IN-the-Know The Institutes CPCU Society

Kristine A. Fox, CPCU, AIC-M, ARM, AIC, API, AINS, SCLA-Gold, is the Midwest regional claims manager for the Property Americas Division of Sedgwick, where she organizes deployment of field resources and oversees client accounts. Fox has over 20 years of experience in property-casualty claims, ranging from homeowners and auto losses to general liability, and has also supervised commercial trucking liability claims. She is a past president of the Omaha CPCU Society Chapter. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Kristi discuss all things claims, from the onset of Kristi’s career to the future of claims, how she has pivoted to become an engaging resilience speaker in the industry, and how to more effectively attract talent to the claims space.
 
Key Takeaways
 
A help-wanted ad evolved into Kristi’s 20-plus-year career in insurance.
The helpful aspects of the insurance industry that first appealed to Kristi.
Kristi’s message of caution and encouragement for anyone who is considering a career in claims.
The evolution of training tactics in the industry.
Offerings that currently have the biggest impact in the claims space.
Major technology initiatives that are enhancing the claims experience.
Defining resilience as a critical component of the insurance industry.
Claims handling and adjuster expectations as they have evolved over the years.
The impact of involvement in the CPCU Society on Kristi’s career.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
Kristi’s long-view advice to her early career self.
 
Quotes
“What a lot of people don’t think about with insurance is that we are in a helping world.”
“I know that I’m having a positive impact on people and helping them through something really difficult.”
“There is a place for technology, and the more we can utilize it in the right ways, we’ll become more efficient, but there is still the human component that is going to be needed.”
“I’ve really appreciated the consistent focus on growing, developing, and learning as our careers progressed.”
“The human component is still going to be essential in the future of the industry.”

Matt Swafford is Senior Litigation Counsel at Shelter Insurance Companies, where he manages litigation across the United States for Shelter and affiliated companies and provides general counsel to Shelter’s claims branches. He practiced law in Kentucky for over ten years with a focus on insurance, business, and employment litigation, clerked for Justice Will T. Scott at the Supreme Court of Kentucky, and was a Staff Attorney for Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Barry Willett. At Northern Kentucky University – Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Matt graduated in the top ten percent of his class; was a member of the NKU Law Review’s Editorial Board; and interned for William O. Bertelsman, Federal District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Matt is licensed to practice in both Kentucky and Ohio (inactive), holds the Institutes’ Chartered Property Casualty Underwriting CPCU designation, and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Insurance Management at Columbia University in the City of New York. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Matt consider the pros and cons of litigative problem-solving in the insurance industry, how it differs from the law firm environment, and what the future of the industry may look like from a legal perspective.
 
Key Takeaways
 
Matt recalls how much he had to learn about insurance in the early days of his career.
Transitioning from a law firm to in-house counsel at an insurance carrier.
Appealing offerings from the Columbia Master’s Degree in Insurance Management.
The self-serving reason behind and benefits of Matt’s CPCU designation.
Networking opportunities that have resulted from Matt’s CPCU designation.
Key differences between a carrier and a law firm environment.
Hallmarks of an effective outside counsel-carrier relationship.
What Matt wishes other departments knew about the carrier legal group.
Best practices to mitigate the impact of social inflation.
Key takeaways from Matt’s time working outside a traditional law firm.
Addressing the talent gap in the insurance industry.
A five-year look at the future of the industry.
Matt’s advice to his early career self.
 
Quotes
“The thing I learned when I first started practicing [insurance defense] was how very little I knew about insurance.”
“I really wanted a business background and felt like I needed it to move forward in an in-house role.”
“Communication is number one. You want to keep open lines of communication and communicate often.”
“I can see how these kinds of cases play out and still not be the one who is carrying the pressure and the weight of trying to reach a successful resolve.”
“Sometimes law firms can be a very competitive, dog-eat-dog environment, and it’s just not like that in-house.”
“Learning how technology works in the insurance industry is going to be absolutely critical moving forward.”
 

Joe Paduda is the principal of Health Strategy Associates and the author of the thought-provoking Managed Care Matters blog. He is also the president of CompPharma, LLC, a research and consulting firm dedicated to improving pharmacy programs in workers’ compensation. In 2012, Joe received IAIABC’s President’s Award for his efforts to address the opioid problem in workers’ compensation. He currently participates in the “Comparative Effectiveness of Two State Payer Strategies to Prevent Unsafe Opioid Prescribing” research project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Before starting his consulting business in 1997, Joe held executive positions with major insurers, including Travelers, United Healthcare, and Liberty Mutual, and earned a Master of Science degree in Health Management from American University. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Joe dive into the current state of the workers' compensation space, positive changes that have already been made, and where the industry needs to go from here to remain relevant and successful.
 
Key Takeaways
 
Joe highlights his career path in the workers’ comp sector.
Appealing aspects of the workers' compensation space.
The role of functionality is the efforts of workers’ comp.
Three primary sectors that turn to workers’ comp and what they are looking for.
Insights into the current positive state of the workers' compensation industry.
The dangers of underinvesting in technology in insurance.
Major post-pandemic changes to the workers' comp industry.
The current climate of activity in the regulatory environment.
Insights from the evolution of the Managed Care Matters blog.
Joe’s thoughts on the pros and cons of workers’ comp conferences.
The future of workers' compensation, according to Joe.
Strategies for attracting quality talent to the insurance industry.
A five-year look at the future of the industry.
Joe’s advice to his early-career self.
 
Quotes
“Workers’ comp is the only healthcare system that cares about functionality.”
“In workers’ comp, we care about the health part of healthcare.”
“Good medical care drives positive outcomes.”
“The more there is honest debate around a lot of topics, the better off we’re going to be.”
“I hope people will get more conversant with and invest more intellectually in what’s driving the healthcare system.”

Melissa Burt DeVriese is the President at Security First Insurance Company. She has been with Security First Insurance Company since 2009 and has been President since March 2020. Before serving as President, she held a variety of roles, including Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel. Melissa holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law Center and is a licensed attorney in Florida, Washington D.C., and California. Before working at Security First, Melissa held a variety of legal and regulatory roles in Washington D.C. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Melissa discuss the state of the homeowners market in Florida, attracting more talent to the industry, and unique challenges Melissa faces in her role.
 
These onsite episodes of the In The Know podcast are brought to you by Gallagher Bassett.
 
Key Takeaways
 
Melissa recalls her journey from law to insurance.
Overcoming shortcomings in marketing the insurance industry.
Melissa’s experience as a female leader in the industry.
Effectively keeping up with technologies from a small carrier’s perspective.
Industry evolutions in recent years, including diversity and attracting talent.
Tactics and strategies for attracting and retaining personnel.
The evolution of distribution strategies for both direct and agents.
The current state of the unique Florida insurance marketplace.
Key differences in approaching the Florida marketplace.
Technology’s role in the future from the underwriters' standpoint.
Melissa’s experience with the CPCU, insurance board, and education involvement.
Messaging that needs to be shared with the rising generation of talent.
Hiring insights and career progression from a president’s perspective.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
Melissa’s advice to her early career self.
 
Quotes
“There are many similarities between the law and insurance.”
“Unfortunately, I think insurance is viewed as very stale and old and probably male. And the fact of the matter is, that’s not the case.”
“We have so much innovation in the industry space.”
“If we find the right person with the right aptitude and the right attitude, we teach them insurance.”
“From an insurance marketplace perspective, Florida is incredibly unique.”
“The most important thing you can stress to someone who’s looking for a career at any stage of their career life cycle would be what insurance does in society.”

Sandip Chatterjee is the Executive Vice President of Client Management & Innovation at MedRisk, leading the Account Management organization. He also leads the Product & Innovation for MedRisk where he is responsible for the creation of new solutions to drive improved experiences and outcomes for MedRisk Customers and Partners. Prior to joining MedRisk, Sandip was a Managing Director at Marsh McLennan leading the Analytics Delivery Organization for North America. Sandip has 20-plus years of experience in insurance and building and launching disruptive solutions to drive business growth and profitability.
 
In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Sandip discuss analytics, highlight the impact of advanced technology in the insurance space, and offer updates on managed medical in the workers' compensation segment.
 
Key Takeaways
 
Sandip highlights the background of his insurance career.
The appeal of the data analytics sector of the industry.
Key data interpretation differentiators between a TPA, broker, and managed medical provider.
Sandip’s advanced approach to analyzing data.
The evolution of “Big Data” analytics in the insurance industry in recent years.
The role of generative AI in using existing data to create new data.
Strategies for effective partner collaborations that drive better business decisions.
Sandip reflects on his experience as an analytic expert in the insurance industry.
Analytics is a powerful tool, but it is only one of many tools available.
Sandip addresses the talent shortage in the insurance industry.
A five-year look at potential changes to the data analytics aspect of the insurance industry.
Sandip shares the advice he would have liked his early insurance industry career self to know.
 
Quotes
“Each of these industries within insurance is answering different types of questions.”
“The data is good, but it only tells you part of the story.”
“There are more tools and solutions available… and better ways of analyzing the data itself.”
“It is becoming easier to use existing data to create new data.”
“There are a lot of different things that are happening in the data world today that are very, very exciting.”
“Analytics is a very powerful tool, but it is one of many tools.”
“There is a very strong purpose behind the insurance industry. We are trying to put life back together.”

Michael Koscielny, MBA, CPCU, CIC, ARe, AIC, API, AIS, AINS, is chief executive officer and founder of Born2Lead, LLC. He has over 40 years of experience creating effective teams and innovative processes for underwriting and pricing for various insurance companies. He currently serves as Director of Marketing for Graduate Programs at The University of Olivet. He is an instructor for The National Alliance CISR and CIC designations and a Facilitated CPCU Study Group Leader for The Institutes. Koscielny has held many roles for The Institutes CPCU Society, including 2017 global president of the CPCU Society Leadership Council, 2017‒2018 President of the Underwriting Executives Council, and 2023 President of the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators. He has written numerous articles and given many presentations. He published his first book Born2Lead: Lessons in Leadership, in 2023. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Michael discuss his new book, the importance of training the next generation of leaders in the insurance industry, and the many mentorship and training experiences that led to success throughout his career.
 
These onsite episodes of the In The Know podcast are brought to you by Gallagher Bassett.
 
Key Takeaways
 
Michael shares his unexpected journey into the insurance industry.
Insurance became his calling when Michael realized that insurance serves as the next responder in natural disasters.
An overview of the unique demands of the Florida insurance market.
The “why” behind Michael’s short-lived retirement from the insurance industry.
Writing a book successfully starts with not telling anyone that you’re writing a book.
Michael shares additional steps to effectively writing and publishing a book.
Born2Lead highlights 13 attributes that address the reality that behaviors are not natural, they are learned.
Michael shares his experience with trust, one of the essential attributes that is outlined in his book.
Strategies for effectively training people and developing leaders.
Instilling leadership qualities in others starts with giving them opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Benefits of membership and active participation in the CPCU Society.
For Michael, initial leadership opportunities were met with hesitation but additional training and mentorship led to success.
Michael reflects on what he wishes he would have known at the onset of his career.
 
Quotes
“When there is a natural disaster, the first people there are the first responders. And when they leave, who’s next?”
“Most of the people I know in this business really care about the people they serve.”
“There is a real need in our marketplace today for teaching leadership skills to emerging leaders.”
“Acknowledge people, and not just the negative things they do.”
“When someone does a great job, I want everyone in the organization to know.”
“We’re all born to lead, it’s just a choice we have to make.”
“As I made those steps in my career, more opportunities came to me in my work life.”