PLUS Continues Focus on Education as International Conference Approaches

The Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) will hold its 13th Annual International Conference in San Antonio this year, with a renewed commitment to education, according to PLUS President Stephen Gerstman.

As always, the association will offer a wide-ranging schedule of education sessions ranging from topics such as D&O liability insurance and patients’ bill of rights to intellectual property and crime on the web.

“We’re in an industry where there’s no known liability and no known loss cost,” Gerstman said. “PLUS is in a perfect position to assist with these issues.”

Gerstman, senior vice president of Tudor Insurance Co./Western World Insurance Group, has helped PLUS focus its attention during his year as president on improving education at the chapter level.

“My goal was to have at least one educational seminar, perhaps two, at the chapter level,” Gerstman said. PLUS has not only accomplished that goal, Gerstman said, it has improved the quality of the sessions and provided more availability of Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) testing sites. The association also implemented a new website over the last year (www.plusweb.org).

Gerstman will soon hand over his title to Peter Wilson, president and chief executive of CNA Pro, who, he said, will continue PLUS’ emphasis on education. The education emphasis under Wilson’s direction will likely include enhancing the RPLU designation to give it more value. PLUS recommends the RPLU designation program for industry professionals, including general agents, brokers, underwriters, claims examiners and risk managers—or anyone else who happens to be active in the field of professional liability.

Through the RPLU program, professionals can learn about technical issues from a practical point of view, including underwriting, management of risk, legal issues, claims review and marketing/sales of professional liability insurance. The RPLU program covers the academic bases, legal realities, and practical knowledge about professional liability exposures in the course of study. After successfully passing the required exams and completing the five parts, designees receive the RPLU designation.

“One of our challenges is to maintain not only our image but our objective as an educational source to our members,” Gerstman said. “We have to focus our conference on the educational opportunities and not just networking. Business contacts are important but that’s not what our conference is about.”

This year’s conference at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel will feature 10 educational sessions and four keynote speakers: Brian M. O’Hara, president and chief executive of XL Capital Limited; Jack Kemp, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Jim Morris, a political impressionist; and William J. Bennett, author and cultural commentator.

PLUS was founded in 1986 to enhance the professionalism of its members through education and activities that address issues related to professional liability.

Since then, PLUS membership has grown continually, nearing the 4,000-member mark this year. The association hopes to reach that crest sometime during 2001.

Members include professional liability underwriters, brokers, program managers, risk managers, claims examiners, attorneys and general agents.

In 1997, the association established the PLUS Foundation with several goals in mind: to fund projects designed to provide professional liability insurance companies with information to more effectively manage business; to heighten industry visibility through public information releases; and to provide better information about loss prevention and products to its membership.

Topics Training Development Professional Liability