Alister Campbell will engage OSFI Superintendent Jeremy Rudin in conversation covering issues that are top of mind to insurers and reinsurers operating in Canada. Topics will include the environment for insurers, OSFI initiatives, global regulatory developments and other areas of concern. Mr. Rudin will respond to questions at the end of his presentation.

The insurance industry is undergoing seismic change, driven by technology, demography and economics. NICC 2018 will be addressing these changes through a three-segment series of of sessions called “The Journey”.

This first session in ‘The Journey’ series deals with the value proposisitions presented by emerging distribution models. How disruptive are their models? Where is value being added? And how are they seeking to reconcile the aspiration for direct-to-customer sales with the complexity of our insurance products? Finally, what will Canadian personal lines distribution look like in five years? Audience participation will be encouraged.

The P&C insurance industry has long been an advocate of mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of climate change. The industry is working with the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and other organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross. Insurance itself is not sufficient; governments and non-profits have a role in a ‘whole of society’ approach to reduce risks for Canadians. And raising awareness of Canadians to the escalating risk we all face must be key; leveraging that awareness to drive personal and community action is vital.

Hear about the disruptive forces and tech-driven consumer behaviour that’s shaping the future of insurance. This keynote will give an overview of the regulatory changes needed to deliver more value to consumers and to ensure today’s insurers succeed tomorrow. Prepare yourself and your company for this bold new world.

Always a favourite at the NICC, the 2018 Global Leaders’ Panel promises to be partuclularly engaging. Global developments in the insurance arena always have a direct and immediate impact in the Canadian market, both on the primary and reinsurance side. Technology, CAT losses, M&A, global regulatory developments and emerging risks will be among the crucial topics discussed by this highly esteemed panel.

Personal lines underwriting in a world of big data analytics, telematics and linked databases has already shifted a long way from the traditional insurance world of bespoke underwriting by seasoned professionals. Now with Artificial Intelligence and automated attendants becoming common components of more and more B2B and B2C interactions, what is the future for underwriters and underwriting processes in Canadian personal lines? Will there still be a role for humans?

Commercial insurance is constantly evolving. Looking forward, the nature of risk and related exposures challenge even the most innovative in our industry. From cyber and unethical behaviour, thru D&O and beyond, demands on our industry have never been greater and the financial risks higher.
Today we want to explore this ever-changing landscape. We will identify gaps and more importantly, discuss what can, and is, being done in the markeplace. We will do this from three perspectives across the insurance value chain: the challenge from the brokers’ point of view in dealing with underwriters who, in term, must get reinsurers on side.
This session will appeal to those in the commercial space as well as executives wanting to understand what leaders in the industry are doing to solve for these gaps.

Blockchain has become ubiquitous; articles proliferate on social media, presentations abound at technology conferences, and the major news networks dramatize the daily volatility of cryptocurrencies. Is it hype or the beginning of a new world order? Insurance solutions are popping up south of the border and in Europe, consortiums have been formed within the global financial sector, and some prominent Canadians have been at the forefront of blockchain innovation. For better or worse, Canadian insurers have been slow to follow. Is it time for Canadian (re)insurers to work together en masse to explore benefits for the industry?”

We kick off the second day of the 2018 NICC with a fast-paced hot topics discussion of regulatory issues and legal developments facing the industry and consumers. The session will be interactive and address a wide array of topics ranging from InsurTech, cyber risk, issues on the CCIR and OSFI radar, as well as those of market conduct regulators, governance, ORSA, capital management, and as much we can squeeze in. Your input will be encouraged.

Join Aon Benfield’s Matt Wolfe in deep conversation with Artemis founder, Steve Evans. This final chapter of ‘The Journey’ series will tackle the rapidly-evolving global reinsurance and alternative capital arenas as the industry prepares to enter the final renewal season of the decade. The conversation promises to be lively, and the audience will be encouraged to participate.

As we look to a disrupted future in our industry, nothing is more important than attracting, retaining and developing the next generation of insurance professionals. At the same time, a new crop of emerging talent are breaking into top management and leadership roles across each of our organizations. How are they equipped to navigate the future of insurance? What are the key strategies companies can employ to balance the crucial ‘talent gap’ objective… knowing that those who do it best will have secured a sustainable competitive advantage?

Rupert Duchesne recently retired from Aimia Inc (TSX:AIM) where he was the founding Chief Executive and a Director, and grew the company to be the global leader in loyalty marketing and data-analytics. As co-chair for MindsMatter, CivicAction’s Mental Health in the Workplace initiative, Rupert is using his business and leadership acumen to help champion the importance of companies caring about their employees’ well-being as a whole. Too often mental ‘ill’health is looked upon as a ‘problem child’ in the workplace, and with 500,000+ employed Canadians unable to work due to mental health problems weekly, Rupert brings both compassion and a deep understanding of the strong business case for supporting mental health in the workplace.