Commercial and Personal Lines Seminar

Sponsor Showcase Set Up

Registration and Event Information Desk

Optional – Advanced Underwriting Workshop

This workshop qualifies for those holding the Mutual Insurance Professional designation to earn the MIP-Underwriting certification endorsement, but it is open for all to attend.

Risk is becoming more and more complex, requiring advanced underwriting skills to appropriately evaluate the risk and develop a coverage solution that will be economical and comprehensive. This program will explore the tools available to underwriters to be more effective in writing profitable business. This will include recognition of what the underwriter should be considering, how to work with agents in obtaining the necessary information about the risk, and how to develop a consistent approach to the marketplace. Attendees will explore the impact of climate risk and large verdicts as well as how insurtechs can assist in the evaluation of risks and improve the underwriting process.

Elise Farnham, CPCU, AIM, ARM, CPIW
President
Illumine Consulting

Optional Advanced Underwriting Workshop

This workshop qualifies for those holding the Mutual Insurance Professional designation to earn the MIP-Underwriting certification endorsement, but it is open for all to attend.

Risk is becoming more and more complex, requiring advanced underwriting skills to appropriately evaluate the risk and develop a coverage solution that will be economical and comprehensive. This program will explore the tools available to underwriters to be more effective in writing profitable business. This will include recognition of what the underwriter should be considering, how to work with agents in obtaining the necessary information about the risk, and how to develop a consistent approach to the marketplace. Attendees will explore the impact of climate risk and large verdicts as well as how insurtechs can assist in the evaluation of risks and improve the underwriting process.

Sponsor Showcase

NAMIC Welcome and What’s in Store for 2025 – and Beyond? The Year Ahead for Insurers and the Economy

The year ahead is fraught with economic, financial, and geopolitical uncertainty. Is 2025 the year in which inflation will finally be tamed? Will catastrophe losses normalize or the threat from costly litigation be contained? This presentation will provide a fast-paced, high-level overview of the trends, challenges, and opportunities confronting insurers in 2025 and beyond.

Robert Hartwig, Ph.D., CPCU
Director, Risk & Uncertainty Management Director
University of South Carolina

Networking Break

General Session: Decision Fatigue: What Causes It and How It Affects You

Making difficult – even moderate – choices can deplete one’s willpower, often leading to a shift toward low-energy, less effective decision-making styles, opening the way to mistakes. The same state can be reached by other instances that drain willpower, including stress, temptation, poor sleep, and interpersonal conflict. Changes in decision making include seeking to postpone or avoid decisions, embracing the status quo instead of change, favoring default options, failing to screen out irrelevant information from biasing the decision, and impulsive choices. This presentation will cover the causes and consequences of decision fatigue.

Roy Baumeister

Professor

Harvard University

Networking Break

Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussions

Welcome Reception

Registration and Event Information Desk

Sponsor Showcase

Breakfast

A. Panel Discussion: Future-Proofing Insurance: The Strategic Imperative of Modernizing Policy Administration Systems

As the insurance industry faces increasing pressure to innovate and adapt, the limitations of legacy systems have become more apparent. This panel will discuss the strategic imperative for insurers to migrate from outdated policy administration systems to modern solutions that offer greater flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. By embracing advanced technology, insurers can streamline operations, unlock new opportunities for growth, improve risk management, and reduce overall costs. Panelists will also cover best practices for a successful upgrade journey, emphasizing the importance of standardization, automation, documentation, and a well-defined implementation process to ensure a smooth transition.

Brian MacKenzie
Founder & CEO
INFORCE

Liza Petrie
Chief Product Officer
OneShield

B. How AI is Transforming the Insurance Industry

C. Projected Weather Trends and How to Underwrite

Accelerating changes in weather trends make the present and future look less and less like the past, presenting challenges to underwriting processes that rely on historical data and trends. This session will explain observed and projected trends in changing weather patterns, with particular attention paid to wildfire, and describe best practices and tools available to confidently underwrite risks in a rapidly changing weather landscape.

Mark Hope, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
Guy Carpenter

D. Topic To Be Determined

Networking Break

A. Panel Discussion: Managing Underwriting Rules and/or Decision Management Tools

B. Lessons Learned From the Hard Market and What’s Next?

As market dynamics continue to shift, it’s crucial to stay informed and adaptable. This session will provide an in-depth analysis of current trends and predictions about the upcoming market forces that could impact our industry. It will also explore how we can apply the lessons learned from past market cycles to navigate the future successfully. By integrating practical insights with forward-looking strategies, this session will equip you with the tools needed to proactively respond to the next phase of market evolution.

Matthew McHatten

President & CEO

MMG Insurance

C. What are You Underwriting: Understanding Nuclear Verdicts, Risk Factors, and Their Impacts

Nuclear verdicts, thermonuclear verdicts, monopoly-money awards. Whatever you call them, outsized and disproportionate jury awards and settlements (are trending more and higher across the country. No jurisdiction, practice area, or defense counsel is safe. What is driving these unjust outcomes? What red flags exist indicating a claim may go nuclear? How can underwriters and risk management professionals appropriately gauge risk and assess their portfolios? It is time for the insurance industry to change the approach to address the rising threat of nuclear verdicts through proactivity, creativity, and collaboration. Tyson & Mendes’ Ashley Paige Fetyko, partner and head of communications, and Mark Shanberg, Chicago partner, will reveal the surprising driver at the heart of nuclear verdicts, proven methods to stop the madness, and practical tools for underwriting in the era of outsized and unjust awards. They will share insights from the forthcoming book analyzing 100 nuclear verdicts for patterns and trends. Attendees will come away from the session armed with four proven methods to mitigate risk, take back justice for all, and win.

Mark H. Shanberg
Partner
Tyson Mendes

Ashley Fetyko

Partner And Head Of Communications

Tyson & Mendes

D. Topic To Be Determined

Networking Break

A. Panel Discussion: Regulatory Update/Market Conduct Exams

B. Revolutionizing Risk Assessment: Integrating Aerial Data Into Predictive Models

During this session, industry experts from ZestyAI and West Bend Insurance will delve into how cutting-edge predictive analytics models use new data sources such as aerial imagery and climatology to better understand and predict risk. Learn how integrating these advanced analytics can revolutionize underwriting and rating practices, enabling carriers to better serve their customers and preserve their bottom lines. Presenters will share how artificial intelligence models such as computer vision can analyze aerial imagery to identify specific property characteristics, refine risk rating models for more accurate pricing, and seamlessly integrate aerial data with current systems. This dynamic discussion will underscore the importance of these new approaches in the carrier ecosystem. Discover what’s possible with sophisticated models and hear directly from an insurance carrier about the ease of implementation and how it modernized underwriting.

Ross Martin

VP - Risk Analytics

ZestyAI

Thomas Bowyer

Product Manager

West Bend Insurance

C. Insuring the Future: Beneficial AI Use Cases in the Insurance Industry

The property/casualty insurance industry and regulatory environments are currently experiencing unprecedented times – navigating a new era of risk and tackling how to address and/or leverage rapid technological advancements. While often overlooked in policy discussions as an integral part of the solution to the challenges insurers are facing, advancements in artificial intelligence can help in various ways –from increased precision in risk classification to mitigation of perils and claims. This presentation explore the current state of AI and the ways in which it can be leveraged to benefit the industry and policyholders alike.

Lindsey Klarkowski

Director of Data Science and AI/ML Policy

Namic

D. Topic To Be Determined

Boxed Lunch Pickup

If you signed up to receive a boxed lunch, you can pick it up during this time at the Registration and Event Information Desk.

Lunch

A. Topic To Be Determined

B. Innovation In Action. The Intersection Of Technology, Risk Mitigation And Insurance.

The integration of IoT technology is revolutionizing the insurance market by enabling the collection of real-time data and insights that significantly enhance risk mitigation strategies. The continued expansion of technology solutions and services are finding ways into the insurance market and are starting to significantly impact the future of insurance. By leveraging data-driven insights garnered from emerging technologies, insurance carriers can identify emerging risks and foster a more engaged customer relationship, as policyholders receive personalized recommendations for predicting and preventing risks before they occur. This session will explore the intersection of technology and insurance and share successes and insights through the HSB lens.

Kasey Ketcham

VP, Strategic Growth Solutions

HSB

C. PFAS and Microplastics: Two Toxic Headaches for the Insurance Industry?

Ubiquitous in their presence and disturbing because of their potential harmful effects, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics loom ominously over society. Both PFAS and microplastics continue to be used in products well known to all of us, including Teflon, food packaging, and consumer products. Recent U.S. regulatory activity, scientific research, and lawsuit outcomes portend a decades-long slog for the insurance industry. This session will discuss the potential health risks of PFAS and microplastics, outline the current regulatory and legal climate, and offer suggestions as to how NAMIC members should proceed in the years ahead.

Timothy Fletcher

Senior Emerging Issues Specialist

Gen Re

D. Topic To Be Determined

Networking Break

A. Topic To Be Determined

B. Control + Alt + Defend – The Latest In Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is dynamic but remains critical for consumers and businessowners to understand and embrace. This session will provide valuable cybersecurity insights for consumers and businesses through shared experiences, current and future trends, and proactive cyber solutions for personal lines and commercial lines insurers and policyholders.

Eric Hendricksen

Commercial Cyber Product Lead

HSB

Neil Rekhi

Product Lead - Personal Cyber Insurance

HSB Insurance

C. Topic To Be Determined

D. Solutions Fastpitch

In the face of rising inflation, continued supply chain issues, a potential recession on the horizon, and higher-than-ever expectations from customers, insurers are being forced to quickly adapt to a new normal. This session will provide attendees the opportunity to hear from a variety of solutions providers about how carriers can harness new technology, leverage new data, and accelerate their digital transformation. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions during the session and/or meet with vendors one-on-one afterward.

Optional Activity: TBD

Breakfast

Registration and Event Information Desk

Sponsor Showcase

Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussions

Networking Break

General Session: Washington Update

With more than two decades of experience in Washington’s political circles, Jimi Grande, NAMIC’s senior vice president of federal and political affairs, will provide an update on NAMIC’s current advocacy efforts in the nation’s capital. The session will place a special focus on the 2024 election results and how the changes in Washington will impact the property/casualty insurance industry’s agenda. Gain insights into what is expected to happen in Washington in 2025 and how key policy areas will be impacted.

Jimi Grande
Senior Vice President, Federal & Political Affairs
NAMIC