Desperate insurance firms ‘stealing each other’s talent’

Insurance Business Magazine | December 27, 2019

Insurers with talent are going to be robbed. That’s the harsh reality in the insurance industry today as firms respond to the ever-growing talent crisis. As Alan Jay Kaufman, chairman, CEO, and president of H.W. Kaufman Group, put it: “There’s a talent war. There’s a fight for expertise, and people are comfortable stealing from each other.” Anyone who’s been to a large industry networking event over the past few years can probably testify that the talent acquisition climate is electric. What’s sold as a catch-up with an industry peer over a quick drink quite often turns into an attractive job offer with a competitor. That sort of behavior has “intensified and heated up” over the years, according to Kaufman. “I don’t see this talent climate changing any time soon,” Kaufman told Insurance Business. “Business is good at the moment. There’s plenty of insurance to write because the US economy is strong, but alongside that, there’s a shortage of talent and a shortage of expertise. Companies are desperate and they’re taking talent from others.

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Core Insurance, Insurance Technology

Celina Insurance Group Chooses Betterview for Accurate Roof Condition Data

GlobeNewswire | August 10, 2023

Celina Insurance Group, a community-focused provider of P&C insurance for over 100 years, recently announced their selection of insurtech company Betterview. Celina will utilize Betterview’s Property Intelligence and Risk Management solution to drive more accurate assessments of property conditions during policy renewal. Celina sought out an insurtech partner to obtain reliable and consistent data on roof condition, an especially relevant factor for Midwestern insurers dealing with inclement weather. Previously, Celina’s underwriters relied on time-consuming physical inspections to assess roof condition and often had to make adjustments later in the policy lifecycle. Betterview provided Celina with more accurate property data upfront and an extensive selection of roof-related property insights for improved risk selection and efficient underwriting. “Betterview gave us even more than we asked for,” says Trish Harlamert, vice president of underwriting at Celina. “There are so many great datasets and tools on their platform, including a full, transparent assessment of overall roof condition and the ability to flag changes in property condition over time. This is extremely useful for renewals because we can see if a policyholder has added a swimming pool, trampoline, or even an additional structure since the last time we had eyes on the property.” Betterview is confident their platform will drive more efficient renewal workflows for Celina. “Our platform empowers insurers like Celina with an instant, AI-powered view of current and historical roof condition. Our mature machine models can detect over two dozen relevant risk drivers, including staining, ponding, and missing shingles,” says Dave Tobias, chief operating officer and co-founder at Betterview. “Equipped with the best property data, they can make more informed decisions and collect adequate premiums without relying on costly, time-consuming physical inspections.” About Betterview Betterview is the Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solution the insurance industry depends on to identify and mitigate property risk, improve underwriting and inspection efficiency, and build a more transparent customer experience. Applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision to aerial imagery and geospatial data, Betterview generates the most accurate property information insurers trust to automate pricing, underwriting, and renewals while focusing strategic action on critical properties. Combined with flagging, continuous monitoring, and pre-filed peril risk scores, Betterview is helping transform property insurance from Repair and Replace to Predict and Prevent. For more information, please visit www.betterview.com About Celina Insurance Group Celina Insurance Group is comprised of four mutual property and casualty insurance companies. The companies provide protection for autos, homes, businesses and farms through more than 500 independent agencies in five states. Founded in 1914 with headquarters in Celina, Ohio, the organization is committed to supporting its policyholders and communities. https://www2.celinainsurance.com

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Core Insurance, Life Insurance

McGill and Partners announces new appointments as it continues to drive its growth agenda

Business Wire | August 14, 2023

McGill and Partners, the global boutique specialist (re)insurance broker, has announced several important leadership appointments within its US operations. Karl Hennessy, who currently leads the Global Specialty Insurance teams in London, will be appointed CEO of McGill Global Risk Solutions LLC, the US insurance and reinsurance business, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. He will be supported by John Judice, who is appointed President of the US business with immediate effect and will be responsible for driving sales and business development activity across McGill and Partners’ specialty insurance platform. Warren Mula will remain Chairman of the US business. Nirali Shah has been appointed Head of US D&O and to further support Business Development activity in the US, Daisy Jackson has been appointed Partner, Business Development, and will move to New York from London, subject to visa approvals. Alyssa Gerardi is appointed as Steve McGill’s Chief of Staff and has moved from New York to London. As Karl transitions to the US, his previous responsibilities will be taken over by our Chairman, John Lloyd. McGill and Partners works closely with many leading high-quality retail and/or wholesale brokerage firms and/or (re)insurers as well as global clients and their captives to deliver superior solutions and services to this segment. Specifically, the focus of the firm is on the design structuring and placement of world class (re)insurance solutions, particularly for larger or more complex clients. Steve McGill, CEO of McGill and Partners, said: “Since we launched four years ago, we have developed a value proposition and business model that is highly differentiated, enabling us to deliver industry leading organic revenue growth. The US is the most important (re)insurance market in the world and these leadership changes are designed to reinforce our commitment to the US market, for the benefit of all our trading partners and clients.” About McGill and Partners McGill and Partners is the fastest growing specialty (re)insurance broker in the world with a boutique approach to help clients manage their most complex and challenging needs. It was launched in 2019 and the firm has significant backing from funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm. McGill and Partners is a global business with centres of excellence in London and New York.

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Risk Management, Insurance Technology

Canopy Connect Joins HawkSoft Solution Partner Program

PRnewswire | July 17, 2023

Today, HawkSoft welcomes Canopy Connect into its Solution Partner program. HawkSoft has worked with Canopy Connect in an informal capacity for several years, including a joint project involving API connectivity platform, InsuranceGIG that enabled automation between HawkSoft's agency management system and Canopy Connect's insurance verification system. This announcement celebrates the formal recognition of Canopy Connect as a key player in solving pain points for independent insurance agents including an ever-increasing portion of HawkSoft's customer base. More than eight thousand insurance agents use Canopy Connect to easily collect verified insurance information from their prospects. Agents can send custom links that allow prospects to sign into an insurance carrier and securely share their policy details with the agency. All policy information, drivers, vehicles, and dwelling information can be exported directly into HawkSoft's insurance platform via an API connection through InsuranceGIG. Canopy Connect enables insurance professionals to demonstrate their expertise on navigating risk with a more complete view into a prospect's existing or prior policies. "We share a common vision of helping agencies grow and removing friction from the agent and client experiences," said Tolga Tezel, founder and CEO at Canopy Connect. "That's why we're excited to be a Solution Partner with HawkSoft, which empowers us to deliver great experiences to agencies together." "Independent agents need to become trusted experts for their policyholders," said Rushang Shah, CMO at HawkSoft. "To do that, agents need to intimately know their clients and their specific risk management needs. Canopy Connect makes this simple by automatically ingesting verified insurance information from each client's current personal and commercial policies. Agents no longer have to hunt and verify data from different carriers and policies." Agencies that use HawkSoft as their management system can receive 10% off of Canopy Connect for the first year of service. About HawkSoft Since 1995, HawkSoft is a leader in management systems for independent insurance agencies that want effective workflows and a delightful experience for staff and policyholders. Created by independent agents, HawkSoft continues to evolve as a cutting-edge system that powers thousands of agencies. HawkSoft offers the following promise to insurance agents: your investment in HawkSoft will pay for itself in the first year. Learn more about HawkSoft's unique father-and-son story at www.hawksoft.com/story. About Canopy Connect, Inc. Canopy Connect enables insurance agencies to collect verified insurance information directly from carriers in seconds, resulting in a better client and agent experience. Through its consumer consent-driven data sharing technology and secure cloud infrastructure, Canopy Connect enables insurance agencies, agents, carriers, lenders, and insurance innovators to deliver delightful, intelligent, and frictionless insurance services.

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