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.

Cyber insurance is a necessity for business owners. Cybercriminals are everywhere; they’re sophisticated and organized, have unlimited resources, and target businesses of every size searching for vulnerabilities. As part of our AAIS Webinar Series, AAIS participated in a virtual presentation on July 11, 2023, featuring AAIS Partner Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), the leading engineering and technical risk insurer providing equipment breakdown and other specialty coverages, inspection services, and engineering consulting. Hosted by Stephanie Vasey, Product Manager of Commercial Lines and Inland Marine at AAIS, this free continuing education webinar led by Beth Ducker, Product Education Manager at HSB, and Mike Tischler, Client Engagement & Education Specialist at HSB, discussed the coverage elements of cyber insurance and ways to reduce the risk of data breaches and computer system attacks.

Inflation, fluctuations in building costs, and hardening reinsurance markets demand new approaches to portfolio management for commercial insurers. As part of our AAIS Webinar Series, AAIS hosted a virtual presentation on March 16, 2023, featuring AAIS Partner OneShield, the cloud-based, core systems platform providing business solutions for MGAs and P&C insurers. The session was hosted by Stephanie Vasey, Product Manager of Commercial Lines and Inland Marine at AAIS, and moderated by John Dunn, Vice President of OneShield. Their discussion explained how to reduce risk overall and addressed the inflationary economic conditions with a greater understanding of insuring commercial properties. Industry panelists Jeff Heine, Chief Revenue Officer of Betterview, and Skip Coan, Vice President of e2Value, Inc., showed attendees how aerial imagery, data analytics, and property estimation tools bring a new level of accuracy and transparency to the commercial property policy lifecycle.

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.

Recently, AAIS Assistant Counsel Phil Skaggs participated in a webinar hosted by LexisNexis as part of their Emerging Issues series entitled “What Cannabis Lawyers Should Know to Prepare for 2022.” To watch a recap of the webinar, click here.

Cannabis is a multi-billion-dollar market that continues to be underserved by the insurance industry. While the majority of states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis in one form or another, less than 30 insurers are participating in the marketplace nationwide. As the number of states moving toward legalization rises, the number of cannabis related businesses (CRBs) multiplies, and public acceptance of legalization increases, it is imperative that the insurance industry understand and normalize cannabis coverage.  

The burgeoning cannabis market is creating pressure on the insurance industry to develop products that address risks emerging from increased legalization. AAIS Commercial Lines Product Manager Joe Jonas shared his insights on the market during the 2021 Business Insurance Cannabis Update. Mr. Jonas was joined by Charles Pyfrom, CMO at CannGen Insurance, and host Gerrit Nagarwalla, CPCU from Canopius, for a discussion on ‘Claims, Policy & Underwriting.’

The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting impacts on industries far and wide…including the growing cannabis industry. In the inaugural edition of the AAIS Pulse, AAIS’s Joe Jonas and Phil Skaggs were joined by Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP’s Randi Ellias and Aon’s Richard Golz to discuss cannabis insurance trends, including the impact the pandemic has had on its expansion.

Cannabis insurance is a budding topic, growing alongside the expanding cannabis industry. Five states have approved recreational cannabis during the 2020 elections, bringing the total states where cannabis is fully legal to 15. What does this mean for the cannabis market, particularly for insurers involved with this growing industry?

An increasing number of states are legalizing the use of medicinal and recreational cannabis, creating the opportunity for new business ventures and the need for reliable insurance coverage as the industry expands and matures.