Agenda

FMDC Bonus Sessions Package

This add-on package is perfect for those looking to earn the Farm Mutual Director Certification without attending multiple events. Participants who attend these sessions in addition to the core and elective FMDC courses offered during the standard agenda will be fully certified by the end of the event. Those already working toward certification can register for this bonus package to complete three of the six required core courses. This package includes a continental breakfast. Registration includes the following courses, presented by experienced faculty from NAMIC's Directors' Bootcamp:

• Corporate Governance and Role of the Board
• Insurance Accounting and Investment Fundamentals
• The Board's Role in Planning

Sponsor Showcase Vendor Setup

Registration and Event Information Desk | Tuesday

A. FMDC Core: Corporate Governance and the Role of the Board

FMDC Bonus Sessions Package registration required to attend this session.

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This session will provide a high-level focus on governance practices and board responsibilities. By the end of this session, attendees will have a basic understanding of what corporate governance means for mutual company directors, the fiduciary responsibilities of board members, the role of the board versus the role of management, and directors and officers exposures and insurance.

B. PFMM Session: Loss Control – Part 1

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This two-part session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, will examine how to develop a loss control program, including a review of basic inspection procedures and guidelines. The process of estimating losses and establishing reserves as well as a review of plans for handling catastrophic events will also be covered. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Networking Break | 9:00 a.m.

Join us outside Keeneland and Park Suite to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. FMDC Core: Insurance Accounting and Investment Fundamentals

FMDC Bonus Sessions Package registration required to attend this session.

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This course will provide a high-level focus on insurance accounting principles and the investment process. By the end of the session, attendees will have a basic understanding of premium accounting, assets and liabilities, earned/unearned premium, financial metrics, the role of the board in the investment process, governance challenges in overseeing an insurance investment portfolio, and sound investment policy.

B. PFMM Session: Loss Control – Part 2

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This two-part session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, will examine how to develop a loss control program, including a review of basic inspection procedures and guidelines. The process of estimating losses and establishing reserves as well as a review of plans for handling catastrophic events will also be covered. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Networking Break | 10:15 a.m.

Join us outside Keeneland and Park Suite to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. FMDC Core: The Board's Role in Planning

FMDC Bonus Sessions Package registration required to attend this session.

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This session will provide a high-level focus on two key board responsibilities – strategic planning and succession planning. Attendees will leave this session with a basic understanding of the importance of both responsibilities, including the role of enterprise risk management in the planning process, components of a sustainable plan, and plan incorporation.

B. PFMM Session: Claims

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, will examine how to develop a claims procedure and identify basic steps and related governance practices. It will also cover the importance of claims file audits and customer service as well as how to reclaim dollars after a loss. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Optional Networking Lunch

Join us for an optional networking lunch to connect with fellow attendees prior to the official start of Farm Mutual Forum. Take this time to eat and make connections that will last throughout the event.

Networking Break | 1:30 p.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Sponsor Showcase | Tuesday

NAMIC Welcome and Opening Keynote Address: Building an Effective Multigenerational Workplace

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective credit in the Operations & Insurance module.
The modern-day workplace has four generations – baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and Generation Z – working together to accomplish common organizational goals. But with each of these generations’ different upbringings, culture, beliefs and experiences, tiffs or clashes within an organization are likely. Managing four generations in the workplace is an extremely difficult task; however, with the right guidance and support, it is not impossible. During this session, bestselling author Jeff Butler will provide insights about each generation and their differing motivations and communication styles. He will share how organizations across various industries are thriving with a multigenerational workforce, and how yours can too. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to manage cross-generational challenges and turn a multigenerational workforce into a competitive advantage.

Networking Break | 3:15 p.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussions

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective credit in the Management module.

Welcome Reception

Attendee Breakfast | Wednesday

Registration and Event Information Desk | Wednesday

Sponsor Showcase | Wednesday

A. Diving Into the Mindset of a Cyber Underwriter

This session will take a deep dive into the cyber risks a company or agency will face in their daily business activities. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the mindset of a cyber underwriter and how they review an application as well as security control requirements and other mitigating factors.

B. FMDC Core: Insurance Company Operations and Reinsurance

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This session will provide a high-level focus on how an insurance company works. By the end of the presentation, attendees will have a basic understanding of insurance principles and know the difference between stock and mutual companies. They will also understand reinsurance, including its importance and how it works.

C. PFMM Session: Underwriting Property and Liability – Part 1

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This three-part session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, examines the importance of developing underwriting guidelines, provides an overview of the tools available for underwriting, and explores the potential risks and exposures that come with underwriting property and liability. Also covered in this course will be basic understandings of evaluating rate adequacy, cash value versus replacement cost, insurance-to-value, the renewal process, reasons for cancellations and non-renewals, and the importance of file audits. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Networking Break | 9:50 a.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. Social Inflation, Litigation Environment, and Economic Inequality

The link between the litigation environment and inequality relates to the Bronx Jury hypothesis, which was posited by Tom Woolfe’s 1987 “The Bonfire of the Vanities.” In this novel, a lawyer referred to juries in the Bronx as "vehicles for redistributing wealth." This session will study four publicly available data sets, two that rest on actual jury trial outcomes and two based on survey results, which will be referred to as perceived outcomes, to show that economic inequality is a major driver of social inflation arising from damage awards of jury trials.

B. FMDC Core: Insurance Audits and the Basics of Actuarial Work

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This session will provide a high-level focus on audits, committee responsibilities, and ratemaking fundamentals. By the end of this course, attendees will have a basic understanding of insurance audits, the role of an audit committee, and the importance of actuarial work.

C. PFMM Session: Underwriting Property and Liability – Part 2

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This three-part session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, examines the importance of developing underwriting guidelines, provides an overview of the tools available for underwriting, and explores the potential risks and exposures that come with underwriting property and liability. Also covered in this course will be basic understandings of evaluating rate adequacy, cash value versus replacement cost, insurance-to-value, the renewal process, reasons for cancellations and non-renewals, and the importance of file audits. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Networking Break | 11:00 a.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. The Agent-Company Partnership

While agencies must differentiate themselves from their competition, an insurer must also differentiate itself to become an agency’s carrier of choice. This session will discuss the criteria agents find important when deciding with which insurer they want to place business. It will also delve into what it means to be partners, the value of the agency/company relationship, and ways to encourage growth with agencies.

B. FMDC Core: Enterprise Risk Management and Evaluating Company Growth

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC core credit and is required for those working toward the designation.
This session will provide a high-level focus on the board’s role in managing risk and evaluating growth. By the end of the presentation, attendees will have a basic understanding of enterprise risk management and know how to identify and measure risk exposures, risk profiles, and the impact of human resources and employment practices on company’s risk. They will also understand the board’s role in evaluating growth and be able to evaluate company growth, including setting growth policy, geographic risk concentration, and growth’s impact on surplus.

C. PFMM Session: Underwriting Property and Liability – Part 3

This session is required as part of the PFMM Underwriting & Claims module for those working toward the designation.
This three-part session, which is required for those working toward PFMM certification, examines the importance of developing underwriting guidelines, provides an overview of the tools available for underwriting, and explores the potential risks and exposures that come with underwriting property and liability. Also covered in this course will be basic understandings of evaluating rate adequacy, cash value versus replacement cost, insurance-to-value, the renewal process, reasons for cancellations and non-renewals, and the importance of file audits. Case studies will provide real-life context throughout the session.

Attendee Lunch

A. Panel Discussion: Maintaining Proper Insurance-to-Value in an Inflationary Environment

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective in the Finance & Accounting module.
As inflation has reared its ugly head for the first time in decades, carriers are challenged to manage the short-term and the long-term impacts to growth and profitability. This session will explore the impacts that inflation is having on several parts of the insurance ecosystem. Panelists and attendees will explore the impacts, challenges, and strategies primary carriers, reinsurers, and vendors are using to manage these changes.

B. Automation Tools for a Hyper-Efficient Office

The last five years have seen an explosion of automation tools intended for nonprogrammers. This session will review available tools and resources and discuss which tasks are ideal for automation.

C. Hiring the Next Generation of Talent: How to Level the Playing Field

The talent gap is no longer looming, it’s here. As a small mutual, your organization is likely facing recruiting challenges such as competition with larger organizations, human resources compliance, and benefits availability. One solution to consider – a professional employer organization. This can’t-miss conversation will discuss the pros and cons of partnering with a PEO and how a PEO can help level the playing field for exceptional talent.

Networking Break | 2:00 p.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. Panel Discussion: Reinsurance Market Outlook

Join this session for a robust conversation on the outlook for the reinsurance market. Panelists will discuss the state of the reinsurance market as well as the January 2023 renewals and the impact on the rest of the year.

B. How Leading Mutual Insurers Leverage Analytics to Improve Performance

While all insurers track performance in terms of loss ratios and combined ratios to measure the efficiency of their business, leading insurers track trends, monitor key performance indicators, and act on them before it's too late. Join this session to learn how these top-performing companies leverage analytics to improve their business performance.

C. 2023 Economic and Financial Market Outlook

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective in the Finance & Accounting module.
Recession, inflation, and interest rates are big discussion points for media talking heads across the country. While some may have intelligent views on the markets, others are hyperbolic in their reactions. During this session, an expert from Stonebridge Capital Advisors will provide an analytical viewpoint of current economic conditions. This economic and financial market outlook will review impacts from 2022, discuss the current economy, analyze the factors driving the equity and fixed-income financial markets.

Networking Break | 3:10 p.m.

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

A. Structure Insurance Score – Designing New Pricing Variables

Pricing is an important part of an insurer’s day-to-day operations. New, effective pricing variables can take time to develop, but sometimes options exist to improve pricing structures with minimal time and resource investment, which can have a tremendous impact on an insurer’s bottom line. This session will discuss ways to manage the level of risk inherent in a property by taking advantage of data and products available through public data sources, advisory organizations, and vendors. The session will also explore in depth the structure insurance score, which has been shown to improve homeowners’ loss ratios by as much as three points.

B. Celebrating Our Differences

Insurance professionals work and communicate with a diverse population. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are vital in serving the needs of the consuming public. During this session, we will explore the demands diverse interests place on insurance professionals and how these interests can best be served.

C. M&A and Financing – Focus on Farm Mutuals

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective credit in the Management module.
Insights from several recent M&A and capital raising transactions involving farmers mutual companies where the speakers were exclusive capital and rating agency advisors. Key focus areas include transaction structure, sizes, financing options, and impact on ratings.

Optional Activity: Frazier Museum Tour and Bourbon Tasting - SOLD OUT

If you would like be added to the waitlist for this activity, please see a member of the NAMIC team at the Registration and the Event Information Desk. After a full day of education, unwind and network with fellow attendees while enjoying Louisville’s favorite pastime. Visit the Frazier History Museum to tour the Spirit of Kentucky bourbon exhibition and enjoy a guided tasting of three bourbons. The museum is a 15-minute walk from the hotel, so it’s convenient to get to and leave when you are ready. After the tasting, step out onto Whiskey Row to grab a bite to eat or explore more of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail at your leisure. The cost of this activity includes admission to the Frazier History Museum, a private tour of the Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon Exhibit, and a tasting of three bourbons.

NAMIC PAC Activity: Barrels & Billets Bourbon Tasting

Join your peers for an evening of conversation and cocktails, and taste the various bourbon profiles that Louisville has to offer. You will have the chance to create your own personal recipe and take home a bottle if you wish. Admission is $75 in support of NAMIC PAC. To RSVP, email Ingrid Gremillion at igremillion@namic.org.

Attendee Breakfast | Thursday

Registration and Event Information Desk | Thursday

Sponsor Showcase | Thursday

General Session: Rapid-Fire Session on Emerging Issues

This session qualifies for 1 FMDC elective credit in the Operations & Insurance module.
Join Gen Re’s Tim Fletcher for a rapid-fire review of hot topics affecting today’s farm mutual insurance industry, including a discussion on all-terrain vehicles, utility task vehicles, and offroad recreational vehicles; dog bite exposures; and the impact of green energy.

Networking Break | Thursday

Join us in Regency Ballroom Foyer to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Closing Keynote Session: Cultivating Your Next Generation of Leaders

For many farm mutuals, staff is dedicated and industrious but few in numbers and stretched in many directions, which can make the thought of cultivating the next generation of leaders compelling and inconvenient at the same time. Like mature trees that produce good fruit, strong leadership requires time to develop. And to keep the farm mutual industry strong and able to help people well into the future, leadership needs to be developed now. Join this session to learn how to begin cultivating a new generation of leaders that can step in and step up.