Category: Corporate News

BrokerTech Ventures and InsureTech Connect Announce 2nd Year of Collaboration

BrokerTech Ventures to fuel BrokerTech Connect during ITC 2022 Conference

Des Moines, IA – June 29, 2022 – BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), the industry’s first broker-led group and accelerator program chartered by 15 super-regional independent brokerage firms, announced the 2^nd year of a strategic collaboration with InsureTech Connect (ITC), the largest insurance technology (insurtech) conference and convening platform in the world. BTV will once again fuel ITC’s BrokerTech Connect series, an insurtech series during the conference for the broker-centric community, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We are extremely excited about this second year of collaboration between BTV and InsureTech Connect,” said Dan Keough, Holmes Murphy Chairman and CEO and BTV Co-CEO. “The ITC platform brings together the greatest minds around insurtech trends, technologies, and applications. Our desire to engage in and fuel BrokerTech Connect comes from BTV’s industry position as the convener of broker-centric innovation, ideation, and communication for the global insurance ecosystem. We represent the brokerage community and the voice of the client, and we believe there is significant value in the community the ITC team has been building since 2016.”

BTV and ITC partnered not only in 2020, as they collaborated around the Agency Connect Virtual Conference, which attracted 2,000+ brokers, agents, and broker tech attendees from across the globe, but also in 2021, as BTV led out ITC’s BrokerTech Connect.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with BTV for ITC Vegas 2022. BrokerTech Connect is one of the most engaging content features of ITC each year, showcasing solutions and strategies to improve broker workflows, and ultimately enhance the customer experience in insurance. We appreciate the vision that BTV’s leadership shared with us when first developing BrokerTech Connect and look forward to another insightful gathering of their thought leaders and partners in September,” said Bill Harris, Chief Revenue Officer of InsureTech Connect.

The BTV 2022 Accelerator program and third cohort class recently rounded out its session during which time BTV provided funding, a curriculum, and an intentional network exposure to the 12 startups from around the world who were selected.

BTV’s partners represent a combined 29 premiere insurance brands, as well as multi-billions of dollars in premiums and overall distribution. BrokerTech Connect will include broker-centric thought leaders, industry expertise, entertainment, and a BTV demo day featuring the insurtech companies that are a part of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 cohort classes.

“As BTV continues to grow the depth and breadth of our agency, carrier, capital, and startup relationships within the insurtech space, building an alliance with InsureTech Connect made sense,” said Susan Hatten, BTV COO. “We bring the broker-centric insights to collaborate around BrokerTech Connect, and we are thrilled to work with the InsureTech Connect team to create an even greater experience by leveraging our BrokerTech Ventures brand and community.”

About BrokerTech Ventures

Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) is the first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker industry. Founded in 2019, BTV provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BTV invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels. Learn more at www.brokertechventures.com, or follow us on Twitter (@BrokerTechVen), LinkedIn, or Facebook.

About InsureTech Connect

InsureTech Connect (ITC) is the world’s largest insurtech event, offering unparalleled access to the largest and most comprehensive gathering of tech entrepreneurs, investors, and insurance industry executives from across the globe. Founded by Jay Weintraub and Caribou Honig, ITC has been attended by over 25,000 people from 65+ countries. InsureTech Connect 2022 will be held September 20-22, 2022, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. For more information, please visit http://www.insuretechconnect.com.

About Conner Strong & Buckelew

Conner Strong & Buckelew is among America’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firms. The firm is an industry leader in providing high-risk businesses with comprehensive solutions to prevent losses, manage claims, and drive bottom-line growth. Its employee benefits practice focuses on providing best-in-class benefits administration, health and wellness programs and strategic advisory services.

Founded in 1959 with offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia, Conner Strong & Buckelew has a team of 450+ professionals, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.connerstrong.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@ConnerStrong&Buckelew), Twitter (@connerstrong), Facebook (@connerstrongbuckelew) and Instagram (@connerstrongbuckelew).

Conner Strong & Buckelew Named One of Region’s Healthiest Employers by Philadelphia Business Journal

Leading Insurance, Risk Management and Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Firm Is Recognized for its Commitment to the Health of its Employees

CAMDEN, NJ, (May 27, 2022) – Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm, today announced it has been named one of the region’s healthiest employers in the category of 100 to 499 employees in the Philadelphia Business Journal’s ranking of the 2022 Healthiest Employers of Greater Philadelphia. The firm’s enduring commitment to providing outstanding health and wellness programs to both its clients and employees establishes Conner Strong & Buckelew as a leader in its industry and in the region.

“At Conner Strong & Buckelew, we are benefits people. We realize offering high quality, affordable benefits is a key component to our overall value proposition for our employees and the clients we serve,” said George Norcross, Executive Chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew. “From our onsite health center, to expanded access to mental health care and telehealth, to health coaching and incentives, we are intensely focused on promoting health and wellness services to bolster our culture and our commitment to being an employer of choice.”

Conner Strong & Buckelew’s health and wellness program, which is comprised of more than a dozen annual services and incentives provided at no cost to employees, continues to integrate best practices to meet the needs of the modern worker. The firm recently made its largest investment in employee health and wellness to date by opening a state-of-the-art onsite health center. That coupled with enhanced access due to COVID-19 to behavioral health resources via telemedicine to provide employees 24-7 access to psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, and therapists offering support for a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, family difficulties and more. In addition to mental health resources, employees have access to an onsite state-of-the-art fitness center and can participate in initiatives such as company-wide weight loss and exercise programs, nutritionist visits and financial wellness workshops, among others at no/minimal cost.

“Health and well-being are at the heart of our organization. We recognize our employees are our most valuable asset and that a happy, healthy and dedicated workforce is critical to our success,” said Alexis Wolfson, Chief Human Resources Officer of Conner Strong & Buckelew. “We have a 98% completion and participation rate for our annual physical and biometric screenings. One employee received an early cancer diagnoses leading to a prompt treatment and recovery. It’s this type of positive impact that inspires us to grow our health and wellness programs to best support our employees.”

About Conner Strong & Buckelew

BrokerTech Ventures Announces 2022 Cohort Class for Accelerator

Startups from across the U.S., Canada, and Israel gain access to intentional engagement and distribution offerings through BrokerTech Ventures’ collective 29 agency and insurance company partners.

Des Moines, IA – April 5, 2022 – BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), the industry’s first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program, has selected the following 12 insurtech startups to take part in its highly intentional accelerator curriculum.

Ferro, Omaha, NE
Foresight Insurance Analytics, Inc., Toronto, ON
Healthee, New York, NY
InsCyt LLC dba RiskAnalytics, Overland Park, KS
InsuranceGIG, New York, NY
Mod Advisor, Inc., Denison, IA
NeuralMetrics, Inc., Denver, CO
Psyber Solutions LTD, Tel Aviv, Israel
Relay Platform Inc, Toronto, ON
Safari, New York, NY
Wallit, Inc., Westbrook, ME
Xilo, San Diego, CA

“As we kick off the third year of our BTV Accelerator, I am thrilled with the diversity of technologies we were presented and will move through the accelerator, as well as the amount of international interest and presence we now have in the program — from Canada to Israel,” said Dan Keough, Holmes Murphy chairman and CEO and BTV co-founder. “We truly have some of the highest-caliber, early-stage and growth insurtech companies on our roster, and they touch nearly every angle of insurance risk management — from P&C commercial to cyber to health/benefits-tech solutions.”

The accelerator cohort runs from April 4-May 6, 2022. During this time, the startups will advance their technologies, accelerate their progress through a select mentor network, receive $50,000 in seed funding, and gain immediate access to BTV’s multi-billion-dollar distribution platform to deploy the technologies.

“I cannot wait for this accelerator class to start. The level of partner engagement was amazing during our Selection Series, and I anticipate it getting even better moving forward,” said John Jackovin, executive director of the BTV Accelerator. “Additionally, being able to meet in person for our first-ever ‘BTV Mania’ this week is extremely exciting, and I believe will drive better, deeper, and longer lasting relationships between our partners and startups.”

Collectively, BTV represents 15 of the largest independently owned insurance agencies and 14 of the largest insurance companies in North America, with a combined multi-billion dollars in annual distribution capacity.

“While the accelerator runs for just 5 weeks, it fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the broker-centric insurtech space with continued support beyond accelerator graduation,” said Keough. “The true value in our BTV Accelerator and business model is in the engagement with our trifecta ecosystem of BTV agencies, insurance companies, and capital resources. Many of the startups who go through the accelerator have an engagement with our partners that lasts well beyond the accelerator as we work to deploy their technologies to collectively help our clients and the insurance industry identify risks sooner to drive down costs faster.”

In addition to activities in the United States, BTV co-founded the first broker-centric accelerator in Tel Aviv, Israel — the Israeli Insurtech Accelerator — along with InsurTech Israel and Ayalon Insurance Co. BTV has intentions on building out similar models with broker communities in Europe and Latin America, where these platforms would perform as a feeder system into our BTV Accelerator and investment model in the United States.

For more information on BTV, please visit www.brokertechventures.com.

About BrokerTech Ventures
Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) is the first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker industry. Founded in 2019, BTV provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BTV invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels. Learn more at www.brokertechventures.com, or follow us on Twitter (@BrokerTechVen), LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Conner Strong & Buckelew’s Edward Cooney Receives Business Insurance 2022 Break Out Award

Partner in Public Entity Practice honored for industry leadership and professional accomplishments

CAMDEN, NJ (April 27, 2022) – Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm, announces the recognition of Edward Cooney in Business Insurance’s Break Out Awards program. The annual Break Out Awards program recognizes 40 top professionals across the United States who are on track to be the next leaders in the risk management and property/casualty insurance field.

Cooney is a Partner and Senior Account Executive in the firm’s Public Entity Practice, as well as Co-Chair of its Cyber Practice. Throughout his ten-plus years with Conner Strong & Buckelew, Cooney has assumed several progressive leadership roles across the firm. In addition to his current, primary client service responsibilities, he plays a leading role in the firm’s insurance and risk management think-tank focused on delivering cyber education and security solutions to clients.

“Ed is a trusted partner to his clients and a terrific teammate to his colleagues. This recognition speaks volumes about the contributions he has made to our organization and our industry,” said Michael Tiagwad, President & Chief Executive Officer, Conner Strong & Buckelew. “As this award demonstrates, Ed’s leadership and commitment to excellence certainly do not go unnoticed, and I join the entire team at Conner Strong & Buckelew in congratulating him on this achievement.”

Cooney remains one the firm’s foremost experts on the topic of cyber risk management. He closely follows the ever-changing cyber threat landscape to provide his clients with proactive cybersecurity solutions, including a comprehensive, proprietary cyber risk management program he successfully developed and implemented for a large group of New Jersey-based public entities.

Cooney has been with Conner Strong & Buckelew for the majority of his professional career. Prior to joining the Public Entity team, he held account management roles within the Life Science & Technology Practice. He also interned with the firm’s Risk Control department.

About Conner Strong & Buckelew
Conner Strong & Buckelew is among America’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firms. The firm is an industry leader in providing high-risk businesses with comprehensive solutions to prevent losses, manage claims, and drive bottom-line growth. Its employee benefits practice focuses on providing best-in-class benefits administration, health and wellness programs and strategic advisory services.

The company provides insurance and risk services to a wide-range of industries including but not limited to construction, education, healthcare, hospitality & gaming, life science & technology, public entity and real estate. Additionally, Conner Strong & Buckelew and its affiliates offer a number of innovative and specialty solutions which include captive strategies, construction wrap-ups, executive risk, safety and risk control, and private client services.

About Business Insurance’s Break Out Awards
Business Insurance’s Break Out Awards program honors 40 top professionals on track to be the next leaders in the risk management and property/casualty insurance field. Break Out winners from across the United States are recognized for their leadership and professional skills and can be working in any area of the industry – risk managers, brokers, insurers, reinsurers, MGAs, MGUs, wholesalers, captive managers, TPAs, lawyers and other providers serving the commercial insurance sector.

About Business Insurance:
Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. With information for risk managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services, Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges. Business Insurance covers core risk management and insurance areas such as property/casualty insurance, captive insurance and other alternative risk transfer vehicles, and enterprise risk management.

Business Insurance provides in-depth coverage of specific industries such as health care, construction, transportation and energy. You will also read about the latest trends in specialty risks such as cyber liability, political risk, reputational risk and emerging risks such as green energy and fracking. We also cover workers compensation. We explore the technology and processes that facilitate the management of risk and the delivery of insurance products and services. Business Insurance covers the operational and strategic concerns of brokers, insurers, reinsurers and consultants for the industry. Delivered in a multi-media mix, including a monthly print magazine, and daily online and mobile news, Business Insurance helps readers do their jobs better.

BTV — Our Differences Make Us Stronger

In the world we live today, diversity is becoming intentional and that is a great thing. Diversity makes us stronger, and when I think about this as it relates to BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), we really believe diversity is the key to the future. We not only welcome differences; we encourage them. Those differences are what makes BTV stand out from an ever-increasingly cluttered accelerator landscape. But, that’s not all.

The Accelerator Evolution
To understand how and why BTV is different, I want to take a quick look at the evolution of accelerators.

YCombinator
In 2006, YCombinator (YC) became the first big name accelerator to hit the market. They were based in the Bay area and had deep connectivity into the valley’s Venture Capital (VC) community. YC focused heavily on product development, market fit, and traction. They have grown considerably over the years — not by expanding the number of cohorts, but rather by adding more to each class, which can now be in the many hundreds of startups.

Techstars
In 2007, Techstars rose from Boulder, Colorado, a small town outside Denver and has been growing ever since. Techstars’ method for growth has been expansion all over the globe and by partnering with companies looking to get in on the Techstars brand for their own innovation purposes. The accelerator focuses on early-stage startups who need mentorship and education along with a very strong emphasis on pitching. I had the opportunity to go through this program in 2014, and it was intense, but hugely beneficial.

Global Accelerator Network
In 2010, the Techstars’ playbook was used to start the Global Accelerator Network (GAN). In simple terms, GAN licenses the Techstars’ playbook to independent organizations who want to replicate what Techstars is doing, just without the Techstars name. Out of the GAN, came the next evolution in accelerators — industry-focused accelerators.

The benefit of these different programs is their focus. Whereas Techstars and YC take in all sorts of startups, the GAN programs focus on one area and, in doing so, can provide a focus when it comes to curriculum and mentoring.

The BrokerTech Ventures Difference
This leads us to BTV. Why are we different? How are we different, and how do those differences make us stronger?

Diversity of Opinion
BTV is made up of 30 partners, agencies, wholesalers, and carriers from all across the U.S., all of which are diverse in their location, areas of focus, lines of business, and how they engage with BTV. Each partner is deeply involved in the accelerator and actively engaged in all facets of the selection process.

Selection Series
Speaking of the selection process, BTV (like all other accelerators) collects startup info for review, but here’s where we’re different. Once we narrow the process down, we do something a bit unique. BTV holds an event called the Selection Series. Our event brings together 100+ employees from our BTV partners for a 2-day, in-depth Q&A session with each of our startups. This format gives our partners the ability to dig deeper into each startup and allows us to better identify the final startups for the accelerator.

BTV Mania
Other accelerators do something called mentor madness, where startups meet with 80-100 potential mentors. The goal is for each startup to be assigned 1-4 mentors who help you down your path to startup success. BTV is a bit different in that we hold “BTV Mania.” This process allows our startups to actually meet 30 prospective clients in 2 days. We’ve found that this enhanced focus helps our startups greatly as they work to make their ideas, programs, and solutions more valuable to the direct people who will be using them.

BTV’s Focus
Our BTV startups also meet with all of our partners, and while there are certainly mentoring opportunities, the real magic is in what materializes beyond mentorship. Our partners actually engage the startups to either use or distribute the product or service. For early-stage startups, this allows them to quickly achieve product-market fit. For later-stage startups, this helps them accomplish 3 years of business development efforts in 3 weeks. For B2B insurtech startups, there is literally nothing that can accelerate you more than distribution.

So, is BTV Really an Accelerator?
Yes and no. BTV is an accelerator in the true sense of the term. We rapidly accelerate startups. We also invest a small amount of capital in each startup ($50,000 SAFE). So, in those regards, we are an accelerator.

On the other hand, we are not a 90- or 100-day program. We don’t predominately focus on education and mentorship. The only required in-person part of the program is BTV Mania. So, I guess the answer is yes, maybe…yes, we are.

While BTV might be different from other accelerator programs, we feel these differences strengthen our program, partners, startups, and the insurance industry in general. And because of those differences, we’ve created a very solid foundation that is designed to last.

Conner Strong & Buckelew Introduces COI Comply, Powered by Trustlayer, to Provide Clients a Leading Collaborative Risk Management Platform

COI Comply helps businesses verify their vendor partners have the right coverage.

CAMDEN, NJ (February 28, 2022) – Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm, introduces COI Comply, powered by Trustlayer, to provide clients access to an AI-powered collaborative risk management solution.

This tech-forward solution will enable clients to better manage the administrative burden associated with proof of insurance verification. By automating a largely manual process, clients stand to improve compliance, reduce risk, and ultimately deploy resources more optimally.

“We’re excited about the potential of this innovative technology,” said Terrence Tracy, Senior Partner, National Insurtech Practice Leader. “The ability to help our clients automate the management and verification of Certificates of Insurance (COI) with AI and machine learning, in addition to streamline their compliance processes, will help them achieve compliance faster and with less hassle.”

Virtually every business struggles with insurance verification. For those who do it well, the administrative burden is high — with manual processes and over 200,000 static documents changing hands daily across the U.S. For those who don’t, the risk is astronomical, with studies showing that 75 percent of U.S. businesses are underinsured.

“By extending these next-gen insurance compliance capabilities, Conner Strong demonstrates the innovative solutions and value they bring to their clients,” said John Fohr, Co-Founder and CEO of TrustLayer. “This commitment to innovation is what drew us to a strategic partnership with Conner Strong. We are thrilled to be able to help Conner Strong continue to strive for excellence for their clients.”

Conner Strong & Buckelew is among America’s largest insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage firms. The introduction of COI Comply, powered by Trustlayer, allows Conner Strong to leverage innovative technology across all its industry practice groups including Construction, Life Sciences, Employee Benefits, Manufacturing, Real Estate, and others.

About Conner Strong & Buckelew
The firm is an industry leader in providing high-risk businesses with comprehensive solutions to prevent losses, manage claims, and drive bottom line growth. Its employee benefits practice focuses on providing best-in-class benefits administration, health and wellness programs and strategic advisory services.

Founded in 1959 with offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia, Conner Strong & Buckelew has a team of more than 400 professionals, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.connerstrong.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@ConnerStrong&Buckelew), Twitter (@connerstrong), Facebook (@connerstrongbuckelew) and Instagram (@connerstrongbuckelew).

About TrustLayer
TrustLayer is an AI-powered collaborative risk management platform working to digitize the highly manual, error-prone, and paper-based process of insurance verification. With TrustLayer, companies can securely automate the verification of insurance, licenses, and compliance documents of their business partners (i.e., vendors, subcontractors, suppliers, borrowers, tenants, ridesharing, and franchisees) in an easy-to-use digital dashboard. TrustLayer is working with dozens of the largest brokers and carriers in the U.S. to build out a fully digital proof of insurance solution so companies will be able to validate in real-time that their business partners have the correct coverage. Founded by John Fohr and Vincenzo Acinapura, the company is backed by leading investors, including Craft Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Box Group, Propel Ventures, Sure Ventures and PruVen Capital, and has also received investments from more than 20 of the top 100 insurance brokers. To learn more, visit trustlayer.io, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Four Conner Strong & Buckelew Consultants Recognized by Risk & Insurance® Power Broker® Awards

Property & casualty and employee benefits consultants honored as Power Broker winners and finalists

CAMDEN, NJ (February 22, 2022) – Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm, announces the recognition of four consultants in the 2022 Risk & Insurance^® Power Broker^® Awards.

Click to enlarge

“All of us at Conner Strong & Buckelew congratulate Dan, Franz, Edward and Kristine for this remarkable honor that is a testament to their commitment to exceptional client service,” said Michael Tiagwad, President & Chief Executive Officer, Conner Strong & Buckelew. “We aim to be true strategic partners for our clients, and the recognition from Risk & Insurance is yet another indicator of our dedication to delivering results no matter the challenge.”

With over 30 years of experience in the life sciences industry, Dan Brettler delivers holistic and innovative risk and insurance solutions that address the wide range of unique risks life sciences organizations face. For one pharmaceutical client, Brettler led the implementation of an overall insurance structure that improved the coordination of insurance and claims matters throughout their global insurance portfolio.

Franz Wagner’s collaborative approach to navigating challenging situations has translated to dozens of long-lasting, trusted relationships with his clients over the years. With this mindset, Wagner was able to help one client circumvent obstacles brought on by the pandemic, finding the opportunity to establish a wholly owned captive insurance company with A+ rated security and subsequently meet insurance obligations at unprecedented speed and efficiency.

Effective communication is the key to client service for Edward Cooney. He is a self-taught public entity expert and has been on the forefront of cybersecurity, making it a priority to provide actionable and understandable cyber risk frameworks for his clients.

Kristine Klepper acts as an extension of her clients’ teams, working seamlessly with them to proactively develop value-adding solutions. She has a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and over 10 years of experience working with large health systems and provider groups that positions her to deliver results for clients and their employees.

The Power Broker Awards are presented annually, and winners are selected based upon the strength of client testimonials. This was Conner Strong & Buckelew’s first year submitting nominations.

About Conner Strong & Buckelew
Conner Strong & Buckelew is among America’s largest insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firms. The firm is an industry leader in providing high-risk businesses with comprehensive solutions to prevent losses, manage claims, and drive bottom line growth. Its employee benefits practice focuses on providing best-in-class benefits administration, health and wellness programs and strategic advisory services.

About Risk & Insurance^® Power Broker^®:
The Risk & Insurance^® Power Broker^® Awards are an annual selection of the most effective and influential commercial insurance brokers. The Power Broker designation is based on nominations provided by brokers and risk managers and is judged based on the quality of the application and on references by risk managers in each industry sector. Hundreds of risk managers and risk executives are interviewed in the process of identifying and soliciting, evaluating, and judging the nominees. Brokers are judged primarily on their creativity in solving risk-related problems during the previous year, their demonstrated industry knowledge, and their high level of client service.

Ed Broderick Joins Conner Strong & Buckelew to Oversee Information Security and Support Firm’s Focus on Technology & Innovation

CAMDEN, NJ (January 31, 2022) – Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm, announced today the addition of Ed Broderick to the team as Chief Information Security Officer. Broderick, an information security expert with over 23 years of experience, will focus on continuing to expand and elevate the firm’s cybersecurity efforts.

Bolstering information security practices and processes with proven talent directly reflects Conner Strong & Buckelew’s commitment to achieving greater operational efficiencies, reducing cyber risk and advancing a digital transformation initiative that will drive business growth and profitability.

“Ed’s decades long career in information security and his expertise in cyber threat defense made him the ideal leader to strengthen our security practices,” said Anil Jampana, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer at Conner Strong & Buckelew. “He has demonstrated throughout his career the value of security services in promoting transparency and establishing a foundation for success, and he will be critical to helping us remain at the forefront of technology and innovation.”

Broderick has also been tapped to help drive cyber risk insurance innovation. In addition to expanding the firm’s own cybersecurity initiatives, he will lead an effort to provide consultative services to Conner Strong & Buckelew’s clients and oversee a series of new products and services to grow the cyber risk portfolio.

Broderick has a deep understanding of cybersecurity, serving in leadership roles for more than 20 years and overseeing the security practices in a diversity of industries, including financial services firms, healthcare, global media, and manufacturing companies. With expertise in both offensive and defensive areas of security, Broderick has successfully defended against high-profile insider threats, DDoS, and ransomware attacks, saving organizations millions of dollars, and garnering global media attention. He began his career at RSA, a prominent cybersecurity and digital risk management vendor.

Broderick earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Founded in 1959 with offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia, Conner Strong & Buckelew has a team of 450 professionals, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.connerstrong.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@ConnerStrong&Buckelew), Twitter (@connerstrong), Facebook (@connerstrongbuckelew) and Instagram (@connerstrongbuckelew).

BrokerTech Ventures Welcomes Industry-Leading Carrier Partners

EMC Insurance Companies and AF Group Join BTV Platform and Mission

Des Moines, IA – January 18, 2022 – BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), the industry’s first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program, today announced the addition of its two newest industry-leading insurance company partners, EMC Insurance Companies and AF Group.

“We could not be more pleased to announce the addition of EMC Insurance Companies and AF Group to our carrier community network. We view our carrier and wholesale partners as integral in terms of our overall strategy in building out BrokerTech Ventures — and specifically, our Innovation Tower,” said Dan Keough, Holmes Murphy chairman and CEO and co-CEO of BTV. “Insurance companies are individually spending multi-millions of dollars each year in innovation, and we believe that BTV can be the convening platform to provide access into the unknowns, idea-sharing, investing, and distribution for the benefit of all.”

The addition of these renowned insurance brands brings the BTV industry portfolio to 15 of the most sizable and innovative brokerage firms in North America and 15 of the most notable and respected insurance companies and wholesalers with both domestic and international presence.

“EMC has a deep commitment to independent agents, and it just makes good business sense to partner with BTV in their efforts to support and elevate brokers and provide them with innovation solutions,” said Phil Lucca, EMC Senior Vice President & Chief Field Officer.

“We’re so pleased to partner with BrokerTech Ventures and independent agents in this exciting new Accelerator program,” said Sam Hosey, Jr., manager of Innovation and Michelle McLane, SVP – Workers’ Compensation Division for AF Group. “Our strategic partnership will allow us to enhance innovation across our organization while continuing to drive product and service offerings that exceed today’s customer expectations. With the industry’s rapid advancement in digital capabilities, BTV provides an ideal blend of broker, carrier, and insurtech expertise that will allow us to influence technology and platforms to help our agents grow and thrive.”

In addition to its expansive broker and carrier partner portfolio, BTV now also represents 24 insurtech companies between the BTV Accelerator and Early-Stage Investment towers of operation, with investments and commercial engagements in each.

About BrokerTech Ventures
Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) is the first broker-led convening platform focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker industry. Founded in 2019, BTV provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BTV invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels. Learn more at www.brokertechventures.com, or follow us on Twitter (@BrokerTechVen), LinkedIn, or Facebook.

About EMC Insurance Companies
EMC Insurance Companies has more than 2,400 employees and is among the top 60 property and casualty insurance organizations in the country based on net written premium. Employers Mutual Casualty Company (EMCC) was organized in 1911 to write workers’ compensation protection in Iowa. Today, operating under the trade name EMC Insurance Companies, the company provides property and casualty and life insurance products and services throughout the United States and writes reinsurance contracts worldwide. EMCC is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit emcins.com.

About AF Group
AF Group (Lansing, Mich.) and its subsidiaries are a premier provider of innovative insurance solutions. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the following companies within AF Group: Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Accident Fund National Insurance Company, Accident Fund General Insurance Company, United Wisconsin Insurance Company, Third Coast Insurance Company or CompWest Insurance Company.

CogniSure AI Announces the launch of “Benefit Insights AI Platform” with National Benefits Brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew

Solution will Automate Benefit Customers’ Claim Reporting and Data

CAMDEN, NJ (December 2, 2021) – CogniSure AI, a Delaware-based corporation, has announced the launch of their “Benefit Insights” solution, an AI platform that automates the process of extracting data from unstructured benefit documents received from health insurance providers and provides detailed insights on the data. With the CogniSure Benefit Insights platform, brokers can expect to dramatically reduce manual effort and access actionable real time insights that can be shared with their self-funded employee benefit clients, deepening their client relationships, and enhancing their client offerings.

“For self-funded employers, benefit plan claim reporting remains a major pain point. In representing our clients, we get a myriad of unstructured data from health plans and insurers that makes data evaluation time consuming and complex. It takes hundreds of hours of manual manipulation to harmonize reams of disparate reports and turn them into actionable data points to help clients better manage self-funded plans” , says Joe DiBella, National Benefits Practice Leader at Conner Strong & Buckelew. “Thankfully, CogniSure AI has revolutionized this archaic process with their new Benefit Insights solution. Their platform systematically merges data from multiple vendors across multiple lines and creates a powerful web-based data set we can use to help clients implement strategies to bend the cost curve”, says DiBella.

Conner Strong & Buckelew will use the Benefit Insights platform to produce regular claim and performance reports for self-funded customers. The system will create an online platform for employers and plan sponsors to panoramically view all self-funded claims data on a regular basis. Benefit Insights pulls in unstructured claims and eligibility data securely from health plans, PBMs and other vendors and creates online harmonized data results so that employers and plan sponsors can focus on trends, drivers of cost and other opportunities around plan management.

“Unstructured data is a massive problem in the insurance industry. With tremendous success on our loss runs and submission intake solution for the P&C insurance industry, we are excited to launch our “Benefit Insights” for the employee benefits and health insurance industry. We are grateful to Conner Strong & Buckelew for their support and strategic partnership in bringing this solution to the employee benefits market”, says Sai Raman, Founder and CEO, CogniSure

“Data is key in effective benefit plan management and having access to data in a more centralized format will help us deliver better results for our customers,” says Tammy Brown, Practice Leader of Data Analytics and Actuarial Services at Conner Strong & Buckelew. “Our adopting the Benefit Insights solution will help us take data management to the next level”, says Brown.

About CogniSure:

The CogniSure AI platform provides actionable insights from unstructured data buried in insurance documents such as submissions, loss runs, policies, schedules, and employee benefits. Created by insurance professionals, CogniSure goes beyond data extraction and provides unrivaled insights to address the complexity of insurance document processing. Learn more at CogniSure AI.

About Conner Strong & Buckelew:

Founded in 1959 with offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, and Delaware, Conner Strong & Buckelew has a team of 450+ professionals, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.connerstrong.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@ConnerStrong&Buckelew), Twitter (@connerstrong), Facebook (@connerstrongbuckelew) Instagram (@connerstrongbuckelew) and YouTube (Conner Strong & Buckelew)

Learn more at Conner Strong Employee Benefits.