10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Platform Opens & Sponsor-Hosted Networking

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Opening Keynote: An Inside Look at Complex & Specialty Claims

While technology allows insurers to handle a wide range of insurance claims remotely, specialty claims are generally more complex and require particular knowledge of the issues involved. How can insurers investigate and close these nontraditional claims more effectively? What experts should be involved and when? These solutions are definitely not one-size-fits-all and we’ll examine some of the issues to be watching for.

Speaker:

• Cristina Schoen, Head of Global Practice Group - Airline and General Aviation Claims
  Director of Airline Claims – U.S. - Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty, Americas

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Spotlight on What Makes a Cannabis Claim Different and How to Handle It

Given the expectation that more and more states will start to legalize some form of use of cannabis, it is high time for insurers to think about their approach to it. The discussion will focus on what makes cannabis claims different from other property claims.  The main takeaways will include:

• How to think about cannabis at this time - where to begin?
  • Making sense of the fact that what states say and what the federal government says are two different things
• How to apply policy to a claim?
• What to look for and what questions to ask?
• Should insurers have a specialized team dedicated to this area?

Speakers:

• Moderator: Tamala McBath, Chief Execution Officer -  NCRMA 
• Tessa Adams, Chief Marketing Officer - MOXIE
• Mark Gibbons, Audit Partner - Urish Popeck & Co., LLC 
• Justin M. Lehtonen, Senior Vice President - Worldwide Facilities, LLC
• Gerrit Nagarwalla, Claims Manager - Canopius

Hosted by:   

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Networking & Sponsor-Hosted Facilitated Discussions

12:15 PM - 1:00 PM | Solutions Showcase

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM | The Impact of Climate Change on the Insurance Industry and Weather-Related Claims

As various industries start to understand how their footprint impacts the environment and what effect their activities will have in the long run, the insurance industry has been feeling the pressure to do the same.  Lloyd’s of London, for example, has pledged within the next decade to stop supporting industries most damaging to the environment. Additionally, there are indications that the new U.S administration will be focused on looking at coverage insurers have been providing to businesses viewed as having a damaging effect on the environment.  The session will address the role that the insurance industry will need to play in order to help combat the adverse effects of climate change as well as a potential impact of these efforts on the claims business. Among the points of discussion will be:

• What efforts have insurers undertaken to understand how the businesses they cover are affecting climate change?
• How will these efforts impact the claims business?
  • How is climate change driving insurers to reevaluate their models around claims?
• The increase in hurricanes and wildfires has been attributed to climate change. How can insurers help educate their policyholders about these risks and strategies to lessen their impact and claims?
• What proactive steps are insurers taking to lessen their environmental footprint?
• How will this affect the types of businesses and risks they cover?

Speakers:

• Moderator:  Rosalie Donlon, Editor in Chief, Insurance and Tax Publications - ALM Media LLC
• Carey Bond, Head of Claims, Americas - Lloyd's of London
• David F. Snyder, Vice President - American Property Casualty Insurance Association
• Ben Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer - Opterrix, Inc.

Hosted by:   

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Networking & Sponsor-Hosted Facilitated Discussions

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM | The Impact of COVID-19 on Claims Organizations: What Has It Meant and What Will It Mean Going Forward

In this session, senior claims executives will share their experiences on how their organizations have adapted to the “new world order” and what it will take to come out of it in as sound of a condition as possible. More specifically, they will focus their discussion on:

• What have we learned?; What did we give up?; What we ought to keep doing?; What we should go back to?  
  • How claims organizations have been responding to claims?
  • What were the key issues?
  • What did carriers do to change practices, to shift from in-person to touchless claims experience and what was the response from both the employees as well as customers?
  • How has organizational culture changed: What aspects of it can be preserved?
• Fourteen months into it, what seems to be the best way to investigate Covid-19 claims?

Speakers: 

• Moderator:  Elisa Logan, VP of Growth - VPay
• Shannon M. Harjer, Vice President of Personal Lines - Founders Insurance
• Chad Rhodes, VP of Operations - Charles Taylor
• Tim Roberts, Vice President - Workers’ Comp Claims - Everest Insurance
• Jacqueline M. Tirpak, Vice President, Corporate Claims Officer - Erie Insurance

Hosted by: 

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Improving SIU's Efficiency through Automation

Technology is changing how insurers manage the claims process. This solutions workshop will explore how manual SIU investigations can be augmented by utilizing technology to save 80% of staff hours currently spent on each investigation. We’ll discuss how computer vision and AI can increase efficiency by automatically finding and verifying a claimant’s digital profiles across social media and the web. Automation can help an investigator sift through thousands of images and pieces of content instantly and automatically trigger alerts by matching photos, videos, and keywords to specified behavior types. Technology has made it easy for investigators to save time gathering data so that they can spend more time analyzing and investigating. 

Key takeaways: 

• Streamline due diligence and investigation process
• Automate the identity verification process
• Easily create legally compliant reports

Speakers:

• Jake Creps, Product Manager - Skopenow
• Mike Pekala, Director of Sales - Skopenow

Hosted by:  

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Claims Dialogue

The Claims Dialogue is an off-the-record, invitation-only discussion that involves senior-level insurance executives, risk managers and other individuals responsible for overseeing the claims programs within their organizations. Claims Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Patti Harman, hosts the dialogue. This year’s three-part discussion will take place throughout ACE and feature specific topics for that day’s dialogue. 

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Platform Opens & Sponsor-Hosted Networking

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Opening Keynote: What's on the Risk Landscape Horizon for Insurers?  

Risks for insurers and their policyholders are constantly changing and understanding where to focus resources and how to train claims departments are part of a comprehensive strategy. Gary Sullivan, former vice president of claims at Erie Insurance and now an assistant professor of risk management at Mercyhurst University, will focus on the areas carriers should be watching, what skillsets they will require and how insurers can help prepare the next generation of insurance professionals for these risks. 

Speaker:

• Gary Sullivan, Assistant Professor, Risk Management - Walker College of Business, Mercyhurst University                    (former VP of Erie Insurance’s Property and Subrogation Claims)

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Spotlight on Cybersecurity: Managing Business and Personal Cybersecurity Claims

The long months of working from home have caused an increase in the frequency of cyber attacks (up 45% since March 2020), highlighting the need for personal and corporate cybersecurity insurance options.  Our panel of experts will explain the different risks, as well as how claims departments can be proactive in mitigating risks in the current environment.  Key takeaways will include:  

• How do commercial cyber claims differ from personal claims?
• Risk-training is critical in business and personal setting:  How do these efforts differ?
• Within a business setting, IT departments must continue to engage with and test employees’ awareness of issues like social engineering and ransomware:   What does this look like under the current circumstances?

Speakers: 

• Moderator:  Marie J. Ignozzi, Attorney - Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP
• Tara Bodden, Head of Claims and General Counsel - At-Bay 
• Jeremy Gittler, Practice Leader and Head of Cyber Claims, Americas - AXA XL
• Catherine Lyle, Head of Claims - Coalition, Inc.
• Lance Ondrej, Executive Vice President & Chief Claims Officer - Germania Insurance

Hosted by:    

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Networking & Sponsor-Hosted Facilitated Discussions

12:15 PM - 1:00 PM | Solutions Showcase

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM | Protecting Your Data: The Impact of Privacy Regulations on the Claims Industry

While the proliferation of privacy laws within the United States and around the world are adding a layer of protection for consumers, they are also creating complications for insureds and insurers when it comes to the claims process.  This panel discussion will shed some light on privacy regulations, their impact from a claims perspective, and how insurers can gather and protect their claims data in these circumstances.  Points of discussion will include: 

• A brief overview of what privacy laws to pay attention to:  CA, Canada, GDPR 
• How are various state privacy initiatives affecting the claims and recovery process for affected businesses? 
• The impact of increased automation on the claims process, data vulnerabilities and how to mitigate the risks

Speakers

• Moderator:  Erin Burns, EVP and Head of Brokerage -  INSUREtrust
• Caryn M. Silverman, Senior Vice President, Claims Counsel - Sompo International
• Ian A. Stewart, Partner - Wilson Elser
• David T. Vanalek, Claims Chief Operating Officer - Markel
   

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Networking & Sponsor-Hosted Facilitated Discussions

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM | Looking for Cover: How Are Courts Applying Insurance to Business Interruption Claims Caused by the Pandemic

Recent rulings in Florida and North Carolina suggest that courts may continue to find coverage for the business interruption incidents caused by the pandemic.  The panel  will look to provide some perspective on what this could mean for the industry.  Specific points of discussion will include:  

• Coverage exclusions and how they are applied
• Analysis of arguments from the plaintiff’s side:  What are they focusing on and what other types of coverage are they going after?
• Claims investigation: forensic audits; determining real loss costs
• Examination of the use of traditional claims tools such as EUOs and their value for insurers in the age of COVID

Speakers: 

• Moderator:  Hannah E. Smith, Editor - ALM Media LLC
• Shawn M. Crawley, Senior Vice President, Head of First Party Claims - Sompo International
• Stephen Gregoire, Senior Vice President - Forensic Accounting - J.S. Held LLC
• Mark S. Katz, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Ryan Specialty Group

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Claims Dialogue

The Claims Dialogue is an off-the-record, invitation-only discussion that involves senior-level insurance executives, risk managers and other individuals responsible for overseeing the claims programs within their organizations. Claims Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Patti Harman, hosts the dialogue. This year’s three-part discussion will take place throughout ACE and feature specific topics for that day’s dialogue.