Articles by Amy O'Connor

O'Connor is the Southeast editor for Insurance Journal and associate editor of MyNewMarkets.com.

Best Agencies to Work For Southeast: Frank H. Furman – Silver

As a Florida-based agency, employees at Frank H. Furman understand the value of insurance and the important role they play as advisors. And they say the company’s team-focused and supportive environment motivates them to go above and beyond for their …

Best Agencies to Work For Southeast: LassiterWare – Gold

LassiterWare employee praise of the agency they say is the Best to Work for in the Southeast increased so much this year, the company was selected as Insurance Journal’s 2017 Best Agency to Work For Gold Award winner in the …

5 Ways the Insurance Industry Can Improve Cybersecurity: Former U.S. Security Chief Clarke

“The insurance industry has a great record of solving problems where government regulation didn’t because the government either didn’t know how to regulate, or the government wouldn’t regulate,” Richard A. Clarke, former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter-Terrorism …

BRONZE Best Agency to Work For – Jones Insurance Agency

Employees of Jones Insurance Agency in Garner, N.C., understand they aren’t just selling an insurance policy, they are carrying on a mission put in place when the company was founded in 1956. Jerry Jones, the company’s current CEO and chairman, …

Former U.S. Security Expert: 5 Ways the Insurance Industry Can Improve Cybersecurity

The insurance industry has a great record of solving problems where government regulation didn’t because the government either didn’t know how to regulate, or the government wouldn’t regulate,” Richard A. Clarke, former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter-Terrorism …

Florida Orders Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease of 9.8%

Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier has ordered a statewide overall workers’ compensation rate decrease of 9.8 percent, a slightly higher decrease than the 9.6 percent decrease filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) back in August. Altmaier’s order …

Florida Insurance Agents Recount Hurricane Irma’s Personal Impact

It’s been just over a month since Hurricane Irma hit Florida, and it won’t be forgotten in Florida by anyone anytime soon, especially not by those in the insurance industry. The powerful storm made landfall first in the Florida Keys …

Northern California Wildfires: Insurance Industry Ready to Assist With ‘Massive’ Recovery

Rebuilding the Northern California areas devastated by wildfire will be a long-term effort, and insurers say they will be there to help their affected policyholders get back on their feet. Tens of thousands of evacuees began making their way home …

SILVER Best Agency to Work For – Frank H. Furman Agency

As a Florida-based agency, employees at Frank H. Furman understand the value of insurance and the important role they play as advisors. And they say the company’s team-focused and supportive environment motivates them to go above and beyond for their …

Eyewitness to Destruction, Hope: TOPA Insurance CEO Shares Caribbean Hurricane Experiences

When Topa Insurance Group President and CEO John Donahue arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) just a few days after Hurricane Irma hit, one of the first things he noticed aside from the utter devastation was the look in …