Letter from the President
It has been a great start to what we believe will be a great year here at Investors!
In 2006, we continue the progress we have made thus far in our Underwriting as well as in our relationships with our valued producers. We have re-aligned these disciplines in support of this goal and each division has added significantly to their Underwriting staff over the past few months. We are proud of the diverse backgrounds and skill sets we have brought on board and we know you will be impressed with the expertise, service and dedication each of these individuals offer. The following individuals have joined our Underwriting Team over the past year:
Ruben Delgado - Excess & Umbrella
Barbara Luther - Excess & Umbrella
Kim Fincher - Excess & Umbrella
John Asmussen - Property
Ken Ryan - Surety
Rich Aldorisio - Primary Casualty
Paul Leach - Primary Casualty
You will be reading more about our changes in our upcoming 2006 newsletters.
Over 2005, many of you heard us mention the goal of expanding and diversifying our product base. This effort continues into 2006. We are always looking for avenues to diversify our classes of business and expand our product offerings. We look to all of you for input in helping us achieve this goal. Please keep us in mind as opportunities arise. We would like to be your "first call and last look" in all instances.
In 2006, Marketing remains a priority for Investors. Sarah Gavlick and her team continue to focus ways to increase our communication and visibility with all of you. We will persist in our efforts to hold roundtable discussions and strategic face-to-face meetings throughout the year so that we can listen to and see what you are doing and, more importantly, what we can offer for you. It's our goal to find new methods to work more efficiently together and we will be available to discuss ways in which we can help you bring more business in your door in the coming year.
Thanks to all of you for your support. As you can see, we are committed to our industry and our producers. We look forward to a great 2006!
Glen E. Curley, CPCU, ARe
President and Chief Operating Officer
Investors Underwriting Managers, Inc.
gcurley@markelcorp.com
732-450-8725
Associate Of The Year
We are pleased to announce that Doreen Holland - Claims Operations Supervisor has been recognized as the Investors Underwriting Managers, Inc. Associate of the Year for 2005.
While Doreen is being recognized for outstanding achievement for the past year, she has truly embraced the Markel Style during her entire career here at IUM. She has worked in various departments at IUM and has developed an extensive working relationship across all departments. The Markel Style refers to hard work, excellence, a sense of humor, honesty, fairness, spontaneity, flexibility, striving for a better way, sharing success, teamwork, and commitment to our community. All of these characteristics accurately depict Doreen Holland.
During her six years at IUM, Doreen has served in various roles. Her leadership abilities were recognized with a promotion in 2004 to Supervisor of the Claims Operations Unit. During 2005, she was responsible for the oversight and implementation of several initiatives and enhancements to our claims processes.
In addition to her daily customer service role, Doreen has been instrumental in launching and overseeing our new email loss reporting capabilities, working with the Marketing department to help update our broker database and overseeing several system enhancements which have benefited all of our clients.
In keeping with the Markel Style, Doreen clearly enjoys what she is doing. Her contributions help create the excitement that comes from sharing success with others.
Doreen has done an outstanding job supervising the Claims Operations Unit and provides invaluable assistance to IUM and the entire Claims Department.
Source One
Ben Zolofra opened the Shand Source One satellite office at IUM in March 2003 for IUM brokers that did not have an appointment with IUM's sister company, Shand Morahan. The concept in each of Shand's Source One satellite offices is simple: the cross marketing of Shand products to the established broker base at each Markel locale.
The response to the Source One concept has been tremendous. Since its inception in 2003, the IUM Source One office has tripled in volume, primarily due to the current broker response with plenty of room to keep growing.
The Source One concept enables brokers to find solutions quickly for clients seeking professional liability insurance (usually within 24 hours). What is professional liability? Professional liability is coverage specifically tailored for those who charge a fee for their services provided; it provides coverage for expenses in defending a lawsuit and indemnification up to the policy limits. The types of coverage forms are tailored to meet a variety of different professions, with no less than 10 different forms depending on the professional services provided. These forms provide coverage for:
- Architects and Engineers (civil, electrical, structural, mechanical, HVAC, interior design, land surveyors, environmental, soil, landscape, etc.)
- Lawyers Professional (all non-standard market types considered, firms only)
- Medical Malpractice (ordinary and hard-to-place doctors, physicians and dentists)
- Specified Medical Professions (clinics, labs, social service agencies, nurses, medical spas, imaging labs, health screeners, blood banks, counselors, therapists, etc.)
- Agents and Brokers Errors & Omissions (retail/wholesale agents and brokers, managing general agents/underwriters, etc.)
- Miscellaneous Errors and Omissions (inspectors, info techs, appraisers, consultants, franchisors, legal services, medical billers, bookkeepers, marketing, title agents, etc.)
- Employment Practices Liability (coverage for wrongful acts of employers vs. employees)
- Non Profit Directors and Officers Liability (condo/homeowners assoc., community centers, cultural groups, YMCA, assistance centers, libraries, museums, etc.)
- Tenant Discrimination Liability (coverage for property owners vs. renters)
- Products Liability (manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, importers, manufacturers reps, etc.)
Primary limits up to $5M are available on all lines of business, written on a claims-made basis with full prior acts coverage available. General Liability coverage can also be combined with Professional Liability limits. Premiums start as low as $2,000. If you have a submission that looks like it may fit into any of the above-mentioned classes, please forward it to IUMProfessional@markelcorp.com.
Ben has been with the Markel family of companies for more than 7 years and has over 10 years of insurance experience. He is a frequent attendee of PLUS, NAPSLO, IUM and Shand events.