IASA Broadens Reach with Executive, Risk Management Offerings

Seattle —  Since its inception in 1928, the Insurance Accounting & Systems Association (IASA) has responded to its membership’s continuous demand for institutional education and professional development tools. The organization's long-term mission was made apparent as IASA opened its 2008 educational conference and business show with two key announcements concerning offerings designed to improve how insurance professionals in the industry function.

Striking a note with the increased number of executive attendees who attend the annual conference (now up to 45%), the Durham, N.C., provider of continuing education said it plans to add a stand-alone executive education event, being held December 7-9 in Dallas.

Called the Executive EDGE Conference (Education Dedicated to Growth and Excellence), the meeting will spin off the organization’s growing Executive Education Program (EEP), which IASA launched a few years ago. The event will include high-profile keynotes, including a presentation by Insurance Information Institute President Robert Hartwig. Executive attendees will also have the opportunity to take part in specific breakout sessions for chief information officers, chief financial officers and chief investment officers, similar to the roundtables presented at the annual conference.

IASA is also adding a risk-focused examination seminar to the association’s existing education lineup. Produced in conjunction with Bowne Insurance Division, Carlstadt, N.J., and with content considerations from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the seminar will contain important and timely content for insurance company executives who coordinate and facilitate financial examinations.

In addition to providing instruction on how to effectively prepare for and manage a risk-focused examination and how to properly interface risk-focused examinations into the company’s overall risk management strategies and objectives, the two-day seminar is designed to provide insight into the rationale behind and timing for this sweeping conversion in the insurance examination process. Additionally, the seminar will identify various risks faced by an insurance company which are typically evaluated by financial examiners and help insurance company executives understand how financial examiners will analyze the company’s current and future solvency using the risk-focused surveillance approach.

The risk-focused seminar program will be presented this fall in key cities around the country. The current dates include October 16-17 in New York, November 20-21 in Las Vegas, and December 9-11 in Dallas.

“The financial examination process has been under scrutiny recently by the NAIC,” said Joe Pomilia, IASA’s executive director. “That scrutiny has resulted in recommendations for how to complete more effective and efficient examinations of insurers which many state insurance examiners have already begun to adopt. With risk-focused examinations becoming an accreditation standard in 2010, this seminar is on the leading edge when it comes to providing practical information for those deeply involved in the financial examination process.”

Source: Insurance Accounting & Systems Association