What I’ve Learned

It’s hard to believe I’m wrapping up my last issue as Executive Editor of Insurance Journal. In the three years since I started here as a reporter, the industry has evolved so much (who says the insurance industry is stagnant?), and this magazine has grown and changed along with it.

Going through my massive file of old stories unearthed some memories, some of which are best left buried (the eternal HR 10, the Unicover debacle, the Y2K ruckus). However, some of those files contained topics that were just plain enjoyable to write about, despite their unsavory nature (the manhunt for Martin Frankel, the Quackenbush scandal).

And then there were my pet topics: I grew strangely fond of the tumble and turmoil of the California workers’ comp market; the nagging specter of construction defect litigation; and the ethical debate of the use of credit scoring in insurance. Other topics were a little more daunting but still fascinating (cyberliability, commercial lines deregulation, Gramm-Leach-Bliley). I have learned so much in the last three years, and I hope I have succeeded in passing it on to you in some useful way.

But I think the major lesson I learned overall is that the insurance industry is in fact, yes, fascinating. The greater world has no idea of the importance of what we do behind the scenes, and the sheer dollar figures that are involved; the deals we make and break; the ripple effect of our presence in the economy.

And behind that powerful presence are people. The people I have met and developed ties with in the industry are truly special; from the helpful Big “I” delegates who took me under their wing in Washington, D.C.; to the party crowd who showed me that insurance agents aren’t really a bunch of stuffed shirts; to the many knowledgeable people who have taken the time to talk to me about reinsurance, EPL, toxic mold or agent licensing.

I couldn’t have done it without you.

It probably will be a while until my ears don’t perk up when I hear the word “insurance,” or until I can read the paper without hunting for good story leads. But I feel lucky to have had the insight into this world that most people know very little about.

Now I’m glad to leave you in the capable hands of Catherine Tapia, who will serve as Managing Editor of Insurance Journal West and who has proven herself as a prolific and conscientious insurance reporter over the last few years.

It’s been fun, and I thank you.