Insurance veterans who have earned the CPCU designation are nothing if not confident about their abilities–they're just not so sure about everybody else's. In a recent survey conducted by the Charter Property Casualty Underwriters Society, members of a select Member Opinion Panel were asked their views on the industry's future and what any impending changes would mean for their careers. A whopping 97 percent of the respondents said they felt well prepared to handle the industry's changes, based on their training and experience. However, they expressed concern about the preparedness of the industry to deal with the upcoming wave of retiring Baby Boomers. Combined with a projected shortfall in the number of new entrants with the necessary technical and subject skills, 66 percent of survey respondents foresaw an "experience gap" as very likely to form in the next five years if nothing is done.

Not wishing to be part of the problem, they suggested solutions, including more aggressive recruiting efforts; improved training; retaining retiree capital via consulting, mentoring, and flexible scheduling; more competitive compensation and benefits; and enhanced positive visibility for the industry and its career options.

The CPCU Society–the professional association for more than 28,000 chartered property casualty underwriters–conducted the two-part survey in November 2006 and March 2007. The first section focused on the overall industry. In addition to the "preparedness" query, participants were asked to rate the likelihood that they, and their segments of the business, would experience the following: