E&S insurance education experiences success with hybrid model
WSIA education offerings evolved and adapted in 2021 with a mix of online and on-site programs.
The past year brought uncertainty and the need to adapt, but the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) Education Committee strived to produce the same high-quality education programs it always has.
In 2021, WSIA offered a mix of online programs as well as on-site options beginning this fall. While many programs continue online this year as a result of the pandemic, they have proven to be quite successful.
In October, on-site delivery began again with Underwriting Boot Camp, Contractors, Habitational and Vacant Risks and Consultative Selling and Negotiations, all of which were held concurrently in Scottsdale. Participant feedback suggests programs should be held this way in the future as it provides the opportunity to network with a larger pool of professionals on-site. Overall feedback from the attendees was very favorable, and these programs will be hosted in-person in 2022.
“We were thrilled to see the positive feedback these programs received this year since they were the first programs offered on-site since the pandemic,” said Danny Kaufman, education committee chair and chief operating officer, Burns & Wilcox, and executive vice president and board member, H.W. Kaufman Group. “I’m so pleased that participants are getting a lot out of these programs and am very hopeful for the continuing positive feedback of the upcoming on-site events.”
WSIA offered a new technical training program this year, Contractors, Habitational and Vacant Risks, which had great feedback from participants. The program was initially targeted to a group of 20, but demand expanded the class to 26 participants. The program focused on underwriting issues and challenges, policy intent, claims and regulatory considerations faced primarily in the western United States. Participants looked at real-life claims and applied what they learned to illustrate the types of losses that are covered, the ones that are excluded and why. This was the first program in a new regional series, which is envisioned as an offering on rotating topics in various locations during 2022.
“It’s great to see that participants are excited about this new technical training opportunity,” Kaufman said. “This means we can continue to grow and create more programs for different areas of interest that provide more detail, which will be greatly beneficial to the future of surplus lines. These additions generate more opportunities to try out different programs and gain perspective on the industry in various locations around the country.”
Surplus Lines Management registration will open in early December, and it will be held February 7-10 in Atlanta. Usually hosted at Emory University, the 2022 program will be held on-site at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center because of COVID-19 impacts on student housing use at Emory. Emory University’s Dr. Peter Topping will continue to facilitate this program. Topping is known for his expertise in leadership and organizational behavior, and his insights on the Birkman Assessment, which all participants complete as part of the program.
While WSIA education programs are primarily going to take place on-site, Effective Coaching will be a permanent virtual offering. Effective Coaching is a one-day program that offers personalized training for any surplus lines manager who wants to strengthen their leadership skills, which in return boosts the quality performance of the team. This class is intended for a smaller group so, with the help of Richardson’s facilitation, holding it online over two half-days has worked very well this year and allowed members to participate without travel. In 2022, Effective Coaching will be offered twice, once in late February and once in the fall.
Virtual programs were in strong demand this year. Two excess and surplus lines programs were held virtually this year due to the high demand. E&S will be offered on-site again in St. Louis, MO on June 5-8, 2022.
“Of course we prefer to be in-person because we know this is a relationship business, and the networking component of WSIA education programs is important, but that’s just not how this year went,” said Kaufman. “We had to figure out how to facilitate these programs virtually while still making them as beneficial as they are on-site, which we believe we achieved.”
The WSIA Education Foundation has also remained committed to ensuring member firms’ professionals are able to participate in education programs. In 2021, the Education Foundation granted 55 program scholarships to WSIA members that totaled $66,347.
“It’s so important that member firms with smaller teams still have the opportunity to participate in education programs,” Kaufman said. “We are grateful to the Education Foundation for these scholarships and for their continued support in 2022.”
For more information about all the upcoming WSIA education programs visit www.wsia.org.
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