Katie School of Insurance

17th Annual Insurance Forum

Photo: A variety of non-traditional activities are used to build communication and collaboration skills among program participants.

The Katie School of Insurance hosted the 17th Annual Insurance Forum for insurance executive and risk managers at the Union League Club in Chicago in late October. The forum was a sell-out and the distinguished panel answered questions and expressed their opinions and views on Unlocking Industry's Potential: Finding the Keys to Success.

Panel members were:

Jim Gault - President and COO, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., brokerage Services Division

Don Kramer - Chairman and CEO, Ariel Reinsurance Company Ltd.

Claudia Temple - Assistant Treasurer, Global Risk Management and Insurance, Kraft Foods, Inc.

Mark Wills - executive Vice President, American International Group

Moderator: Millicent Workman - director of Training and Education, International Risk Management Institute Inc.

Student Leadership Certificate Program

This year 12 student leaders from the College of Business and Actuarial Science programs have been accepted in the Katie School Student Leadership Certification Program. To be eligible, a student must have demonstrated leadership potential, have completed at least 80 hours of college credit with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 and commit to completing approximately 100 hours of personal development activities over the course of the academic year.

According to Katie School Director, Jim Jones, students in the program engage in team building activities, complete personality assessments, work with individualized coaches and participate in Toastmaster activities to enhance their public speaking skills. The students participate in five mandatory Saturday workshops and provide consulting for a local non-profit organization. Those students who complete the requirements will earn a $750 scholarship.

Student Leadership Certificate Program participants for 2007-2008 are Samantha Andrick, Amber Armand, Emily Deters, Ryan Fotis, Rex Goodman, Craig Hawes, Stephanie Hitchins, Bill Jones, Lauren Leggett, Kevin Orna, AJ Rector and Kellyn Wilson.