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.

AAIS spoke with Lillian Colson, Vice President and Secretary of Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA), the national association for the commercial inland marine insurance industry in the U.S. Colson discussed trends shaping today’s inland marine market, effects of climate change on inland marine, the use of data and technology tools, and what’s new at IMUA, including its upcoming Annual Meeting.

AAIS hosted a virtual presentation on September 14, 2023, featuring AAIS Partner OwlSurance (formerly BizDynamics), a business unit of ValueMomentum, for a demonstration of their contractor risk product. Hosted by Stephanie Vasey, Product Manager of Commercial Lines and Inland Marine at AAIS, the demo was led by Bob Ridinger, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at OwlSurance, and Anand Rajaraman, Vice President of Product Management at OwlSurance.

For this Advisory Report, Stephanie Vasey, Product Manager of Commercial Lines & Inland Marine at AAIS sat down with Kevin O’Brien, President and CEO of IMUA, and Tony Falcone, Regional President of Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions and Deputy Chair of IMUA. They discussed the biggest underwriting issues arising due to the economy, the current outlook of the cargo industry’s effect on insurance coverage, what’s new at the IMUA, and more.

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.

In this edition of CEO Angles, the topic turns to the tremendous changes affecting the Inland Marine insurance market. From supply chain issues and driver shortages to government infrastructure spending, automation, even cryptocurrency, all are putting pressure on inland marine underwriters to respond.

AAIS continues to evolve its offerings in the Inland Marine (IM) space, where it has long been an industry leader. Our most recent product update includes a Defective Design and Construction Coverage endorsement to go with a Builders’ Risk policy. This enhancement is a result of input and engagement by Members who were looking for something similar to the LEG 3 (London Engineering Group) endorsement. Its intent is to narrow a policy’s automatic exclusion, providing broader coverage for materials, workmanship, and faulty design during construction, making it easier for insureds to be made whole. The Defective Design and Construction Coverage endorsement is available for large and mid-size construction projects when traditionally, it was available only for large projects.

AAIS has been a longtime supporter of the Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA). The national association provides exemplary curriculum, training, and resources to strengthen underwriting in inland marine insurance. Every year, the IMUA holds an annual meeting to provide educational opportunities for professionals of all inland marine backgrounds.

Insurtech continues to emerge and evolve, and it’s touching every aspect of the insurance ecosystem. As consumers use intuitive, user-friendly customer service technology in nearly every aspect of their daily lives, they expect the same level of innovation from their insurance carriers and providers. More than ever, insurance providers need insurtech solutions to help them do their jobs faster and with higher quality.

There has seen an increase in governmental oversight of the manufacturing, handling and storage of food. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed to prevent practices that could potentially create food safety hazards. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in turn, released rules for the safe transport of food. They are known as rules for "Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food", and they are affecting the inland marine market.