Your February UPDATE is Here.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Lee Davidson, AICP President

By the time you are reading this spring will be close to arriving in each of our regions of the country. For those of us in the Northeast we lovingly refer to it as mud season. Spring is a time when things are starting to grow here, plants and trees are coming alive, kids are outside enjoying the sunshine and there are increasingly warm days. For our Association, spring is a time when our Chapters and National Committees are working hard to bring to our members new and enhanced benefits of membership.

The Finance Committee finished what I think is the hardest part of their annual charges, the responsibility to present the Board with a balanced Budget for the New Year. I have to commend them on a job well done. Thanks also go to the National Board, who spent the better part of a Saturday going through the budget and understanding each of its components before taking a vote to approve our budget for the year. The Board and I feel that our Association is in a great place and is well positioned to grow our membership and the benefits we provide you, our members.

Speaking of members, the Membership Committee is working diligently to understand our “numbers” and reaching out, with the help of the local chapters, to our non-renewing members to understand what it is we can do to retain their membership. The Membership Committee is also looking at our new member data to see where we are attracting our newest members from.

While our Mission and Value Statements are on our website I want to publish them here for all of you to think about.

Mission Statement

The Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals serves the insurance compliance community by promoting relationships, exchanging information, and providing learning opportunities within a dynamic regulatory environment.

Vision Statement

Broaden the AICP focus to respond to the changing nature of the financial services industry; continue development of a recognized and desired certification program; and enable members to achieve greater career growth through AICP participation!

Take a minute and think, are we meeting our defined purpose? Can we do a better job? We are an organization built around individuals, you our members. We want and need to hear from you.

Speaking of spring, our Chapters are working on their Education Days, our “E-Days”. As I look at each of our Chapters and the planning taking place, I marvel at the creativity of the teams working on their programs. I can say that no one E-Day looks like another. They are consistent in that they strive to ensure a day filled with educational and networking opportunities. How and where they do that is unique and it is exciting to see the great minds working on these events. If you have never been to an E-Day, try one, you will not be disappointed. If you have been before, bring a co-worker, someone who maybe works in a claim, marketing or underwriting department. Someone who you wish was more knowledgeable about the challenges of regulation and the expectations of our regulators. It will make your job easier to have a deeper understanding within your organization.

Have you seen our new Facebook page ? If you are on Facebook, check it out, like and follow it. You can get up to date news about what is happening within the AICP. Who would have thought 5 years ago that AICP would be on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

I would like to take a moment and thank all of the volunteers that are working hard to make our Association the best that it can be!

Strategic Planning Task Force Will Recommend a Path to AICP’s Future

Matt Brasch, AICP Past President

During my term as AICP President last year, President Lee Davidson and I agreed that, just like any successful organization, the AICP needs a long term Strategic Plan. For those who are not familiar with Strategic Planning, it is the process by which an organization undertakes a high level review of the organization – including its Mission, Vision, Purpose and Goals – and develops a multi-year plan to ensure that the organization meets those benchmarks. Lee has asked me to build and lead AICP’s Strategic Planning Task Force to conduct our Strategic Planning this year.

The following individuals have agreed to participate on the Strategic Planning Task Force with me this year: Mike Beutel, Joanne Calvert, Sean Cox, Karen Crooks, Richard DeSanctis, Reba Jones, Nick Marrangoni, Roger Osgood, and Doug Simino. The Strategic Planning Task Force will provide its reports and recommendations to the Executive Committee, who will then take those recommendations to the Board of Directors for discussion, and ultimately, approval of the Strategic Plan.

I am excited to take on this extremely important responsibility and look forward to helping the AICP continue its success into the future. If you have any suggestions for the AICP’s future, feel free to reach out to me or anyone on the Strategic Planning Task Force for consideration.

AICP is "On the Road Again", Heading to Nashville!

Stacy Koron, 2018 Conference Chair

We are still months away from the AICP Annual Conference, but preparations are well underway to ensure a good time for everyone! Here’s a sneak peek at a few things we are working on:

Innovative Educational Sessions - Our Conference Program Team is hard at work planning educational sessions that address all areas of insurance compliance, including market conduct, product development, claims, underwriting, licensing and more! We have sessions addressing the technology challenges compliance professionals face and sessions that explore how our companies and departments are changing. As in prior years, we’ll have a great panel of commissioners for View From the Top, and we look forward to our very popular regulator roundtables.

Exciting Networking Opportunities – We are planning new ways for you to visit with our Business Partners and your colleagues. We will have two evening Exhibitor Showcases, where you can seek out service providers that can help make your job easier. Of course, there will be great food, drink and entertainment too – as well as door prizes throughout the evening. There will also be chapter events on Tuesday night and a free night to explore Nashville on Monday (hint – you might want to buy tickets for the Grand Ole Opry early!).

A Worthy Charity – We have selected our charity, The Little Pantry that Could. This neighborhood food pantry does more than make sure that the community is fed, they also help prepare resumes, provide assistance with public transportation, and even bring in barbers to provide free haircuts! We are really impressed with the way they adapt to meet the needs of their community, and we are excited to be able to partner with them this year. In addition to our normal fundraising events, AICP is coordinating a service day at the pantry, giving members a chance to be even more involved.

Plans are really beginning to come together, so keep watching for news and start making your plans to join us. We look forward to seeing all of you September 23 – 26, Live From Nashville !

AICP Board Approves Budget; Launches “Introduction to Insurance Compliance”

AICP NATIONAL BUDGET APPROVED

Jim Antush, AICP Treasurer

The AICP Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2018 budget at the January 27th Board meeting. At the national level, we are projecting a net operational gain of $24,722 in 2018. Nearly every line item of the budget was discussed in detail at the board meeting to ensure AICP’s revenue is spent judiciously and with the goal of maximizing membership benefits. The Board hammered out several edits to the budget until it reached a final version that was agreeable to all.

At the chapter level, a loss of $3,622 is projected. Each chapter determines the dollar amount needed to cover annual expenses related to events such as E-Days and chapter meetings. Over the past few years, a concerted effort has been made by chapters to spend down excess savings in their accounts to provide additional benefits to their chapter members. Many chapters have done this by reducing registration fees for their E-Days, offering additional meeting opportunities, or providing additional speakers/resources at chapter meetings that exceed registration revenues. The Board of Directors and Chapter Officers view this as an investment in the future, as well as a protection to our non-profit status.

Thank you to the Finance Committee, all of the Committee chairs, and the Chapter Treasurers for your help in making the budget process run smoothly. It takes a lot of hard work and the timing is difficult during the holiday season, so your dedication to making it work is greatly appreciated.

The approved budget will be posted in the Members Only section of the AICP website.

INTRODUCTION TO INSURANCE COMPLIANCE PROGRAM

Matt Brasch, AICP Past President

The Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP) is proud to announce “AICP’s Introduction to Insurance Compliance Program,” an introductory level course designed for all insurance professionals.

This program provides the “why” for insurance professionals who want to understand the compliance requirements encountered in their daily jobs - whether they are new to the industry, new to their role, or simply anyone who would benefit from a foundational understanding of how insurance regulation impacts our industry.

In addition to the value of the material presented, attendees and their employers will benefit from developing an immediate network of insurance compliance peers that will be vital to developing compliance best practices. AICP’s “Introduction to Insurance Compliance” is a great jump start for insurers who are striving to cultivate a “culture of compliance” throughout all business units in their companies.

This one and a half day live presentation course will be held on September 22 & 23, 2018, immediately before the AICP’s annual conference in Nashville, TN. The course will be taught by a dynamic panel of AICP members who are recognized as experts in their functional compliance areas.

AICP’s “Introduction to Insurance Compliance” is reasonably priced at $275 and a discount is available for anyone who also registers for the AICP annual conference. Seating will be limited, so save the date now! Be on the lookout for more information soon at www.aicp.net , LinkedIn,Facebook and Twitter.

OPPORTUNITY ON YOUR DOORSTEP - YOUR CHAPTER E-DAY

Dave Reynolds, Midwest Chapter Regional Director and Chapter Relations Chair

Merriam-Webster has it right when it comes to defining “ Opportunity ” -: a good chance for advancement or progress.

This is the time of year when our AICP chapters are hard at work planning their respective 2018 E-Days. Opportunity knocks on our doors as we proceed through the event planning process, on through to the actual E-Day meeting and the days

following. Here are some thoughts and ideas to consider as you and your respective chapters begin to plan your chapter E-Days.

O n your marks, get set, go… - It’s time to get time blocked on everyone’s calendar for your 2018 Chapter E-Day. Who should be your intended E-Day attendees? Obviously solicit your chapter members. Go to past AICP members, business partners, include industry peers and Regulators. In your E-Day communications, be sure to incorporate the session topics, benefits gained by attending, and the Regulators attending or presenting. Then, look outside your inner circle of current and past chapter members and Regulators. Don’t forget attorneys, claims, actuarial and underwriting peers. Even higher education schools that have Risk Management, Insurance, Actuarial even General Business acumens. They all are potential E-Day attendees. Be sure to make that connection.

P lan, Plan, Plan - To assist our chapters in the E-Day planning process, there is the new and improved Practical Guide to Planning Chapter Events that was provided to our members in July 2017. This guide is in the AICP Administrative Resource Library. The guide’s twelve pages are packed full of resources, topics and ideas ranging from establishing a planning committee, creating a budget, choosing a date, event logistics, registration and post E-Day surveys just to name a few. In addition, the embedded links within the guide take your planning to the next level with tips and information for a successful chapter E-Day. Here is the link to the Practical Guide to Planning Chapter Events.

P osition - your chapter E-day with well-rounded popular topics and dynamic speakers. General E-Day sessions should appeal to both P&C and Life/Annuity/Health attendees. For example, your general sessions may include such topics as; maintaining a successful compliance program for your company, insurance industry hot topics, insurance fraud, driverless car accidents or even a Regulator Roundtable Q&A. Specific breakout sessions for the P&C attendees and the Life/Annuity/Health attendees can be more aligned to each of those individual tracks.

O rganize - your chapter E-Day timeline to allow enough time for on-site registrations, A/V setup, refreshment breaks, speaker logistical orientation, lunch, and networking. In addition, be sure to factor in traffic or rush hour issues for drivers and air travelers. Usually, chapter E-Days are chock-full with activities. Having an organized agenda makes for an enjoyable and fun day.

R egulator and Peer Relationships - Attending your chapter E-Day not only expands your compliance knowledge, but also has the potential to build new and reaffirm existing relationships with regulators, peers, other professionals in or interested in the insurance compliance arena. It is a chance for you to exhibit your impact. Being visible, sharing meaningful experiences and building relationships is generating valuable resources for you to tap for questions, discuss hot topics, gather new ideas, and best of all, a possible mentorship to help you grow yourself. Think people, not positions. As a compliance professional, managing and refining your network of professional contacts will help you in unlimited ways over the course of your career.

T opics for E-Day sessions - Think outside the box. Find industry topics to engage your E-Day participants. What industry trends and issues do you, as a compliance professional, encounter every day? Is there a subject matter expert you can ask for a 30-minute presentation? Suggested speakers can include: chapter members, regulators, speaker bureaus within your state DOI, and even college insurance and risk management educators. Law firms can also be a great resource for speakers. Scheduling general sessions with options that appeal to everyone along with smaller P&C and Life/Annuity/Health industry track sessions gives enough variety for all attendees.

U nderstand - ”stuff” happens. Should there be a hiccup or glitch, roll with it. It will be all right. However, be prepared just in case. Have contact numbers handy for the A/V person, the venue contact person, the caterer and others. In addition, have contact information from your fellow AICP chapter members that are helping throughout the day. You never know when you may need a little extra assistance or a runner.

N etwork - This is a chance to build upon your reputation and be visible. By attending and even during the planning process of your chapter E-day activities, you will have the ability to connect with multiple individuals one-on-one, providing an excellent opportunity to learn from one another and initiate long-lasting professional relationships. During the actual E-Day, networking is an effective way to quickly connect with peers who share your challenges, become valuable career resources and even make new friends. Be a good listener. Good listeners make the person communicating feel supported. Pay attention to your non-verbal actions as well. Your posture, eye contact and body language affirms whether you are interested in the person. Another benefit from networking is gaining a strategic relationship advantage with industry peers. This may offer you a mentor/mentee relationship to assist in your journey to be successful in your career. And there you have it, networking builds a relationship and/or strengthened it.

I mpact and Influence - In the same domain with networking is your impact and influence. Attending your chapter E-Day is an occasion to exhibit not only the benefits and advantages of your AICP organization, it’s also a time to showcase you! Use your E-Day experiences to your advantage. Be as effective as you can with your fellow peers. Put your phone down and engage: smile, shake hands, make eye contact, and have your business card ready. During conversations, be a listener, an adviser. Your impact and influence will be front and foremost to everyone at E-Day. Think long term. Be sure your professional social media accounts are up to date and current. Your industry peers don’t have to wait until they get home to Google you anymore; they can do it right from their phones the moment after they shake your hand. Before you attend the actual E-Day, have your resume updated and ready should you be asked for it. When you least expect it, you may have a new compliance career or an AICP officer opportunity.

T ime - to close out your chapter E-Day with a short general session before the attendees leave for the day. Say Thank You! Recap your chapter E-Day with highlights from the various sessions along with the great presenters. Collect the feedback surveys from attendees. Reintroduce your chapter officers. Talk up the benefits of an AICP membership, the AICP website, chapter E-Days and don’t forget our annual conference. Exchange business cards and/or email information. Remember the AICP social media groups such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Even a door prize or two can go a long way to keep the AICP momentum going strong.

Y ou did it! - Great job! However, don’t take a nap just yet. Be sure to send Thank You notes and emails. Then follow up. You’ve learned something new, you have connected with fellow compliance peers and renewed existing relationships while attending your chapter E-Day. Know who you know. Don’t wait until you have a good reason to contact someone you’ve just met. Follow up by sending them an email, connect with them on LinkedIn, or shout out to them on Twitter or Facebook - all great ways to assure your new connection that you are serious about staying in touch. And speaking of email, don’t underestimate the importance of a solid email signature in communicating with people you meet. Your signature should contain the obvious elements - your name, email address, phone number - as well as links to relevant sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter account. But keep your signature clean - avoid the temptation to showcase your personality with attachments of inspirational quotes.

****

There you have it. Did you catch the opportunity? Sometimes real opportunities are the ones that are transparent. We all have a role and responsibility in compliance.

Questions? Melissa Pomerene