This session at the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference illustrated the latest trends related to cyber security and the new insurance products that are being developed in response to them. Panelists included: Scott Ritto, Senior Director, Risk Management at Kilroy Realty Corporation Jeff Phillips, Managing Director at PwC James Patterson, Cyber Specialist/Western Region, Executive Liability at AIG Tina Tabb, Senior Vice President at Marsh FINPRO The cyber challenge now extends beyond enterprise. Technology-led innovation has allowed business models to evolve, creating a dynamic environment that is increasingly interconnected, integrated and interdependent. Cybersecurity encompasses information technology, operational technology and
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The risk manager is very often the hub that manages everything around various aspects of a company’s workers’ compensation program, but they are only as effective as the understanding and support that they can gain from the C-Suite. This session at the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference highlighted how to communicate and change the perceptions of C-Suite decision makers. Speakers included: Michael Simmons, Director, Risk Management at Riverside Community College District Ron Gray, Director of Risk Management at AccentCare Inc. A risk manager’s job description often includes words like “predict” and “forecast”. Over the years, the role has
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Senior Executives from three of the top California workers’ compensation carriers identified emerging trends that are of great importance to California employers at the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference. Panelists included: Moderator: Pamela Ferrandino, National Casualty Practice Leader at Willis North America Mike Mulray, Chief Underwriting Officer at Everest National John Dickey, Regional President at Liberty Mutual Mike Hessling, Chief Client Officer at Gallagher Bassett Glen-Roberts Pitruzzello, VP of Workers’ Compensation, Group Benefits Claim Strategy & Clinical Operations at The Hartford How do you balance the growth and profitability in this market? We do not want to grow
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At the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, this panel of industry stakeholders weighed in on the overall condition, including cost drivers and legislation, affecting California workers’ compensation system. Panelists included: Moderator: Mark Walls, VP Communications & Strategic Analysis at Safety National David North, CEO at Sedgwick Kevin Confetti, Deputy Chief Risk Officer at University of California Ann Schnure, VP Risk Management – Claims at Macy’s Dawn Watkins, AIC, PHR, ARM, Director Integrated Disability Management at LA Unified School District Julius Young, Partner at Boxer & Gerson, LLP Richard M. Jacobsmeyer, Founding Partner at Shaw, Jacobsmeyer, Crain & Claffey,
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This panel at the Women Executives in Workers’ Compensation pre-conference event at the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference offered solutions on how we can advance diversity inclusion in the workplace and industry as a whole. Panelists included: Moderator: Joanne Wojcik, Director of Conference Programming at Business Insurance Darrell Brown, Chief Claims Officer at Sedgwick Euhnee Kim, CEO at EK Health Cyndy Larsen, Area Vice President at Kaiser On-The-Job Dawn Watkins, Director, IDM, at LA Unified School District Diversity is counting heads and inclusion is making heads count. It is not about just having a diverse workforce, but how
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Ronnie Caplane, Commissioner of the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, served as keynote speaker at the Women Executives in Workers’ Compensation pre-conference event at the 2015 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, where she spoke on the status of women in corporate environments and how to rise to the top. According to Caplane, prior to the 1960’s, women were not represented in law school. Women started emerging in law school during the Vietnam War. Today, approximately 50% of law school classes consist of women. However, somehow the percentage of women who are managing partners has not changed in the past
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Conference Chronicles will be blogging from the California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference held September 29 – October 2 in Dana Point, California. This event will provide legal updates, current status and future outlook for the workers’ compensation market in California as well as risk control and cost containment solutions. Learn more about this event and view the full conference agenda HERE.

At the 2015 Paradigm Innovation Symposium, Teresa Ashman, PhD, ABPP-Rp, FACRM, Director of Neurorehabilitation Psychology, Shepherd Center, presented a session discussing the importance of addressing psychological issues in the treatment of catastrophic injury claims. The best chance for a successful recovery following a catastrophic injury, such as a spinal cord injury (SCI) or traumatic brain injury (TBI), comes from a holistic team approach. Only then can you facilitate reintegration back into the community and back to work for these injured people. Included in any successful, comprehensive rehabilitation program are psychological and neuropsychological services that utilize best practices to address the
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At the 2015 Paradigm Innovation Symposium, Renée-Louise Franche, PhD, RPsych, Clinical Psychologist and Consultant in Work Disability Prevention and Occupational Health, presented a session discussing why mental health issues are so important in workers’ compensation. Mental health issues in injured workers can no longer be ignored. These conditions are increasingly being recognized as potential risk factors for prolonged duration of work absences, and even for no return to work within the context of workers’ compensation. Why mental health matters in work disability prevention? 1-year prevalence of mental disorders in North America ranges from 12-26%. For depression this is 4-7%. Worldwide,
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At the 2015 Paradigm Innovation Symposium, Harry L. Spencer, Vice President, Compensation, Benefits & Corporate Social Responsibility at JetBlue Airways, presented a session about how mental health issues can impact employers. Mental health issues can directly and indirectly impact a business. A staggering percentage of the U.S. workforce has behavioral health and/or substance use disorders and these conditions have a variety of consequences for a company’s medical coverage, disability and pharmacy programs, and benefits structure. Behavioral health has a significant impact on overall healthcare costs. One-in-five Americans has a behavioral health issue, which includes both mental health and addiction. Patients
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