Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the underwriting process, offering unprecedented opportunities for efficiency and accuracy in the insurance industry. In this interview with AAIS Partner, Cogitate, we explored how AI is promising a new era in data interpretation and utilization. Jacqueline Schaendorf, CPCU, Co-Founder of Cogitate and President and CEO of Insurance House, discussed the potential of predictive modeling in underwriting and claims processes, significant data challenges faced by carriers, and innovative solutions offered by Cogitate.

In the construction industry, insurance plays a crucial role in protecting assets and personnel. Current construction industry challenges are impacting insurance, driving the need for insurers to innovate to reduce costs, ensure data security, and stay competitive. Watch part two of our two-part interview series with AAIS Partner, ValueMomentum, to hear from Anand Rajaraman, Vice President of Product Management at OwlSurance Technologies.

A staggering number of billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events have rocked the United States in 2023. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported in early September that 23 events with losses exceeding $1 billion each had hit the country last year. That marked the most in a calendar year in more than four decades of record-keeping.

Catastrophes, higher building costs, and inflation are all impacting commercial underwriting performance and insurer profitability. Proper portfolio valuation is becoming exponentially important as the reinsurance market tightens. So, how can insurance companies better manage their books of business now and into an uncertain future? The answer is rooted in addressing valuation issues by tapping third-party vendors. The answer is tied to partnering with a robust digital platform provider. The answer is collaboration.

In the past, it was easy for insurers to dismiss data as untrustworthy because they didn’t want to invest in it. Now, third-party vendors present necessary advances that help to paint the bigger picture. Platforms like OneShield are the glue that brings these tools together. And, not just for underwriting purposes. In the commercial lines business, customers are generally good risk management partners. OneShield and its customers have seen tremendous engagement with agents and policyholders who want to proactively manage risk. Failing to enable that is a missed opportunity.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held its 2023 Fall Meeting on November 30-December 4 in Orlando, Florida. During the meeting, AAIS spoke with Kevin Gaffney, Commissioner of Insurance for the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, to discuss the biggest challenges facing the industry, how the regulatory community is responding to them, updates on “big data” from the NAIC H Committee, and new initiatives for the state of Vermont.

For this Advisory Report, AAIS spoke with its President and CEO, Werner Kruck. He discussed the biggest market challenges and how to address them with data, a better approach to the “data problem,” how AAIS is supporting its Members, and his outlook on AAIS moving forward. 

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, AAIS presented a webinar in partnership with BriteCore, the modern core platform for P&C insurers. Hosted by John Kadous, Vice President of Products at AAIS, and moderated by Amede Hungerford, Chief Marketing Officer at BriteCore, the discussion covered how top-performing companies leverage analytics to improve their business performance. Attendees learned cutting-edge techniques from industry peers on how to 'light up' their data and generate new insights; how reports, analytics, and dashboards each have an essential role to play in daily operations; and best practices from two leading mutual insurers that use BriteCore to guide their business. 

Panelists included Alex Gann, Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Farmers Fire Insurance, and Scott Page, Vice President of Cameron Mutual.

At the 2022 NAMIC Annual Convention, AAIS interviewed Senior Vice President of e2Value Skip Coan about major insurance industry trends, their impacts, and his advice for mutual insurers.

There is no understating Bob Guevara’s contributions to AAIS and the Inland Marine insurance community: He transformed thinking about inland marine risks, raising awareness with regulators and creating new rating paradigms and valuable tools and resources for AAIS Member insurers. As he looks forward to retiring after 29 years, and transitions to a consulting role, continuing to support AAIS, Bob spoke with AAIS Views.

Let’s start at the beginning. What first drew you to the insurance industry?

Bob Guevara: When I graduated from college in the 1970s the country was coming out of a recession. There was a lot of instability out there. I wanted to join an industry that would be very stable for the long haul, which led me to insurance. I’ve been in the business ever since – 15 years of inland marine underwriting and 29 at AAIS.

Dr. Matt Hinds-Aldrich, Senior Risk Strategy Lead at AAIS and fire peril subject matter expert, recently joined Tom Louis from First Due to discuss why the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) still matters and why it needs to improve to meets the needs of the 21^st century fire service. Watch the entire discussion here:

Everyone has probably heard the cliché “Data is an Asset.” But how do we break it down pragmatically into an actionable backlog and apply some “data-driven metrics” toward attributing and increasing the value of data.

It’s a fascinating and challenging paradigm – to increase the value of data. Like many other assets, the value is typically not intrinsic; it must be harnessed. It requires a process of extraction, enrichment, polishing, and packaging. Even then, the value realization is not obvious or guaranteed, until the consumer engages with it. Think of diamonds. They go through an extensive process from rock to finished product, and still only possess value once purchased by a consumer at a defined market rate.