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Digital EditionInsurance Professionals Benefit from Two-Day CPCU Society Leadership Event
Leadership skills remain critical in today’s digital environment. As workplaces evolve and customer expectations change, so too must the leadership skills of employees. But for many employers, providing quality leadership education is a challenge when technical skills often take priority in learning and development budgets. The annual In2Leadership event by the CPCU Society solves this problem with two days of focused leadership training provided by top university partners.
This year, the CPCU Society partnered with the University of Georgia Terry College of Business to provide executive education for insurance professionals over two days in Atlanta. Bringing together over 200 individuals, the world-class courses offered insights, practical takeaways, and discussion opportunities.
“This year’s In2Leadership offered a unique opportunity to experience leadership education tailored to the risk and insurance industry,” said Victoria Cahn, M.S.Ed., AINS, Associate Director, Learning and Development, CPCU Society. “A customized program of today’s most relevant leadership topics (taught by exceptional faculty from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business Executive Education) was grounded in an industry context by the opening panel on the evolving relationship between talent and technology in the era of AI, as well as our closing keynote from Dale Porfilio at Triple-I on how to understand and respond to the biggest risks facing our industry.”
Leadership Training Is More than Soft Skills
While leadership skills have been classified as soft skills in the past, these skills are necessary and in-demand in today’s workplace. Learning how to lead through change, manage digital disruptions, and develop talent while working remotely are critical skills in the insurance industry.
Victoria Cahn, M.S.Ed., AINS, Associate Director, Learning and Development, CPCU Society
Attendees could select three out of four professor-led courses to attend over the two-day event. The courses included Building a Culture of Inclusion, Belonging and Trust, taught by Kachi Ekwerike, Lecturer, Institute for Leadership Advancement, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business; Leading and Managing Change, taught by Stacy Campbell, Synovus Director, Institute for Leadership Advancement, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business; Technology Strategies: Leveraging the Power of Data, AI and Other Digital Tools, taught by Jerry Kane, C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Chair of Business Administration and Professor, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business; and Diversity in the Marketplace, taught by Kimberly Grantham, Principal Lecturer, Department of Marketing, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.
These four courses gave attendees a baseline knowledge of trending business topics with practical applications. For example, Professor Kane’s course on leveraging technology tackled the topic of AI, but with a different spin than many participants were familiar with. He led a discussion focused on the talent, leadership, and cultural aspects of AI usage to a highly engaged audience.
“My class focused on the parts of digital transformation that don’t deal with technology — talent, leadership, experimentation, culture, and organization structure required to thrive in a digital world. We also did a deep dive into Artificial Intelligence and how to do more sophisticated prompting to yield better results. I taught three separate sections, and each group was fantastic and highly engaged,” said Jerry Kane, Ph.D., C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair in Business Administration, Department Head and Professor of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.
In2Leadership Brings Together Diverse Audience of Insurance Professionals
While In2Leadership is hosted by the CPCU Society, any insurance professional is invited to attend — no CPCU designation is required. Participants traveled from around the world for the opportunity to learn from top professors in discussion-based classes, with risk managers, underwriters, claims professionals, brokers, agents, technologists, actuaries, and others from across the insurance value chain in attendance.
One first-time attendee provided her perspective on In2Leadership, saying: “As a first-time attendee at the leadership conference, I enjoyed the networking opportunities and learning more about the CPCU Society interest groups and various ways to get involved in the CPCU community. As a Pathways member currently pursuing my CPCU and a leader within my organization and local chapter, the sessions were particularly impactful. The sessions, led by professors from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, covered engaging topics like leading and managing change and leveraging the power of data and AI in our work.
“Key takeaways included the importance of embracing change, the strategic use of data to drive decisions, and the value of fostering an inclusive workplace. These discussions not only provided valuable insights but also helped me build meaningful connections with peers who are equally passionate about innovation and changes in the risk and insurance industry. I’m excited about the prospect of seeing everyone again in the future and continuing to learn and grow together!” Brittnie Holland, ARM, SAIF Premium Audit Technical Adviser-Supervisor.
The CPCU Society’s In2Leadership event is held annually. Watch for more information on next year’s event to take advantage of world-class leadership education designed for insurance professionals. &
