Making Waves

Having worked with the world’s top performers – from Google execs, to the Navy Seals, to the LA Dodgers and numerous other athletes – Alan Eagle believes the key differentiator that separates these people is not their skill. It’s their mental discipline.

We were honored to have him in San Diego as our Leader Series speaker. Sharing wisdom from his latest book, “Learned Excellence”, Alan gave us the five mental disciplines we can all hone, day by day, to be a little bit more excellent.

Thanks so much for a great start to the conference, Alan.

San Diego marked the network’s 35th anniversary since a group of independent brokers sat around a table just outside of Basel to form WBN.

It was only fitting we brought together five WBN leaders from five different countries to reflect on their thriving independent businesses – how they’ve navigated challenges, managed family-business dynamics, maintained independence, and maximized their WBN Membership.

“It’s been very good for me personally and for the business, such good interconnectedness and relationships,” said Daniel De Swaan, CEO of Meijers.

Thanks to our leaders: Florian Karle (SÜDVERS Group), Daniel de Swaan (Meijers Assurantien B.V.), Benjamin Verlingue (Verlingue), Enrique Acevedo (Corredores Colombianos de Seguros - Correcol S.A.) and Neil Raymond (Pacific Prime).

As key partners of the network, it’s so important to get the expert views of our carrier sponsors at each of our conferences.

They touched on everything from increasing consolidation in the market to the rise of AI and digitization – how it’s transforming their business and making their operations, products, and services smarter by the day.

The conversation inevitably then turned to the war for talent. While they agreed the talent shortage is an urgent problem, our panelists were optimistic about the industry’s ability to change perceptions. There are lots of upsides to a career in our sector – pay, stability, innovation, intellectual stimulation – we just need to do more to advertise them.

Thanks to Andy Zoller (Zurich), Brian Grabek (Sompo) and Troy Mette (CNA) for a great discussion.

The World Meteorological Organization declared 2023 to be the hottest global year since records began. It is estimated that there were over 60,000 heat-related deaths across Europe alone.

Lisa Leftwich from Zurich highlighted that climate risks reach beyond property. There are significant people and productivity risks too, for example in the construction industry.

David Swift from BDO noted that the US is behind Europe on climate disclosures. One of the main issues is the quality of data and the lack of standardized ways of reporting.

With billions of insurance losses coming into the industry each year, risk mitigation has never been more important. Scott Davis from WBN member EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants commented that if brokers aren’t proactively advising clients on risk mitigation and compliance, they could be exposed to E&O claims.

Thanks to Lisa Leftwich (Zurich), Scott Davis (EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants) and David Swift (BDO) for their urgent insights.

The cannabis sector has grown into a multi-billion-dollar global industry, with more than 40 countries around the world now having some form of legal cannabis. The panel gave us a clear view into the emerging international risk landscape, and how the insurance industry is adapting to support it.

The cannabis market is moving at the speed of light, and with a lack of loss history to rely on, insurance solutions are struggling to keep pace. That’s why the role of the broker is so important – working in close partnership with cannabis clients to assess, mitigate and find coverage for the risks in their business and across their supply chain.

Thanks goes to Jay Virdi (HUB International), Charles Pyfrom (CannGen Insurance Services), and Dr Robert Flannery (Dr Robb Farms).

Our CEO Olga Collins sat down for a fireside chat with Bridget Winston, Chief Customer Officer at Chief – the largest community of senior executive women and one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023.

A new Women in the Workplace report from Mckinsey & Co says more women leaders are leaving corporate America than ever before.

It’s why this conversation between Olga and Bridget was so important – helping us understand the burdens and biases women have to manage in the workplace, and the methods businesses can use to make them feel heard, supported and inspired.

Thanks so much for joining us, Bridget.

The WBN Catalyst Program fast tracks the careers of our network’s rising stars, and we’re proud to be the only global network that offer an initiative like it.

Catalyst is for people new to insurance at our member firms. Not only does it give them a network of likeminded people to lean on and collaborate with, but they also get access to our formal training program: The Catalyst Academy.

Combining leadership coaching, industry-specific training, and workshops at our global conferences, the program is there to help accelerate them up through the ranks and into leadership roles in their firms.

Once they graduate, they then move onto our Board Mentorship Program, and are guided by some of the most experienced leaders in our industry.

We deliver sessions at our conferences to help our Catalyst members fine tune those skills that can take their career further.

This workshop was split over two days, and it was all about helping attendees master the foundation of every business relationship: their introduction. With the help of professional consultant Jenn Walsh and the feedback and support of their peers, they left the conference feeling more confident about making the most of every new business opportunity.

We celebrated more graduates passing through the program in San Diego – huge congratulations goes to Tiffany Carrasquillo (Newfront), April Rowe (Newfront), Eddy Kalinowski (Brown & Brown) Cayman Salitros (Brown & Brown) and Argelia Encinas (Fidex).

Now it’s on to the Board Mentorship Program, where our Board members will help shape and guide the next stage of their career.