Category Archives: VCIA Learning Circles

COVID – 19 (are virtual happy hours our future?)

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Day Five of our quarantine. My family made the decision to self-isolate when my son returned from San Francisco this past Monday. His work took him on the subway, he was working in a restaurant downtown, and he took a cross-country flight so it seemed like a no brainer. Certainly, it is a little easier to self-isolate in rural Vermont than in downtown New York, or even Burlington, Vermont.

We are certainly in strange times and unchartered territory for most of us – even those of us whose job is risk management! I have found myself rationalizing that things can’t get that bad and that it will clear up soon, even with the reality slamming us in the face. It is hard for any person, company or government to jump to more draconian measures, even when we see what is happening in other places hit by the virus before the United States. A little dose of paranoia might make us, as a society, get a little ahead of the curve. Maybe its time to trust your inner Cassandra*.

That being said, my wife and I joined a few friends of ours on a virtual cocktail hour last night. I opened a bottle of wine, brought out some cheese, and then connected with the two other couples through videoconferencing. It sounds a little silly, but it worked great – and we were able to get a dose of social interaction at our kitchen table!

It still doesn’t explain why for some reason I stocked up on potato chips and Ben & Jerry’s last Sunday…

Thank you and stay safe!

Rich Smith
VCIA President

*Cassandra was a woman in Greek mythology cursed to utter true prophecies, but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is employed as a rhetorical device to indicate someone whose accurate prophecies are not believed.

10-Day Countdown

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Just ten days until we open Burlington, Vermont to all you captive insurance professionals! If you have not already done so, please make plans to join us for a week of wonderful education, networking and friendship.

Here is just a smattering of some of the captive owners who will be presenting this year:

  • Andrew Baillie, AES of Global Insurance Company
  • Sean Barnes of United Educators
  • Julie Bordo of PCH Mutual Insurance Co., Inc., a RRG
  • Tracy Hassett of Educators Health Insurance Exchange of New England
  • Tim Herr of Recreation Risk Retention Group
  • Karen Hsi of the University of California
  • Jan Klodowski of Agri-Services Agency LLC & Agrisurance Inc.
  • Troy LePage of HAI Group
  • Heather McClure of Oklahoma University Medical
  • Bill Murray of Church Insurance
  • Tim Padovese of Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC)
  • Joshua Reding of Life Time Captive Insurance Company
  • Paul Smith of National Insurance and Indemnity Corporation

I hope you all can join us! Click here to register for the VCIA Conference today.

Thank you all very much, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rich Smith

Young at Heart

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Young professionals

Young captive professionals at a recent VCIA event.

Recruiting and training the next generation of captive professionals is a paramount issue for our industry, as everyone knows. Both CICA and NRRA have programs designed to reach out to this group and draw them into the industry.  Fostering newcomers to join the field and eventually step into the roles of our current captive leaders and professionals is an initiative that VCIA takes to heart.

Over the past number of years, VCIA’s Annual Conference has created places and sessions where young professionals can learn from and network with both peers and seasoned professionals as they pick a pathway forward in the captive insurance field.  Besides our NEW Captive Immersion experience, which will familiarize those who are new to the captive industry on the key services, and our annual Captives 101 session that provides a basic overview of captive insurance companies and RRGs, other VCIA sessions designated for young professionals include:

Developing the Next Generation of Captive Industry Leaders, which will explore what is being done in the industry to attract and retain new talent.  According to the Pew Research Center, millennials were the largest portion of the workforce in 2016. As a group they are very connected, having grown up with the internet in their everyday life. In the workforce, they are eager to make a meaningful contribution to the workplace and the greater good. In many ways, this group is helping transform organizations.

Our Young Professionals Forum will provide a great resource particularly for those with fewer than 10 years of captive experience.  Three dynamic facilitators will lead small group discussions about sharpening your speaker skills, how to approach your early career years and work/life balance.  Afterwards, an open forum will occur for a fluid discussion on topics such as transitioning into the workforce, professionalism and meeting work demands in a sometimes-stressful environment.

On top of all that is just the best networking opportunities both “on campus” and “off campus” in the captive industry, so, I hope you all can join us! Click here to register for the VCIA Conference today.

Thank you all very much, and I look forward to hearing from you!

From Early Bird to Angry Bird

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For all you procrastinators out there (and I count myself as one of the best) listen up! VCIA’s Annual Conference “early bird” rates are about to expire on June 30th. That means, of course, you will be paying more to learn and network with 1100 captive professionals from around the US and the world. And none of us like doing that.

Don’t take my word on it – look, here it is in black and white:

Registration Type

Early Price

Late Price
Full Pass: Member $750 $825
Full Pass: Non-member $1300 $1380
Networking: Member $465 $515
Networking: Non-member $890 $940

So, before the early bird changes into an angry bird, get on it! Click here to register today.

Thank you all very much, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rich Smith
VCIA President

Space…The Final Frontier

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Very cliché, I know, but still so true.

The fact that we now have a burgeoning space industry opens up opportunities for the insurance world. Most insurance companies offer some type of Space and Satellite Insurance which covers things like satellite launch and in-orbit, contingency, in-orbit third party liability, or some combination thereof.  But with space tourism becoming a reality in the not-too-distance future, captive insurance has an opportunity to play a role in the risk management of our last frontier.

The global banking firm UBS believes there will be very lucrative ramifications from the space flight efforts currently led by Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Blue Origin, and stated that in a decade high-speed travel via outer space will represent an annual market of at least $20 billion and compete with long-distance airline flights. Space tourism will be a $3 billion market by 2030, UBS estimates.

UBS pointed to SpaceX’s plans to use the massive Starship rocket it is building to fly as many as 100 people around the world in minutes. SpaceX said that Starship would be able to fly from New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes, rather than the 15 hours it takes currently by airplane – pretty cool.  And even though space tourism is still nascent, UBS said they believe the sub-sector will become mainstream as the technology becomes proven and cost falls.

The legal risk of orbital space tourism is uncharted territory, and the liability risks to these companies could be huge.  Under current regulation, commercial passengers will have to sign an “informed consent” form to confirm that they recognize and accept the risks. This provision has been enshrined in US law by the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act 2004. Such liability waivers remain untested in the courts.

Although there are large insurance firms looking at space tourism, it seems that there is a yawning gap for the liability coverage of the space firms. Captives have always done well with filling this void with targeted, bespoke coverage. So, brush off your old Star Trek DVDs and let’s hope that we have a panel at the VCIA conference in the next ten years devoted to the extraterrestrial!

For all you Trekkies out there we have the next best thing to Captain James T. Kirk: for our closing luncheon on Thursday at the VCIA Annual Conference the week of August 5th we have former astronaut Mike Massimino as our special keynote. He is a recurring character on The Big Bang Theory, a professor at Columbia University, the first person to tweet from space, and a New York Times best-selling author.  Mike will speak of pursuing his passion and tell incredible stories about his experiences in outer space manning space missions. Having one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, Mike will speak of the teamwork and problem-solving skills needed to train for and accomplish one of NASA’s most difficult space missions. Don’t miss this fun closing event!

Thank you all very much, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rich Smith
VCIA President

Learning Circles

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When I talk to folks who come to the VCIA annual conference every year, I always ask them what they find most compelling about it. Often cited is the education provided by our VCIA panelists who represent some of the most prestigious organizations in the world. Sometimes it is that the conference is a great source for captive career development and networking or earning CPE / CLE / ICCIE credit.

One of the most compelling reasons to come to our conference is the peer-to-peer learning that attendees receive from the almost 1100 captive professionals that come each year. This year we are trying to enhance that relationship. We are organizing peer groups to come together and share thoughts, issues and questions in what we are calling Learning Circles.

In a Learning Circle, you’ll share your learning experience with up to 8 peers, who’ll do the same for you. An appointed Ambassador will act as a guide to help facilitate and support the process. Your Learning Circle is an adventure you’ll experience together on a mutual quest to dive deeper and apply the vibrancy of ideas and innovations you’ll encounter at VCIA’s Annual Conference.

The goal is simple: Enrich your VCIA journey with insights and experiences from your fellow Learning Circle members. Come prepared with subjects you would like to discuss. Through this process, you’ll discover the value of gaining new perspectives and ideas from fellow circle participants while developing connections with new peers.

So, come join us for the VCIA Annual Conference August 6 – 8th (with Captive Immersion August 5th), and think about signing up for one of our Learning Circles – you will not regret the knowledge you can gain, and the new friendships you will make!

Thank you all very much, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rich Smith
VCIA President