Underwriters, brokers, claims personnel and key industry suppliers converged on San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo earlier this month for the 82st Annual Meeting of the Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA).
The meeting officially got underway with the election of a new slate of officers. Peter Opinante, Swiss Re America, who had been serving as acting Chairman for the past three months, was formerly inaugurated as the new Chairman of the IUMA. Also elected as new officers of the association was Michelle Hoehn, The Travelers Group, as Deputy Chairperson and William Rosa, XL Reinsurance, as Vice Chairman.
In his acceptance remarks Opinante shared the podium with IMUA President and CEO Kevin O’Brien to introduce a new direction for the association. “I am extremely honored to serve as your next Chairman and thank the membership for this unique opportunity. Serving on the Board of Directors and as Deputy Chairman, I have personally witnessed the progress the association has made over the past several years. However, if we are to continue our success and create an even stronger entity, we need to fine tune our focus and hone in on what our members are looking for. And that direction is professional development.”
O’Brien welcomed the opportunity to work with the new officers and Board of Directors and noted the work that has been accomplished over the past several months to prepare for the associations focus on professional development. In particular, he pointed to the recent survey of the membership on the perceived value IMUA offers. “There are several areas where we can do better -- in particular, communication with members and marketing of the Association, in general. Overwhelmingly, the greatest benefit our members feel that the IMUA delivers is in the area of professional development- training and education. This area will be a focus for us going forward, along with communication and information delivery, including our new website which should be live within the next 90 days. And we will provide an engaging experience for our volunteers”
Opinante recognized the efforts of Sophia Phillips as past Chairperson. “She has been one of the most dedicated and determined Chairs this Association has seen. I certainly owe her a debt of gratitude for her leadership and hope to continue to expand upon the educational efforts that were so important to her.”
James Drewey, IMUA Membership & Nominating Committee Chair, announced the election of the Board of Director’s Class of 2015 which includes -
Pat Carroll – Gen Re
Richard Pye – Zurich
Sharon Primerano – AGCS
Drew McCormack – Chartis
Bruce S. Jervis – ACE North America Property
Also re-elected at the Annual Meeting was Kevin O’Brien and Lillian Colson - the Association’s President and CEO and Vice President and Secretary respectively.
IMUA is the national association for the commercial inland marine insurance industry. IMUA serves as the voice of its member companies representing over 90 percent of all commercial inland marine insurers. The Association provides its members with comprehensive training and educational programs, including research papers and bulletins, industry analysis and seminars. IMUA was founded in 1930.