EUR Rente Trotz 45 Versicherungsjahren erhält über ein Viertel der Rentner in Deutschland weniger als 1.300 EUR im Monat. Im Schnitt liegt die Rente laut Bundesarbeitsministerium bei 1.668 EUR. Männer kommen auf 1.778 EUR, Frauen nur auf 1.449 EUR. Besonders niedrig fallen die Renten im Osten aus: Thüringen bildet mit 1.491 EUR das Schlusslicht. Linken-Politiker Dietmar Bartsch, der die Zahlen erfragte, sprach von einem „Armutszeugnis für die Politik“. Scope bewertet 49 ausgewogene Mischfonds – nur 10 erhalten Top-Rating Im aktuellen Rating von Scope Fund Analysis wurden 49 ausgewogene Mischfonds (EUR) auf Basis von Risiko-Rendite-Profil und Managementqualität bewertet. Nur zehn Produkte erhielten die Note A oder B, darunter Fonds von Commerzbank, apoAsset und StarCapital. Insgesamt hat sich das Ergebnis im Vergleich zum Vorjahr leicht verbessert – 2023 waren es lediglich sieben Top-Bewertungen. Das Scope-Rating beruht auf einem relativen Vergleich innerhalb der Peergroup. Bonnfinanz übernimmt Assekuradeur asano Die Bonnfinanz baut ihre Plattformstrategie weiter aus: Anfang Juli übernahm die Allfinanz Holding GmbH, unterstützt von BlackFin Capital Partners, den auf Krankenzusatzversicherungen spezialisierten Assekuradeur asano GmbH. Die technische Integration in die Bonnfinanz-Plattform sichert die Weiterentwicklung des Unternehmens und erweitert gezielt das Produktportfolio in einem wachsenden Marktsegment. asano-Gründer Richard W. Feuerer begrüßt den Schritt als Übergabe seines Lebenswerks in erfahrene Hände. Global-Finanz AG nutzt künftig Plattform von blau direkt Die Global-Finanz AG hat eine Kooperation mit dem Maklerpool blau direkt gestartet. Künftig wird das Versicherungs- und Investmentgeschäft des Bonner Allfinanzdienstleisters über die Plattformlösungen des Technologieunternehmens aus Lübeck abgewickelt. Ziel ist es, das erwartete Wachstum, die Digitalisierung der Kundenprozesse und die Integration bestehender Daten effizient zu realisieren. Der operative Start erfolgte am 1. Juli. WTW übernimmt Kapitalanlage für TRATON-Pensionsfonds WTW übernimmt ab sofort das Management der Kapitalanlage für das Sicherungsvermögen des TRATON-Pensionsfonds – ein Volumen von rund 500 Mio. EUR. Bereits 2020 hatte die WTW Pensionsfonds AG Rentenverpflichtungen und Sicherungsvermögen der MAN Pensionsfonds AG übernommen. Die jetzt beschlossene Auslagerung soll Effizienz steigern und regulatorische Risiken minimieren. ARTE Generali launcht Tools für digitales Sammlungsmanagement ARTE Generali bringt mit ProCollect und ProRisk zwei neue digitale Werkzeuge für Kunstfachleute nach Deutschland. Die Tools – entwickelt bzw. lizenziert in Kooperation mit dem Technologiepartner SpeakART – unterstützen das Management versicherter Kunstsammlungen und die Risikobewertung. Nach dem erfolgreichen Start in Italien folgt nun der Deutschland-Rollout. Ziel ist es, Prozesse im Kunstversicherungsbereich effizienter, transparenter und digitaler zu gestalten.

Die Themen im heutigen Versicherungsfunk Update sind: Allianz und HUK-COBURG dominieren beim Kundenzugang Die Allianz und die HUK-COBURG (inkl. HUK24) sichern sich laut der aktuellen Studie „Unternehmensprofile Versicherungen 2025“ von research tools über ein Viertel aller Produktabschlüsse am Markt. Mit 16 % geplanter Abschlüsse führt die Allianz vor der HUK-COBURG (12 %). Auch bei der Kundenausschöpfung (Allianz: 81 %, HUK: 80 %) liegen sie vorn. Die Studie basiert auf 4.000 Interviews und 6.860 erfassten Abschlüssen. Versicherer erwarten für 2025 deutlich stärkeres Beitragswachstum Der GDV hebt seine Prognose für 2025 an: Die Bruttobeitragseinnahmen sollen branchenweit um 7,3 % steigen – statt wie bisher angenommen um 5 %. Besonders kräftig wächst das Einmalbeitragsgeschäft in der Lebensversicherung (+24,2 %). Auch die Kfz-Versicherung könnte 2025 wieder in die Gewinnzone zurückkehren. Die Prognose für die Private Krankenversicherung bleibt bei +7,5 %. DAV fordert Agenda 2035 für die Alterssicherung Die Deutsche Aktuarvereinigung (DAV) begrüßt die geplante Rentenkommission der Bundesregierung – mahnt aber Tempo und klare Zielvorgaben an. DAV-Vorsitzende Susanna Adelhardt warnt vor einem bloßen „Weiter so“: „Es zählt jetzt nur noch eins: machen – jetzt.“ Die DAV fordert eine verbindliche Agenda 2035 mit konkreten Handlungsfeldern, generationengerechter Lastenverteilung und Reformvorschlägen ohne Denkverbote. Drei zentrale Punkte: sofortiger Start der Kommission, Definition konkreter Zielgrößen über alle drei Säulen hinweg sowie Offenheit für unbequeme Maßnahmen. Baufinanzierung: Eigenkapitalanteil sinkt, Tilgung auf Tiefstand Laut dem Dr. Klein Trendindikator Baufinanzierung (DTB) für Juni 2025 bringen Immobilienkäufer immer weniger Eigenkapital ein. Der Beleihungsauslauf stieg auf 87,18 % – ein Jahreshöchstwert. Gleichzeitig fiel die anfängliche Tilgung mit 1,69 % auf den niedrigsten Stand seit Juli 2011. Die durchschnittliche Darlehenssumme kletterte auf 314.000 EUR, die Standardrate auf 1.458 EUR. Der Anteil an KfW-Darlehen lag bei 8,04 %. Die durchschnittliche Zinsbindung sank leicht auf zehneinhalb Jahre. LKH mit Wachstum in der Zusatzversicherung Die Landeskrankenhilfe (LKH) verzeichnete 2024 ein starkes Neugeschäft in der Zusatzversicherung. Insgesamt stiegen die Beitragseinnahmen auf 957,3 Mio. EUR. Trotz steigender Leistungsausgaben blieb das versicherungsgeschäftliche Ergebnis mit 140,0 Mio. EUR stabil. Der Mitgliederbestand wuchs auf 317.404 Personen. Zwei neue Tarifserien in der Zusatz- und Vollversicherung sowie digitale Services trieben die Entwicklung voran. Die Eigenkapitalquote beträgt weiterhin solide 41,9 %. ERGO Österreich nutzt Radar Live für Kfz-Pricing Die ERGO Versicherung AG in Österreich hat die Pricing-Plattform Radar Live von WTW als zentrale Lösung für die Prämienkalkulation im Kfz-Geschäft eingeführt. Die Software ermöglicht eine Echtzeitberechnung auf Basis moderner Analyse- und Modellierungsmethoden. Ein entscheidender Vorteil: die nahtlose Integration in bestehende IT-Systeme. Unterstützt wurde die Einführung durch das WTW-Projektteam. Ziel ist ein präziseres, flexibleres und kundenzentriertes Pricing.

Die Themen im heutigen Versicherungsfunk Update sind: Vermittlerzahlen weiter rückläufig – BVK warnt vor langfristigen Folgen Die Zahl der registrierten Versicherungsvermittler in Deutschland ist erneut gesunken. Laut DIHK waren im Juli 2025 nur noch 179.923 Vermittler registriert – ein Minus von 1,7 % im Vergleich zum Vorjahr. Besonders stark betroffen ist der Exklusivvertrieb. BVK-Präsident Michael H. Heinz warnt: „Seit dem Höchststand 2011 ist das ein Rückgang von über 30 % – ein bedenklicher Trend mit Blick auf die Absicherung der Bevölkerung.“ Der Verband sieht vor allem in zunehmender Regulierung und Bürokratie die Hauptursache. Jugendliche setzen auf frühe Altersvorsorge – persönliche Beratung statt Influencer Mehr als 80 % der 16- bis 25-Jährigen halten eine frühzeitige Altersvorsorge für wichtig – das zeigt eine repräsentative Umfrage im Auftrag der R+V. Besonders gefragt ist persönliche Beratung, während Finanzinfluencer kaum Einfluss haben. Bei der Geldanlage legen junge Menschen großen Wert auf Sicherheit, Ethik und Nachhaltigkeit. Beliebt sind Fonds und ETFs, gefolgt von Immobilien und Aktien. 85 % blicken optimistisch auf ihre finanzielle Zukunft. Benefits-Strategien im Wandel: Spardruck trifft Fachkräftemangel 63 % der Unternehmen in Deutschland sehen sich durch steigende Kosten und den „War for Talent“ zu einer Neuausrichtung ihrer Benefits-Strategie gezwungen. Das zeigt die aktuelle Benefits-Trends-Studie 2025 von WTW. Im Fokus stehen Budgetumverteilungen, digitale Lösungen und ein stärker datenbasierter Ansatz. Besonders gefragt: Maßnahmen zur psychischen Gesundheit, Altersvorsorge und finanziellen Resilienz. VHV reguliert Hagelschäden effizienter – KI-Scanner trifft Sachverstand Die VHV setzt bei der Regulierung von Kfz-Hagelschäden auf KI-basierte Hagelscanner – ergänzt durch die Expertise erfahrener Sachverständiger. Ziel ist eine schnellere, transparente und objektive Schadenregulierung. Dank des Zusammenspiels von Technik und persönlichem Service können Schäden direkt vor Ort begutachtet und oft fallabschließend reguliert werden. Das Verfahren ist Teil des Kumulschadenkonzepts des Versicherers. Starkregen-Gefahr: Zurich veröffentlicht Leitfaden für Unternehmen Angesichts der aktuellen Unwetterwarnungen und im Gedenken an die Ahrtalflut vor vier Jahren warnt Zurich-Experte Christian Kopper vor den Folgen extremer Starkregenfälle – insbesondere für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen. Zurich Resilience Solutions hat einen Leitfaden veröffentlicht, der Betriebe bei der Risikobewertung, Prävention und Notfallplanung unterstützt. Ziel ist es, wirtschaftliche Schäden durch Überschwemmung und Betriebsunterbrechung zu minimieren. Allianz Trade erwartet Mini-Wachstum für Deutschland – Erholung ab 2026 Die Weltwirtschaft tritt weiter auf der Stelle: Laut Allianz Trade wächst der Welthandel 2025 nur um 0,3 %, die Weltwirtschaft um 2,5 % – das schwächste Wachstum seit 2008 außerhalb von Rezessionen. Deutschland zeigt sich jedoch resilient: Nach +0,4 % im ersten Quartal erwartet der Kreditversicherer für 2025 ein leichtes BIP-Wachstum von 0,1 % – mit deutlicher Erholung ab 2026. Entscheidend bleiben Investitionen in Digitalisierung und Klimaschutz sowie die weitere Entwicklung im Zollstreit mit den USA.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Inna Kogan is joined by Marcela Abraham, Duncan Briggs and Shankar Raman to discuss nearshoring for life insurance companies.  Competition for talent and technological advances are leading companies to explore different ways for getting work done. One viable solution that has surfaced is nearshoring. The benefits of nearshoring range from streamlined time zones to cultural alignment. Challenges also arise, such as teams exhibiting resistance to change. This conversation draws from WTW's own journey with their actuarial team in Mexico City.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, WTW's Anand Patel discusses with Will Archer Shuter, George Lewkowicz and Lewis Matthew the bifurcation of the specialty insurance market, focusing on portfolio underwriting and its growing importance.

At its best, insurance is about clarity in uncertain times. Pricing that reflects reality. Promises that hold up when things go wrong.  In this episode, I speak with Todd Rissel, CEO and co-founder of e2Value, an independent company that has spent the last 25 years helping insurers and homeowners understand the real cost of rebuilding property, and the wider economic forces shaping those numbers. Todd brings both practical insight and long-term perspective. Our conversation begins with a simple observation: 2024 was a rare profitable year for home insurance in Florida. But Todd quickly places that in context, explaining why a single good year doesn't undo a decade of structural challenges and why insurers need to think in five-year cycles, not one. In this conversation Todd touches on: Why rising tariffs and global uncertainty haven't yet impacted replacement costs but might soon What the “small losses” teach us about insurer performance, far more than catastrophic ones The challenges of modeling severe convective storms, and why not everything can, or should, be reduced to a model The limits of funding-driven innovation in InsurTech, and the long-term discipline it takes to survive without external capital The launch of e2Value's new Structure Insurance Score, developed in partnership with WTW, and what it tells us about using AI responsibly in underwriting Along the way, we talk about barnominiums, regulatory experiments in Louisiana and the difference between forward-looking valuation and backward-looking pricing. Todd's perspective is shaped not just by data, but by experience. He's someone who believes in the purpose of insurance, but also understands the commercial pressures it faces. And he makes a compelling case that good data, applied thoughtfully, is still the foundation for everything this industry does well. If you're interested in where insurance pricing, risk and property data are heading next - or just want to hear from someone who's spent decades building quietly essential infrastructure, this is a conversation worth your time. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Will Bonner on LinkedIn to start a conversation! Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Explain how the Structure Insurance Score, developed by e2Value and WTW, contributes to more granular underwriting of structural risk. Identify the regulatory challenges arising from policyholder-directed valuations in certain U.S. states, such as Louisiana. Specify the data considerations required to apply AI effectively in insurance valuation and pricing. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 359 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, WTW's James Haybyrne and Jess Plewes burn dive into the evolving world of health insurance. From rising medical costs and the shift to proactive healthcare models, to the impact of AI, digitization, and changing customer expectations, they explore how insurers can adapt. The topics they cover include personalization, data-driven insights, public-private dynamics, and strategies to engage younger audiences. Listen now for a fresh perspective on the future of health insurance.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Frank Schepers, WTW's Global Leader, Insurance Consulting and Technology and Sina Thieme, Senior Director, Insurance Consulting and Technology, explore the impact of technology and innovation on the insurance industry, particularly in risk modelling, data analysis, and distribution channels. This wide-ranging discussion also probes the challenges and opportunities of closing the insurance gap and the evolving role of capital in the insurance market.

Attracting and retaining talent in the London Market is an evolving concern, with the PwC CEO Survey revealing that 93% of respondents either recognise the need to change or are already adapting their strategies to address it. Let's discuss how! In this special podcast episode done in partnership with PwC, we invited Anna Craston, Senior Manager, to host a panel discussion to explore the critical trends shaping talent management in the London insurance market.  She's joined by fellow PwC colleague Simone Ritson, Phoebe Thomas from CFC, Jacinta Chiang from WTW and Alfie Holt from Marco Capital to share their firsthand experiences and insights. Together, they discuss how companies can build inclusive cultures, the shifting expectations of new talent and what organisations must do to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. This episode dives deep into why attracting diverse talent is just the beginning and why inclusion, development and purpose are the real keys to retention. Key talking points: Understand why changing employee expectations are reshaping the London insurance market. Learn how AI, automation, and technology are driving new workforce capabilities. Explore the historic challenges in attracting diverse talent to the London market — and how that's starting to change. Examine the impact of culture, career growth, and leadership development on employee retention. Discover the importance of outreach programs to schools and universities in broadening insurance career awareness. Hear why inclusion, not just diversity, is critical for long-term workforce engagement. See how mentorship, reverse mentoring, and visible career pathways can support retention. Get practical ideas for fostering inclusion, from flexible working to cultural days and accessible networking events. For more information, you can read PwC's Transforming the London Market report.  Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Describe the current challenges and evolving expectations around attracting and retaining talent in the London market. Explain how diversity and inclusion initiatives can move from hiring strategies to meaningful cultural change that fosters retention. Identify the most effective strategies companies can use to make the London insurance market more appealing to diverse, next-generation talent. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 351 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

In this episode of The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast, Seth Serxner is joined by Michael Perlmutter, Senior Director at WTW, for an insightful discussion on the evolution of workforce health literacy and the challenges employers face in integrating emerging health solutions.Michael shares how virtual and digital healthcare solutions are reshaping patient navigation, integrating care experiences, and leveraging AI and predictive analytics to manage costs.Seth and Michael also discuss:☑️ Point solution Fatigue: The fragmentation of healthcare into multiple vendor-driven solutions - are they truly benefiting employers?☑️ Diabetes Management Challenges: A surplus of solutions, but are they driving real cost savings?☑️ Virtual Medicine's Role: The shift toward integrated virtual primary & specialty care.☑️ Health Literacy Matters: With only 1 in 10 Americans possessing strong health literacy skills, education is critical for better health outcomes.☑️ Future of Healthcare: A vision for clinician-led, integrated health solutions that simplify patient journeys.☑️ And much more.Tune in to explore how AI, predictive analytics, and advanced care models are shaping the future of high-quality, cost-effective healthcare.Learn About EdLogicsWant to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?Visit EdLogics.

Danielle Lombardo, chairwoman of the real estate, hospitality and leisure division of WTW (formerly Willis), discusses the insurance business and how it's dealing with the tremendous number of natural disasters and huge insurance claims it has received — and the ramifications for the real estate business and the broader U.S. economy. (03/2025)

Danielle Lombardo, chairwoman of the real estate, hospitality and leisure division of WTW (formerly Willis), discusses the insurance business and how it's dealing with the tremendous number of natural disasters and huge insurance claims it has received — and the ramifications for the real estate business and the broader U.S. economy. (03/2025)

Description: Charlie Samolczyk is joined by Pardeep Bassi and Tim Rourke to discuss the importance of monitoring model health, and how Radar Vision, WTW's automated monitoring tool, is helping to address this problem for insurers. 

Early in the morning on March 1, without notice, the General Services Administration eliminated its 18F program, what was an internal team of tech consultants and engineers that developed open-source tools to improve digital services across the federal government. Just short of its 11th birthday, 18F had grown to be a staple in the federal government's digital services development and acquisition space. Now when you type in "18F.gov" to visit its website, you're met with an error message. The team has been completely wiped from the face of the federal government. GSA hasn't given much reasoning for the termination. Thomas Shedd, head of the agency's Technology Transformation Services organization that housed 18F, said during a town hall last week that the decision was based purely on its reported cashflow struggles and that it hadn't been cost-recoverable. Dan Tangherlini, former GSA administrator when 18F was founded, joins the Daily Scoop to share his thoughts on what 18F meant to good government, the legacy of the organization, and how GSA will continue to serve as the federal government's center of tech excellence without this key team moving forward. Roughly a month after being replaced as acting CIO of the Department of Energy, Principal Deputy CIO Dawn Zimmer is now back serving in the department's top IT role, multiple sources familiar with the change confirmed to FedScoop. Zimmer is filling the CIO position for the second time since Inauguration Day after Ryan Riedel briefly took on the role overseeing the department's $4.3 billion IT portfolio in early February. As FedScoop first reported, Zimmer returned to her primary role as principal deputy CIO at Energy when Riedel, previously a network engineer at Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, was appointed to the CIO role. She took over the acting CIO role after Biden administration Energy CIO Ann Dunkin stepped down at the change of administrations. It's unclear why Riedel departed the role after just over a month. The Energy Department did not return questions about his short tenure. President Donald Trump nominated Sean Plankey to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Tuesday, the last major piece to fall into place for cybersecurity leadership in his administration. Plankey served in the first Trump administration, holding a few posts with cyber responsibilities. He was the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Energy Department's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response in 2019 and 2020. Before that he was director of cyber policy at the National Security Council, starting in 2018. He has most recently been at the global cybersecurity advisory company WTW. Plankey was briefly under consideration in 2020 to lead the agency he's now nominated to be director of after Trump forced Chris Krebs out of the role. He had long been thought to be Trump's pick this time around, too. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

In this video, we interview Chris Lombardi, FSA, MAAA, CERA Associate Director at WTW, and Jeanne Cho Stokke, FSA, MAAA, about goal setting and people management. They share techniques and tools for actuaries to become effective leaders in the profession. Jeanne's experience as a former Pro LPGA golfer and Chris's background in jiu jitsu highlight how these skills have contributed to their career success.

Today is the first time we welcome back a guest who has changed firms between interviews. We recorded Luba Nikulina, on Thanksgiving day, 2022, and our guest was then Head Global of Research at WTW, an organisation advising on over $3 trillion of assets. Today Luba is the Chief Strategy Officer at IFM Investors, a leading asset manager in infrastructure with a significant presence in other asset management capabilities. Luba explains the switch, and unpacks the investment thesis behind the increasing inclusion of infrastructure in institutional portfolios. She reflects on its position within the growing private assets sleeve of allocators, and why Australia and Canada have adopted significantly larger allocations of 10-20%, but why many other major countries are now building theirs. She assesses infrastructure's risks, rewards and liquidity characteristics. She explains the barriers to competition, the projects involved, including bridges, toll roads, data centres and new energy assets. In short she would say it's the “buoyant, brilliant ballast in the investment boat”. ​​The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, World Gold Council and LSEG. Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube

In Episode 57, the word is Taina and Ari were spotted in the club together during Art Basel - Cody, Bree and Chris weigh on the optics coming off of the WTW exclusive interview with Herb. Big Jam 2024 happened and the crew recapped the behind-the-scenes vibes before a conversation about artist's longevity breaks out. BossMan Dlow says full-length songs are pointless and Chris brings up Andrew Schulz's flagrant comments about Kendrick Lamar. We debate which groups of people should be able to comment on Hip-Hop culture before the crew dives into the new r*pe allegations against Jay-Z along with Hov's swift response and denial of the claims. 50 Cent reveals Drake's "Opp List" before the crew is joined by special guest Santo, who drops in to share her new project "Beautiful Chaos." #WhatTheWord #JayZ #AndrewSchulz #SocialMediaTrends #GHerbo Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/whats-the-word-interviews-with-cody-mack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics: 49ers, BHB, WTW

Topics: Lions, BHB, WTW

Topics: TNF, BHB, WTW

Magdalena is a Senior Director and Global InsurTech Innovation Leader at WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT). She leads ICT's inorganic growth strategy as well as its interaction with the external insurtech ecosystem globally. She joined the firm as a Senior Economist at Watson Wyatt's Research and Innovation Center in 2005. She has 20+ years of experience in R&D and international strategy consulting and was WTW's Global Head of Research and Analytical Services. Magda holds a M.Sc. in math. Finance and a PhD in Quantitative Economics and Finance. She also holds a professional certificate on Innovation from the MIT Professional Education Program. For the past 10 years she has been solely focused on innovation and strategic consulting for the Insurance Industry, especially around digital transformation, advanced analytics, blockchain, emerging risks and #insurtech. She was among the first to publish and discuss blockchain in the context of insurance and has focused almost exclusively on helping the insurance industry to understand and deploy new technologies since 2014. She is a well-recognized thought leader in insurtech and the implications of new technologies for the risk transfer industry. She has been a prolific public speaker in the past 10 years and in the past couple of years alone, Magda has had over 100 public speaking engagements specific to insurtech and blockchain at various international conferences and summits. She has also published multiple articles, blogs, interviews and audio/visual media on the topic. She sees herself as a blockchain and technology governance crusader and devotes significant time to educational activities, ranging from workshops for executives to sessions at elementary schools and trainings to empower #womenintech. Her main areas of expertise include blockchain, technology and innovation, advanced analytics, MNC internationalization and innovation strategies, emerging markets, global governance, macroeconomic and socio-political risks.  Further, Magdalena has 14 years of teaching experience at European (Germany, UK) and Latin American universities. She also led many research projects for multilateral organizations on microinsurance, financial inclusion and innovation, including pre-2009 projects on alternative currencies. Highlights from the Show Note This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance thought leadership series, available globally from Amazon in print, Kindle and Audible audiobook. Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes. Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.

Topics: Eagles, Tyson, WTW

On the latest episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, Jason Reichl is joined by Laura Doddington from WTW, discussing innovation in insurance technology and data intelligence.

Topics: TNF, BHB, WTW

Topics: Jets, BHB, WTW

Topics: Rams, BHB, WTW

Topics: MLB, BHB, WTW

Topics: MLB Playoffs, BHB, WTW, WYB?

Topics: BHB, WTW, Callers

Topics: Jets, Ohtani, BHB, WTW

Topics: Tua, BHB, WTW

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Magda Ramada, Senior Director and InsurTech Innovation Leader at WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology, where she spearheads the company's engagement with InsurTech startups and blockchain initiatives worldwide. With over two decades of experience, she has become a prominent voice in digital transformation, advanced analytics, and emerging risks within the insurance industry. Today, we'll be exploring Magdalena's journey in InsurTech, her views on the challenges and opportunities in the industry, and her vision for the future of insurance technology. KEY TAKEAWAYS I got into insurance and technology by chance. 10 years ago I took on a project for a large insurance company whose CEO wanted to look at lobbying risks and macro-economic risks, which I was an expert on. I felt self-conscious talking about risk to the CEO, so I studied like I'd never studied before, and it was a great experience. After that, everything I did was around insurance which led me to blockchain technology, and I realised this was going to change the way we can neutralise risks. I don't think I'll ever leave. Technology is an enabler. It doesn't need to be AI-based or shiny or a startup, as long as it's the right kind of solution to transform the industry. In insurance, the applications of technology and the needs and functionality are very different from personal lines to motor, home or pet insurance. It's a world with a lot of complexity.  What are the tools that enable me to use and analyse more data, leverage the data we already have, and how that data can travel from very different functions and allow a very different target operating model where the technical functions converge to work as one. There are a number of specialisms around that that go deep, like generative AI, natural language processing, OCR, where you become an expert in a niche and you don't need to know insurance. The first thing you need to understand is how a technology is going to affect what you are doing. Then there's the augmentation with everyone in the value chain (the claims handler, underwriter, customer, online customer, agent), these all need different interfaces and types of insight for the different personas to enable timely, better decision making. Not every technology will enable you to do that. BEST MOMENTS ‘Every time I had the choice of choosing insurance economics as an elective, I chose something else!' ‘I like being on stage, it's the closest I can get to teaching.' ‘One of the things that makes us different from other species is our ability to imagine how things can change and be radically different. Technology can help us with that.' ‘What is my insurer client going to need in 5 years? What is going to be critical? What is going to allow them to compete with others, to outperform and become front runners?' ABOUT THE GUEST Magdalena Ramada Sarasola, PhD, is a trailblazer in the global InsurTech landscape. As Senior Director and InsurTech Innovation Leader at WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology, she drives the company's engagement with InsurTech startups and blockchain initiatives worldwide. Dr Ramada Sarasola's expertise spans from microinsurance and financial inclusion to emerging markets and multinational enterprise strategies. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website

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Mark takes on the WTW roster, EC3 tries to control Broski's narrative.Super 7's arrive! (Episode 134) What's the coolest Carlito? Which Carlito is NOT cool? Brosk's wild AEW pitch and more Q&A(Episode 131)Social Media: Twitter: @JGeorgeTheMovie, @MajorWFPod , @TheMattCardona , @Myers_Wrestling, @majorpodnetwork @Silverintuition Instagram: @MajorWFPod , @TheMattCardona , @Myers_Wrestling, @SmartMarkSterling , @majorpodnetwork @jgeorge.mp4Social Media: Twitter: @JGeorgeTheMovie, @MajorWFPod , @TheMattCardona , @Myers_Wrestling, @majorpodnetwork @Silverintuition Instagram: @MajorWFPod , @TheMattCardona , @Myers_Wrestling, @SmartMarkSterling , @majorpodnetwork @jgeorge.mp4

Topics: JJ, Calls, WTW

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