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Spotlight on Risk Management’s Resilient Women

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Ahead of International Women’s Day, RIMS is celebrating women’s achievements in the profession. Three women leaders in different stages of their careers recently spoke with Risk Management Monitor about what motivated them to make the move into and within the industry, and what the can be done to even the landscape for all professionals. Download the current RIMScast episode for their full interviews.

Kathleen P. Crowe, Aon Risk Solutions and chair of the RIMS Rising Risk Professionals Advisory Group.

What is your impression of risk management’s playing field?

Crowe: I’ve been in the industry for about six years and even in that time I’ve seen a pretty significant change in the overall makeup of the risk management and insurance positions. A lot of companies – Aon included – have women in leadership positions, which I appreciate. Women represent three of my four largest clients – we’re talking about massive, publicly traded companies and they are responsible for risk management functions.

It used to be the boys club but it’s becoming the women’s club, too, and I am glad to have these fantastic women to look up to. There’s been a lot of significant progress and I’m excited about the future.

How much of a challenge is knowledge transfer in risk management?

Crowe: I think everyone is facing similar issues in finding ways to integrate people into different areas so they can be trained to step up. The knowledge sharing process takes time and effort and though it’s a constant reminder that everyone is busy, it’s a way to prioritize and make sure we’re investing appropriately in the younger generation. This will enable them to succeed in higher positions as they progress through their careers and take on management positions and oversee others.

* * *

Cassandra R. Cole, Department Chair of Risk Management Insurance, Real Estate, and Legal Studies at Florida State University; Director of the Master of Science in RiskManagement and Insurance Program and the William T. Hold Professor in Risk Management and Insurance.

You have been an educator for years. Does your curriculum evolve to reflect news and industry trends?

Cole: Definitely. Much of my research comes from what’s going on in the world. It makes the classroom more exciting and the information you share more relevant. It helps the student better understand the connection between what’s going on in the textbook and what’s going on in the real world.

For example, I teach employee benefits on a regular basis and with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, that had implications for company health insurance plans and we spent a lot of time exploring how that law would impact companies, what they offer, their cost of insurance and how it would affect employees.

Are more female students showing an interest in risk management courses and degrees? What could higher education and the profession itself to generate or maintain enthusiasm? 

Cole: There has been a significant shift overall in terms of a gender spread. At the undergraduate level, it’s probably more 50-50. At the advanced programs and doctoral level is where I’m seeing a difference and where we still need to continue to inspire women to pursue those advanced degrees.

I think one of the things other than the actual teaching experience is connecting with students, helping them make decisions, [and] helping prepare them for that transition into the work. It is nice, though, to hear from a student who says ‘you’re the first female business professor I’ve had,’ because it demonstrates where they can go in their careers.

We are definitely making some advances but there are disparities in pay that need to be addressed and corrected.

* * *

Soraya Wright, founder and CEO of SMW Risk Management Consulting and also a member of the RIMS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council.

You were at Clorox for more than 20 years and left as the vice president of Global Risk Management and Crisis Management. What influenced you to go out on your own?

Wright: I initially thought I would be semi-retired, but two friends hired me as a consultant. I realized I had to formalize myself as a company if I was going to take on all these projects.

One of my mentees influenced me to keep working because she appreciated that I was someone who raised the issue of bringing on women and people of color onto strategic projects while I had been at Clorox. I thought about the work I was doing as a consultant and her words and they grabbed at my heart, and I felt another purpose. So, I continue to stay engaged and learn and practice my expertise as a risk manager. But I also devote some time for my passion, which is mentoring and coaching others and influencing change so there are opportunities for under-represented members of our profession.

How do you feel the profession can further encourage women to maintain their careers?

Wright: By providing opportunities for those who demonstrate an interest. Mentorship is important and I believe we’re obligated to reach back and help the next generation and also our peers. Our clients have more leverage than many realize, so just requesting that certain types of people with certain viewpoints work on your project can make all the difference in your work and in someone’s career. If we do that we’ll continue to see this wave of advancement and the leveling of the playing field.

Aon’s Top Cyber Threats for 2019 Revealed

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Companies’ cyber risk profiles should be updated in tandem with each new digital technology that it embraces, according to Aon in its 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report. The scale of attacks and their impact on organizations is intensifying, and as recently reported, are becoming less predictable. Ransomware attacks may have peaked in 2018, as industry experts have noted, which sent malicious actors reverting to good old fashioned digital extortion, albeit with a slight twist.

Adopting a proactive outlook is the best way for companies to respond to the complex and changing set of cyberrisks, said Jason J. Hogg, CEO of Aon Cyber Solutions.

“To better prepare against attack, organizations should continually assess their overall cyber risk profile, remediate where recommended and proactively manage their defense,” Hogg said.

The report discusses eight prominent areas where organizations are expected to face cybersecurity threats this year.

  1. Technology
  2. Supply Chain

  3. IoT
  4. Business Operations
  5. Employees


  6. Mergers & Acquisitions
  7. Regulatory
  8. Board of Directors

Tips for Managing a Hurricane Claim

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Despite early predictions of a mild 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, the latest forecasts reflect the likelihood of more named storms than originally anticipated. If that is not ample motivation for risk managers to double-check their hurricane preparation, then the reality that it only takes one major storm to generate a widespread disaster should be sufficient to warrant a review of their claims preparation.
This process will not only help spot potential gaps in your insurance, but also any issues in your planning that may affect the amount and delay the timing of a claim recovery. Based on recent experience, here are some tips for hurricane claims preparation and management.

Conduct a thorough review of your property insurance. Start by checking your deductible. After a loss, the first question risk managers often get from leadership is: “What’s our retention?” You also need to see if your policy has a blanket or percentage deductible. If the latter, is it a percentage of total insured value (TIV)? Do separate deductibles apply to physical damage and business interruption? Double-check your business interruption deductible. A 2% deductible on a business interruption loss equals seven days of self-retention (365 days x 2%).

In reviewing your policy, check the definitions of covered perils. Look for specific references to “storm surge,” “named windstorm” and “flood.” You’ll also want to make sure your policy covers costs to protect and preserve insured property that sustains physical damage and addresses business interruption losses when a facility is closed to preserve or protect property.

Check fee coverage for claims preparation. In a catastrophe, you may need to retain an outside claims consultant to manage your claim; this coverage—standard in some policies and optional for a nominal surcharge in others—comes in handy for complex claims.

Risk managers also shouldn’t overlook the extended period of indemnity, which gives policyholders additional time after a damaged property is restored to regain market share. And don’t miss assessing how your business interruption coverage addresses payroll; most policyholders want coverage that treats payments to hourly workers as a fixed expense (ordinary payroll), especially during catastrophe events.

During your policy review, be sure not to miss the opportunity to pre-select your adjuster. Designate an adjuster in your insurance policy and meet with them and your insurer’s claims director or examiner before any loss. Besides informing them about your company’s operations and claim strategy, a meeting helps structure the claims process.

List your claims team in your emergency response plan. Creating a team in advance—including claim advocate, restoration company, forensic accountant, engineers and building consultants—will mean they can be mobilized immediately following a major loss event.

After a loss event, communicate with key internal stakeholders. Keep your c-suite, operations, procurement and legal teams fully informed of your loss situation and claim process. And be sure all employees have ample instruction. They will need guidance for setting up loss accounts, invoicing, tracking internal labor, inventory, fixed asset ledgers and on any purchases to help mitigate the loss. They also need to understand the sensitive nature of any discussions with insurance company representatives.

Act quickly to assess the loss. Immediately evaluate the extent of property damage and obtain recommendations on temporary repairs and remediation needed to preserve and protect property. Show the adjuster the full scope of the loss so an appropriate reserve is established.

Designate a key member of your claims team to coordinate, manage and communicate activities of emergency resources, remediation, restoration vendors, environmental specialists and other providers involved in your claim. This encompasses all site inspections and remediation, timelines, target dates, ownership of issues and accountability, and facilitates expedited reviews of damaged inventory.

Work closely with your insurer throughout the loss adjustment process, as well, to negotiate partial payments based on expected short-term expenditures.

Get outside help for complex losses. By bringing expertise and special resources, such as drones and other technology, to determine extent and scope of loss, prepare accurate damage and business interruption assessments, claim experts can make a significant difference in your recovery.

Large-scale catastrophes can involve delays in insurance adjustment and elongated downtime, which can have enduring and widespread negative consequences for an enterprise. With careful planning, risk managers can help their organizations achieve faster and more complete recoveries.

For more information on hurricane preparedness and natural catastrophe planning, visit: http://www.aon.com/disaster-response/

Aon Introduces Single-Parent Captive Cyber Insurance Program

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With cyberattack listed as one of their top risks, organizations are looking for ways to mitigate their risk in a market where cyber insurance rates are quickly rising. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the annual cost of cyber crime and economic espionage to the world economy runs as high as 5 billion, or about 1% of global income.

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This does not include intangible damage to an organization, however. Companies are purchasing more insurance to cover the risk. In 2014, the report said, the insurance industry took in $2.5 billion in premiums on policies to protect companies from losses resulting from hacks.

As a result, captive insurers are being used more and more for coverage.

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Aon said it is addressing shortcomings in traditional cyber coverage with a cyber captive program with capacity of up to $400 million. Companies looking to form a captive would undergo a review to quantify their cyber exposures.

According to Peter Mullen, CEO of Aon Captive and Insurance Management, the program is designed to help clients understand their risk profile. “Once this is understood, they are is in a better position to make decisions about how much risk to retain in their captive and how much risk to transfer to the program,” Mullen said.
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 “The program allows captives to purchase coverage up to $400 million on a reinsurance or excess insurance basis.”

The cyber captive program will be domiciled in Bermuda and is available to single-parent captives. The basis for coverage will be “a very broad form which includes coverage for property damage and business interruption following a cyber event,” he added.

“Building a large tower of limits can be hampered by differing policy terms and conditions and dislocation of rates at different layers in a program,” Mullen said. “Additionally, many organizations facing cyber risks that can result in physical impacts, such as property damage and business interruption, agree that a more comprehensive approach to cyber risk is needed.

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