Creating a new claims system should be easy with no legacy, right? Not so fast! One of the great things about going to work for a start-up insurance company with a lot of venture money is the idea that you can build everything from scratch. No legacy of losses, a clean balance sheet, and no…
So you need a new claims system You know the darn thing doesn’t work or do what you want it to do so what’s next? You can’t just go out and buy a new system without understanding what your current process looks like. Over the years you have adopted your operation to your existing technology. …
Ever try and organize your own closet? It should be so easy to get the thing in order yet for some reason it’s very difficult. That is until you bring in a closet organizer to arrange everything in easy to manage sections. Sometimes the only way to truly accomplish a task is to have a…
On day one as Vice President of Claims for Arch Insurance Company I found myself working in cramped space in Lower Manhattan where the CEO shared an office with others and the head of Professional Liability Underwriting found a happy home in an electrical closet. Arch was rapidly growing its underwriting and was binding new…
9/11 changed everything for a lot of people. I was at my desk at One Liberty Plaza across the street from the World Trade Center when the attacks occurred. I was literally shaken from my desk and the world would never be the same. There were significant emotional and physical issues to deal with. I…
Working at Zurich was a great growing and learning experience. One thing about an insurance company is the need to document and follow procedures. Whether as a defense to a potential bad faith action, or in order to continually justify your actions, there are steps that need to be followed. Managing claims is a very…
Welcome to the world of property and casualty claims management. I learned quickly to sit down and avoid the speakerphone. I also learned how to reserve files and negotiate settlements. I managed defense counsel and working with senior management to ensure underwriters, actuarial and finance, were aware of the impact of my work on the…
Amazingly, it did not take time to find a position (the economy was a tad better back in 1998). I answered a New York Time classified advertisement, interviewed with several staff members (welcome to the corporate world) and was offered a position as a claims supervisor at Zurich Insurance Company. While many of my colleagues…
I began my career as an attorney on Long Island defending doctors against actions of malpractice – a solid beginning with a promising future.
So here it is, day 1 of the blog to end all blogs. Or not. Insurance usually has the effect of exciting people to extol negativity rather than something positive so as I sit here about to justify my chosen profession I will start with a little history. No I did not wake up one…