This was originally featured in Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado’s January 2015 issue of Colorado Insurance News.
It was Nov. 7th, 2014 at about 8:40 am and I was sitting in my car in the middle of a parking lot at the Northfield Mall at Stapleton waiting for it to be 9am. A little about me here: I have prior work experience in insurance and I am a big fan of the industry to say the least. And right now I am a student of the 11-Month MBA Program at University of Colorado Denver Business School. I have worked in the claims department and worked with attorneys on claims. A part of my job entailed communicating with underwriting teams and clients, to provide advice about qualitative risks and possible ways to mitigate them.
As I walked in to the beautiful and contemporary offices of Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado, I was welcomed by Dot Wright, CEO of PIIAC. She walked me through the office and introduced me to other members of their team and gave me a brief idea about what my day looked like. After that we sat in her beautiful office and talked about matters insurance. She explained to me PIIAC’s business model, scope, and service area. I was amazed at the extensive range of services PIIAC provides to all of their clients, from lobbying for necessary insurance related changes in legislation, offering training and certification to insurance personnel to help them keep abreast of the latest in the insurance industry, and most important of all, at least to me, providing insurance for all of their clients: the independent agents. PIIAC knows what they are doing, they do it well, and they are proud of it.
My first stop was Carrie Arnot, who meticulously explained to me the process via which PIIAC ensures they get the best coverage for their clients. Don’t get me wrong, I have worked in insurance myself, but never before did it occur to me that all these agents who work tirelessly to get the best coverage for their clients, need coverages too. And hence my interaction with Carrie was truly eye-opening. Her dedication to her clients and knowledge of the process was simply amazing. I had a whole bunch of never ending questions for her. She was not only patient with them but was very happy to answer them for me. After that I headed to the desk of Susie Sorensen, who was equally informed about the industry and her clients’ requirements. At first glance one would think that both Carrie and Susie were doing the same thing, there were fine nuances in the way they went about it. Both ladies were extremely knowledgeable and fun to spend time with.
After Susie, it was Sybil Sandusky’s turn to educate me about how PIIAC coordinates training programs for its members. One would think it is a pretty straightforward procedure, but actually it does involve a lot of steps and a lot of planning. The PIIAC offices have an adjoining state-of-the-art conference room, which they use to conduct the several courses and certification requirements. And can I tell you that Sybil’s desk was the most organized desk I’ve seen in a very long time. I guess, you need to have your priorities and tasks organized in order to successfully coordinate all the different activities that go on at PIIAC.
Finally it was time for Patrick O’Hara from Marketing and Communication. And guess what, he had lined up a series of projects for me to do. I finally had something to do! I was happy to help with some input for all of the documents he had laid out for me to look at. Soon it was time for lunch and we headed to fine restaurant just a few steps away. The bunch were not only dynamic but also a lot of fun. Needless to say, lunch was pretty entertaining and delicious. After that it was back to Patrick’s projects.
And before I knew it was time to head back home. The day had passed way faster than I had expected it to. PIIAC exposed me to a world of new possibilities in the Insurance industry. By the end of the day, I was more informed and knowledgeable not only about PIIAC but also how their services mattered to so many independent agents, who in turn work tirelessly for clients like us.
The RMI Shadow Day is a very innovative program initiated by the University of Colorado Denver Business School, Risk Management and Insurance program. In a way, it is one of the distinguishing factors that sets it apart and higher than other schools that offer similar programs or certifications. It is a good learning tool and exposure for anyone who has some interest in the insurance industry, as well as for people who have no background in insurance at all. If you have no interest in insurance at all, I recommend that you attend one of these sessions. I promise that your time will be well spent and you will not walk away disappointed.
About Tuhina
Tuhina is an 11-month MBA student graduating July 2015. She learned about the RMI Fall Shadow Day in November 2014 and participated by spending her day at PIIAC, Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado. She was asked by PIIAC to write of her RMI Shadow Day experience, which was highlighted in PIIAC’s January Colorado Insurance News.
The next RMI Shadow Day is Friday, April 10, 2015. Please contact Barbara Sidwell at 303-315-8154 to participate.
