Editor’s Note Autumn 2019

The trees are bare and the smell of hot crossed buns fills the air. Welcome to the Autumn Edition of RiskeBusiness. I hope that 2019 has exceeded your expectations so far. We have a plethora of quality articles in this edition of ReB! There really is something for everyone …..

We interview the winner of the ALUCA Life Insurance Excellence Awards, Stephen Connolly from Zurich. A H-U-G-E congratulations to Stephen!
The return of a financial article…… get your hands dirty as you work through a realistic business expenses case study with Jason Noyahr / CPA Accountant and Insurance Financial Specialist at AIA – as he prosecutes the case for Business Expenses Insurance – What is Actually Covered? Do you assess business expenses differently? If so feel free to open a conversation in the comment box under all articles.

Shane Burdack / Senior Underwriting Consultant at Swiss Re and a member of the FSC Genomics Working Group – provides a timely update on the Genetic Testing Moratorium that is scheduled to be introduced on 1 July this year. A must read for both claims and underwriting professionals.

Sheree Chandra / Group Claims Manager at MetLife – wrote to ReB about a spinal cord injury cure project that she is passionate about and it’s happening right here in Australia! Earlier this year Swiss Re, EML and Lloyds backed a research clinical trial called Project Edge. This Queensland cure may be a game changer globally for individuals suffering from a spinal cord injury – not to mention the millions of dollars in savings for the insurance industry. The research resulted in a man regaining mobility. Well worth a read.

Another popular article making a comeback in this edition is 5 minutes with ……. in this episode we interview Samantha Norton / Executive General Manager of mlcoa and ALUCA Platinum Sponsor. Samantha speaks candidly about her insights of the life industry and her career path to success. What would Samantha do if she was the Chair of ALUCA? Ensure that we don’t lose sight of our purpose, which is to look after people in their time of need. A purpose worth highlighting again here on the front page!

Stuart Crichton of Hannover Re has provided an exciting paper on Cancer Immunotherapy which is in relatively infancy but is it really a “game-changer”?

In the last edition, you may recall that I called for expressions of interest from experienced claims and underwriting professions to join me in a small ReB Working Group. The purpose of this group is to propel ReB to another level in 2019. Well I am delighted to announce that two exceptional people have offered their expertise. Representing underwriting, we have Tracy Peterson who recently returned to Australia after a decade as Chief Underwriter for Hannover Re, in Bermuda (be sure to read Tracy’s article Bermuda to Australia in this edition) and representing claims, Mark Raberger who is the Chief Claims Officer at MetLife Australia. A Physiotherapist by trade, Mark has held senior roles in insurance claims over the last decade. I honestly could not have asked for more and I’m really looking forward to working with Tracy and Mark.

Enough from me, I hope you really enjoy this Autumn Edition of ReB and, have a safe and happy Easter break.

Cheers

Michael Reid
ReB Editor

Michael.Reid@aia.com 
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