CPCU Society Opens 57th Annual Meeting and Seminars in Seattle

Sunday’s Opening Ceremonies for the CPCU Society’s 57th Annual Meeting and Seminars in Seattle paid homage to the many victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a candlelight ceremony and moment of silence. The conference, with the theme “CPCU 2001: Business Without Boundaries,” continues until Oct. 23 with approximately 2,500 CPCUs and guests in attendance.

The meeting opened with a multi-media tribute to America and the Annual Meeting theme. CPCU Society President Bruce D. Williams reflected on the successes of the past year and thanked all of the Society’s volunteer leaders, members, and staff for their ongoing support. He then shared with the audience what he was originally going to tell them about his selection of “Business Without Boundaries” as his Annual Meeting theme.

“What I wanted and planned to say is that the breaking down of boundaries everywhere in our industry was creating a more competitive business environment where competitors and customers were everywhere and only the best prepared, best managed organizations could thrive. But that’s all changed now, at least temporarily.”

The events of Sept. 11 “fundamentally changed our perception of the nature of risk and made capacity a much more important issue than competition, at least in the short-run,” Williams said. “Everything has changed,” Williams continued, but his message was the same–the businesses that will succeed are those that build the best long-term relationships with their customers, and businesses need the best trained and most professional people they can find to provide the kind of service to do that. “We are the talent,” he told the new designees. “If we keep our insurance skills current, and if we learn new skills in finance, technology, and leadership, and support each other as active members of the CPCU Society, our opportunities will be as boundless as the spirit of this wonderful country we proudly call America.”

Williams completed his thoughts by telling the audience, “May we be found equal to the many tests we will face in the coming months, and may we emerge from the crisis stronger and better prepared for the exciting opportunities the future still holds for us.” CPCU Society executive vice president James R. Marks congratulated the new CPCU designees and vowed to deliver on one single promise –to help them succeed. This promise is part of the Society’s new strategic plan for “Insuring Your Success.”

“How will we make it happen? By maximizing your achievement as a CPCU and by helping you continue to develop in your career,” Marks said. He also emphasized how important it is to continue learning in this rapidly changing insurance environment, and left the audience with a quote he recently came across that read, “Live like today is your last day, learn like you will live forever.”

Immediately following the CPCU Society’s Opening Ceremonies was the AICPCU Conferment Ceremony, featuring a presentation by Benjamin S. Carson, M.D., director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Approximately 1,244 new designees earned the CPCU designation in 2000-2001.

The 57th Annual Meeting and Seminars will be followed by a special post-meeting workshop on “Optimizing Mergers & Acquisition–The Roles of Insurance and Risk Management,” and two-days of post-meeting leadership seminars, offered through the Society’s National Leadership Institute. To learn more about the CPCU Society and the 57th Annual Meeting and Seminars, log on to www.cpcusociety.org.