Established in 2004, Leader’s Edge is the award-winning content platform for The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, covering legal and legislative issues, international business and regulation, management trends and best practices, technology, and more. Leader’s Edge is written and recorded for large and mid-sized commercial insurance and employee benefit executives around the globe.
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Looking Around Corners and Breaking Glass
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18:19
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Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers executive chairman Ken Crerar sits down for a candid conversation on leading The Council through 30 years of growth, change, disruption, and success.By A Council Platform - 868329
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Being a bank-owned premium financing company means that the economic environment, especially changes in banking, is a major factor in the business landscape, says Ben Rubin, chief risk officer for FIRST Insurance Funding & Wintrust Life Finance. In this podcast, sponsored by First Insurance Funding, Rubin discusses the particulars of the current fi…
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In this episode we meet Ryan L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Atlanta Life Insurance.Smith shares how his childhood entrepreneurial mindset led him to working with NBA legend Magic Johnson. He also discusses his perspective on life insurance, and why its vital for a family member to have.By A Council Platform - 868329
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Great Fire to a Burgeoning Market: History of Lloyd's
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17:51
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For hundreds of years the insurance market known as Lloyd's of London has played a notorious role in the world of risk and finance.To understand how this market started, podcast producer Zach Ewell spoke with Geraldine Morgan, a history enthusiast who gives tours in London England around the history of Lloyds and insurance. Morgan takes us on a tou…
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One year into the newly created role of head of North America, AXIS' Mike McKenna joins the Leader’s Edge podcast to discuss how he plans to execute on opportunities in the market as Axis dives deeper into specialty lines. McKenna drills down into where the opportunities are in the difficult casualty market, discusses the company’s new Lloyd’s synd…
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As Fall conference season gears up, BrokerTech Ventures’ John Jackovin, Executive Director of the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator, shares some insight into the upcoming BrokerTech Connect, a broker-focused mini-event held during InsureTech Connect in Las Vegas in October. Jackovin discusses the evolution of the conference over the years and what’s …
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Can we fix the polarization that has engulfed our politics and government?According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, public trust in government has edged near all-time lows in recent years.The nonpartisan organization She Should Run believes part of the answer to fixing this problem includes increasing the number of women in public office. To …
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Interconnected Risk Drives New Client Focus
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In this edition of our AXA XL podcast series, chief client and distribution officer Matt O’Malley sits down with Leader’s Edge after taking on this newly created role for the insurer. He explains the interconnected risk that drove AXA XL to create this position and what he hopes to achieve in the role. He also talks market trends including the earl…
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In this episode of Politics & Risk from The Council’s government affairs team, SVP Joel Kopperud interviews Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney, who represents Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District.The congressman discusses his party’s new excitement surrounding the presidential ticket after President Joe Biden’s withdrew from the 2024 election, possib…
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For over 34 years Mike St. Lawrence traveled the United States selling alien abduction insurance on local TV news and radio shows.With nearly 7,000 coverages sold at a $24.95 asking price, the Florida resident offered a $10 million payout for proof of abduction. The catch: The payout would come at $1 annually for 10 million years. Following our 202…
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In this episode we meet Dan Horton, CEO of the Horton GroupHorton shares how he made the career jump from airline pilot to insurance executive, the influence that family has had in his life, and the importance of company culture.By A Council Platform - 868329
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AI is No Longer Science Fiction, Neither are its Risks
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How is artificial intelligence shaking up the film industry?Sinead Murphy, managing director at carrier MiC Specialty, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the film and media industries.With over 12 years of underwriting experience, Murphy shares how AI risks will impact E&O, cyber, and other policy coverages. She also discusses h…
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Benefits Market Leaders Fuel Advocacy Agenda
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In this edition of the Politics & Risk podcast, The Council’s government affairs team is onsite at the Employee Benefits Leadership Forum (EBLF) with Council VP of health policy & strategy Katie King. King oversees the Council of Employee Benefits Executives’ agenda and reveals new insights presented to the group by McKinsey, including findings fro…
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Blake Watts, channel partnerships leader for Ochsner Health, has a busy agenda for The Council’s Employee Benefits Leadership Forum [EBLF] this year.Speaking with Leader’s Edge on the first day of the meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Watts said he was looking forward to conversations with his peers on healthcare point solutions and partnering…
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In this episode we meet Belen Tokarski, President and COO of Mylo.Tokarski shares inspirational stories of family members who inspire her, how she fell into the insurance industry. And why she’s sticking around.By A Council Platform - 868329
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When Both Extremes Control the Agenda, Who Loses?
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In the latest episode of Politics & Risk from The Council’s government affairs team, SVP Joel Kopperud interviews Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who has represented Colorado’s 7th Congressional District since 2023.Having served in the Colorado state legislature for a decade prior to becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pette…
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Campus Protests, Political Tension: A Deep Dive on SRCC Coverage
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This Spring has seen protests pop up on college campuses all over America.As a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, student organizations have been demanding action from their universities to divest from Israel. Meanwhile counter protests have also occurred. While some protests have stayed peaceful, others have broken out in violence. Lucy Strak…
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A conversation with GameStop’s Co-founderVideo games, eccentric personalities and past presidential candidates have all made their way through Gary Kusin's career.The entrepreneur and business mentor is the former CEO of FedEx Office and co-founded the company now known as GameStop. Kusin shares how he started the first large-scale video game retai…
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In this episode we meet Tim Hall, CEO of Relation Insurance Services. Hall shares how he got his start creating a business in high school, what life is like in his home state of Nebraska, and how the insurance industry needs to sell itself to a younger generation.By A Council Platform - 868329
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Donnacha Smyth, president of global excess casualty for AXA XL, discusses pressure points in the market and his takeaways from brokers.In the newest addition to our AXA XL podcast series, Donnacha Smith, president of global excess casualty for AXA XL, discusses ongoing claims litigation and nuclear verdicts, geopolitical tensions, climate change an…
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Creating efficiency and speed for agents and brokers is a major topic in this podcast sponsored by BrokerTech Ventures. Jeff Lobeman, assistant vice president for digital and head of innovation, and Bob Pick, CIO and executive vice president, both at Tokio Marine North America, discuss how they stay on top of brokers’ operational and customer servi…
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"I like to be where the rubber meets the road."In this episode we meet Jenni Lee Crocker, President of PCF Insurance Services. Crocker shares how growing up in a small town in Virginia shaped her outlook on life, and how experiences from her local community gave her the tools and can do attitude to tackle whatever her job and the industry demands o…
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The Deals and Dollars Nurturing the Current Insurtech Market
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With a reduction in deals and dollars, insurtech investment going forward will favor companies with a proven track record and products that will be widely usable across the insurance industry, says Kylie Hubbard, director of innovation at Insurica. In this podcast, sponsored by Ascend, Hubbard also provides a broker perspective on the state of data…
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A conversation on digital evolution with IVANS CEO Reid Holzworth.We discuss connectivity, carriers data evolution and how AI is really being used in the insurance industry.By A Council Platform - 868329
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A discussion with Pamela Wheeler, Chief Diversity Officer at NFP.In this episode we meet Pamela Wheeler, who shares stories about her early career in the sports industry working for the WNBA. Then Wheeler dives deep into why she traded in sports for insurance, and why its important to understand DE&I as a business imperative.…
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Pulling the Thread Through Relationships, Automation and Integration
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In this podcast sponsored by finance automation platform Ascend, we talk with Andrew Wynn, Ascend co-founder and CEO. In between conversations about digitization, integration and what good looks like, we discuss the nature of relationships, community and the thread between his time in the Peace Corps and insurance.…
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What kind of knowledge and benefits does a past minor league pitcher wish he had?Slade Smith, Employee Benefits Specialist at Cobbs Allen shares stories about the early days of his career as a professional baseball player, drafted by the Detroit Tigers, and how he pivoted to working in the insurance industry after an injury.The 33-year-old also sha…
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Will Democrats or Republicans flip or flop The House and Senate?The Council’s SVP and VP of government affairs Joel Kopperud and Blaire Bartlett kicks off their Legislative Summit with a run down of today's hotbed of political issues.They talk flipping the house and senate, regulatory issues in the healthcare space, reauthorizing tax cuts, PBM tran…
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The Long Game with Keith Schuler (Podcast Version)
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Keith Schuler, CEO of InterWest Insurance Services shares his background and brokerage history, industry issues, as well as his new focus as Council Board Chair.By A Council Platform - 868329
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Beginnings: Strategic Planning, Market Growth, Data-Driven Evolution
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art of our AXA XL sponsored podcast series, we talk with Lucy Pilko, CEO, Insurance in the Americas for AXA XL. Just a couple months into the role, Pilko talks about beginning the process of executing AXAL XL’s long and short term strategic visions. She discusses market opportunities and areas of challenge, and learning how to really use the data a…
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Wick shares what he learned from his short comings in brokerage relationships, and how that prompted him to start his own firm. He additionally talks about the importance of vulnerability, the process of change, being a community focused agency and acquisition strategy.By A Council Platform - 868329
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In this podcast sponsored by AXIS, we talk with Jay Hamilton, Global Head of Accident and Health Insurance at AXIS. He discusses the eclectic mix of product lines in accident and health, current lines of interest including employee benefits, pet insurance, and travel, among others. He also discusses market headwinds, the outlook for 2024, and align…
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In this special podcast episode, the Leader’s Edge art team dissects work created by AI art generator Dall-E. Using our October cover story on artificial intelligence as the basis for our own AI experiment, we gave the same exact instructions to a human illustrator and the AI art generator tool, then compared the results and chose one for our Octob…
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The Council’s SVP of government affairs Joel Kopperud interviews Congressman Pat Ryan (D-NY).Son of an insurance agent, Rep. Ryan discusses his relationship with the insurance industry, the important issues impacting his constituents and global ramifications of national security. Additionally, the team shares exciting news on PBM reform.…
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A conversation with Steve Sublett, Senior Director of Employee Experience and Engagement, CBIZ, San Diego, California.Sublett shares what it was like growing up on the grounds of an Illinois juvenile state penitentiary where his father was the warden, and how that experience shaped his life. He also discusses what lead him to the insurance industry…
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In this episode of our partner podcast series with global insurer AXA XL, we talk Steven Bauman, Global Programs & Captives Director, for the Americas for AXA XL. The conversation covers the unprecedented growth in captives in recent years, new lines forming captives that haven’t before, and how captives play a role in risk management and transfer …
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From America’s Youngest Mayor to Current Congressman
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In this episode, The Council’s VP of government affairs Blaire Bartlett is joined by guest host Charlie Daniels, SVP of NFP.The two interview Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY). Their discussion touches on Molinaro’s history of service, farm policy, the importance of inclusion in the workforce and legislation on the hill post Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s reign as …
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In this podcast sponsored by Nationwide, Mark Berven, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Property and Casualty, shares his thoughts on range of topics. The conversation incudes uncertainty and inflationary pressures in the casualty market, continued pressure from weather in property, building and pricing for resiliency, and how car…
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A conversation with Olga Collins, CEO, Worldwide Broker Network, Atlanta Georgia.Collins discusses her international background, love for languages, food and travel, and how she became interested in risk management.By A Council Platform - 868329
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In this podcast sponsored by AXIS, Ann Haugh, CEO of Axis Re, digs into current trends in the reinsurance market. She discusses headwinds in the property and casualty markets, as well as areas of opportunity. Also on the agenda are emerging risk and reflections on one year into her role.By A Council Platform - 868329
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In this installment of Politics & Risk, Council SVP of government affairs Joel Kopperud talks with Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).They discuss the tumultuous path to electing a new House Speaker, clean energy and impacts of the the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).By A Council Platform - 868329
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The Council’s SVP and VP of government affairs Joel Kopperud and Blaire Bartlett, respectively, discuss how a breakdown in negotiations in Congress have led to a pending government shutdown.How will House Speaker McCarthy move forward? How is he working across the aisle while negotiating within his own party? The team also discusses news on the pha…
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Environment Adjustment: A Deep Dive into Commercial Real Estate
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Since the pandemic, experts have cautioned that the office building market is poised for collapse. In this podcast, we hear directly from Ryan Flanagan, executive vice president and real estate practice leader at Heffernan Insurance Brokers, on how his office clients are coping with post-pandemic workforce changes. He also discusses crime as a grow…
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In this episode of Falling Into It, we chat with Mara Blagojevich, a Senior Marine Risk Consultant at Allianz Commercial.Blagojevich attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point New York where she later served in the U.S. Coast Guard early on in her career. The 29-year-old shares how serving during Hurricane Harvey became one o…
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A conversation with Kira Kimball, Chief Diversity Officer, Marsh McLennan Agency , Sioux Falls, South Dakota.Kira Kimball shares innovations within DE&I and what has kept her in the insurance space, all while sharing pride for her home state of South Dakota.By A Council Platform - 868329
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As our podcast series with global insurer AXA XL continues, we host Rose Hall, senior vice president and head of innovation for the Americas, and Billy Volz, Southwest property underwriting leader and ecosystem ambassador for AXA XL. The intersection of their two roles is at the heart of the conversation as we discuss technological innovation in ri…
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The Council’s SVP and VP of government affairs Joel Kopperud and Blaire Bartlett bring the latest from Capitol Hill and around the country as states make legislative moves regarding non-compete agreements and legal defense costs.Plus, Heather Steinmiller, executive partner, general counsel and national claim advocacy and consulting leader for broke…
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Aaron Davidson, CEO of Relay, has a long history in insurance, starting with Aon nearly 20 years ago as it was being investigated by Eliot Spitzer. His path to now leading the multi-carrier insurance platform has evolved along with his theories on digitization. He discusses where the industry is in its digital evolution, which markets are saturated…
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Church Mutual Insurance CEO Alan Ogilvie talks current risk trends in purpose-driven organizations. With a policyholder base that includes youth camps, schools, religious institutions, senior living facilities and several non-profits, Church Mutual Insurance has a wide range of risks to cover.By A Council Platform - 868329
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“Listen to your instincts. Having the confidence to trust your gut is so important.”By A Council Platform - 868329
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