Carrying On

I think it’s safe to say that last month’s Claims College was unlike any other I’ve experienced. Certainly, there were familiar sites, such as students and our industry-aligned professors congregating in their schools of casualty, claims mediation, construction, cyber claims, extra-contractual, insurance fraud, leadership, professional lines, property claims, transportation, and workers compensation, busily sharing knowledge. There were the study groups huddled together preparing for their final exams, all hoping to earn either their Certified Claims Professional or Advanced Claims Professional designations. There also was our TED Talk-inspired Insurance Industry Primer, stocked with top chief claims officers who doled out knowledge to the newer professionals amongst us (although if I’m being honest, I always learn a thing or two from this primer, too).

But the hallways at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront told a more harrowing story. There were more urgent phone calls taking place than usual, a lot of furrowed brows, and a palpable sense of worry. Hurricane Harvey had soaked Texas less than two weeks prior to the event, and Hurricane Irma was unflinching as it bore down on Florida, causing more stress than usual on our own CLM staff especially, since many of their homes and families are located near CLM’s administrative office in Broward County, just west of Ft. Lauderdale.

Amazingly, that didn’t stop them or our professors, students, and other supporting staff from sticking to the job at hand. The quintessential British saying, “Keep Calm and Carry On” was never so real or fully realized. My thanks and appreciation to everyone for going above and beyond during this especially challenging time, which is exactly what our industry is all about.