Introducing the Insurance & Technology Elite 8 Insurance Technology Leaders

PRNewswire
NEW YORK
Oct 19, 2009

It is often said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And amid the worst economic downturn in generations, the most successful insurance technology leaders have proven their mettle, accomplishing more with less, keeping modernization efforts on track, and providing the business with valuable tools to understand and serve customers. In doing so, these elite insurance IT execs have helped position their carriers to succeed in a rapidly changing business environment. This month, Insurance & Technology has recognized eight executives who have distinguished themselves in IT leadership. Explore each of the profiles below to learn how these eight individuals excelled in 2009 and how they plan to continue building on their success.

  (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091019/NY93964)

  FROM THE EDITOR

Insurance & Technology's 2009 Elite 8 Strive to Lead Their Companies Beyond the Financial Crisis

The eight insurance technology executives profiled in Insurance & Technology's 11th annual Elite 8 special report welcome the opportunity to solve problems, deliver effective and innovative solutions, and stretch the talents of their workforces.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220600150

  THE 2009 ELITE 8

  AXA's Kevin Murray Steals a March on Crisis

Elite 8 honoree Kevin Murray's aggressive transformation agenda at AXA Equitable has better positioned the life and annuities firm to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the post-crisis market.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220301720

Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance's Andy Edwardson Sees IT's Mission as Enabling Better Products and Services

Elite 8 honoree Andy Edwardson, VP of Information Technology at Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance, has led the P&C carrier's IT organization in a series of ambitious IT initiatives, including development of a service-oriented architecture and a new policy admin system.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220300272

Lori Beer Drives IT to the Next Level at Post-Merger WellPoint

Elite 8 honoree Lori Beer's tenure as CTO of WellPoint in the wake of the Anthem merger has helped position her to drive major platform consolidation and enterprise data and architecture initiatives as the insurer's CIO.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220301061

Having Stepped Up to CIO, Bob Casale Pushes Innovation at MassMutual

MassMutual's Bob Casale, an Elite 8 honoree, has stepped into the CIO role and led the carrier into the next phase of its technology modernization initiative.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220301095

Wilton Re CIO Andy Wood Focuses on the Strategic Core of IT

By conserving only strategic capabilities and ceding operational services to strategic external providers, Elite 8 honoree Andy Wood has built an IT organization that maximizes speed and flexibility while minimizing cost.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220100412

Eileen Slevin Leads New York Life's Investment in the Future

Thanks to the advocacy of SVP and CIO Eileen Slevin, an Elite 8 honoree, New York Life is investing in an SOA-based infrastructure that will provide the foundation for the insurer's long-term business plans.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220301082

Mark Berthiaume Addresses the Big Picture at Chubb

The enterprise IT governance and strategy initiatives driven by Elite 8 honoree Mark Berthiaume, CIO of Chubb's Specialty and Commercial divisions, are highlights of a career transcending the limits of business lines and of IT itself.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220100449

Keith Sievers Centralizes, Modernizes IT at Unitrin

Elite 8 honoree Keith Sievers has used a mix of componentization and federalization to help streamline and modernize Unitrin's technology operations in his role as the company's shared services CIO.

http://insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?articleID =220100616

  WEB 2.0
  Insurers Proceed on Social Media, With Caution

According to Insurance & Technology's Elite 8 technology executives, Web 2.0 and social media offer insurance companies a new and potentially more effective way to interact with agents and distributors.

http://www.insurancetech.com/management-strategies/showArticle.jhtml?artic leID=220301079

About Insurance & Technology:

Insurance & Technology is the insurance industry's No. 1 authority on business and technology issues. Our mission is to help senior executives with insurance companies of all sizes and types, across all lines of business, stay up to date on technology news and trends, and leverage that information to create competitive advantage and improve the bottom line -- through more-efficient operations, stronger customer engagement, improved service, and consistent regulatory compliance and risk management. Insurance & Technology is part of the Financial Technology Network of TechWeb, a unit of United Business Media LLC.

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  Katherine Burger
  Editorial Director
  kburger@techweb.com
  212-600-3062

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SOURCE: Insurance & Technology

CONTACT: Katherine Burger, Editorial Director, +1-212-600-3062,
kburger@techweb.com