Getting to Know: Barry Dillard

Walt Disney World Resort’s manager, guest claims, explains how his 17 years of work at the company is helping CLM’s Retail, Restaurant, and Hospitality (RR&H) committee put together its upcoming conference in February.

On trends in the RR&H industries:

“Some of the topics for our event were proposed as a direct result of our committee members’ experiences. Our committee is great because we’re all industry professionals who are involved in claims, so we are able to bring to the table the issues that are happening right now. That includes experiences from people like Cindy Poortinga from the Philadelphia Insurance Co., Jill Dulich from Marriott International Inc., and Lisa Rolle from Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP. Between us, we have a lot of experience handling claims related to all aspects of our industries.

“Because of that, we have some really fantastic sessions planned for our conference, some of which include: spoliation of evidence and post-incident investigations, establishing effective security plans, how to defend claims resulting from criminal activities on your premises, using electronic investigations and video surveillance, and other emerging trends. Of course, no conference is complete without a topic that addresses the use of social media in claims, so we’ll discuss how to effectively use this type of information to your benefit.”

On how his early career helped him in his current job:

“I started my career as a claims representative trainee with Aetna until they sold their property & casualty to Travelers, at which point I became a premium fraud SIU investigator. I left to go to Disney as a claims representative, and I’ve been here ever since. But that investigative background early on has proven very helpful. My department is responsible for the investigation and handling of all claims that occur on our property, so at a high level it’s helped in making sure that we’re doing the right things on the big cases that I’m directly involved in and making sure that we have good processes in place as it relates to investigations. I think my time at Aetna was really beneficial because they trained us well and put us in the field—all the while making sure we got it right.”

On what he hopes attendees will take away from the RR&H conference:

“I think we have topics that are very relevant, so attendees will walk away with techniques on how to more effectively handle claims. Networking, however, also is a key component of the conference. When you meet other people who have experience with claims situations that you don’t, it’s great to be able to pick up the phone and call them to get the insights you need. Not to mention for those in colder parts of the country, Orlando is very nice this time of year!”

On what he loves about the CLM:

“I really like the organization and what it’s doing for claims professionals, especially the efforts to get college students more aware of the great opportunities that we have in this industry. Providing internships to get them involved early on as they figure out their careers is something that is beneficial to all.”