Category: Insurance Education

Sam Halpern – Online Insurance Marketing Pioneer and Innovator

Sam has been marketing and selling insurance on the Internet since January of 1999, gaining national prominence as an expert in travel insurance, international benefits and war risk insurance before transitioning focus to the senior market in 2004. Transferring lessons learned from online travel insurance, Sam developed innovative, first generation web-based tools and services throughout the 2000s for producers in the senior market to access and distribute high quality/high volume leads from vendors, associations and carriers, then quote and sell Medicare Supplement insurance, leveraging proprietary SMS technology comprising secure email, single-sign-on authentication, and various electronic signature methods in order to integrate with the then burgeoning electronic applications adopted by the leading national carriers.

Sam helped develop the industry’s first electronic scope of appointment process, healthcare provider look up and Medicare Advantage network filter; Medicare Blue Button integration. These groundbreaking tools and services —  available exclusively via SMS’ proprietary lead management and sales platform Lead Advantage Pro — helps agents “leverage their time, make more money and put their business in a position of distinction.” With the explosive growth of mobile devices and increased expectation by agents and Medicare beneficiaries that they have 24/7 online access to services, on multiple operating systems and browsers, devices. On a daily basis Sam leverages his deep relationships with SMS colleagues, life/health insurance carriers, agencies as well as insure-tech and health-tech vendors, to create value for SMS and its distribution partners by identifying and exploiting the cutting edge APIs, data and services that will help SMS maintain and extend its sales and technology leadership position in the senior market as well its favored status among top producers and leading national insurers.

https://seniormarketsales.com/

Larry Adams – LongevityQuest, Inc. Predictive Analytics To Drive Down Healthcare Spend

Join us for a conversation with Larry Adams at LongevityQuest.  Their algorithmic biotech analysis (created in conjunction with Quest Diagnostics and MIT) encourages and empowers people to pursue a long, good life. They help organizations improve employee health and reduce costs by intelligently managing what has previously been unknowable. Their innovative myLQAnalysis® reports provide individuals with a patented ranking compared to personal goals and others, and a comprehensive analysis of risk factors that may be impacting wellness and longevity — all from the convenience and confidentiality of home. For more information you can visit www.MyLongevityQuest.com or email: info@mylongevityquest.com.

Andrew Wynn: Co-Founder of Ascend

In this episode we are excited to share a conversation with Silicon Valley virtuoso and Ascend co-founder, Andrew Wynn.  Take a few minutes to learn about this innovation which facilitates funds flow through the various stakeholders in insurance, all while prioritizing your customer’s experience.

Bio: Ascend is co-founded by insurtech entrepreneur Andrew Wynn (Co-CEO) who previously started home maintenance startup Sheltr, which was acquired by Hippo in 2020. During his time at Sheltr and Hippo, he saw how fast the insurance industry was modernizing, yet insurance sellers were still struggling with customer experiences due to outdated payment processes. Before Sheltr, Andrew was an early employee at Instacart, leading the company’s product and data integration team.

For more information, visit: www.useascend.com.

Joel Schwartz: Attorney in the Betsy Faria Murder Case and Author of Bone Deep

We are thrilled to spend an hour with attorney and author Joel Schwartz as he shares insights into the true-life murder mystery regarding insurance proceeds.  This story would be unbelievable if it weren’t true! Joel’s case has become the most watched Dateline story in decades, as well as the top rated miniseries staring Renee Zellweger.  Take a few minutes to see how sensational a story about insurance can be!

Bio: Joel J. Schwartz (St. Louis, MO) is a renowned criminal defense attorney in the St. Louis region. Mr. Schwartz is a principal at the law firm of Rosenblum, Schwartz & Fry. He is a member of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for the American Trial Lawyers Association, and is a lifetime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
He has appeared on Dateline NBC, 60 Minutes, CBS Morning News, CNN, Fox News, as well as numerous local news affiliates. His new book Bone Deep tells the gripping story of murder and fraud surrounding life insurance policies. This story has recently been adapted for an NBC Mini Series The Thing About Pam, featuring Renee Zellweger and Josh Duhamel who plays the part of Joel.  To get a copy of Bone Deep, visit your nearest bookstore or your favorite online vendor.

Grace Grant – Exec Dir of GIS: The Insurance Industry Talent Pipeline

Grace Grant is the Executive Director of the insurance industry’s premiere collegiate talent pipeline, Gamma Iota Sigma.  We are very pleased to share a few minutes of our conversation with Grace about how GIS brings the stakeholders of our industry together to serve those seeking talent and those seeking careers!  Grace joined Gamma Iota Sigma in 2013 and has served in multiple roles across the organization focusing on university engagement, chapter expansion, collaborative industry initiatives, and organizational operations. She is responsible for the strategic direction of Gamma Iota Sigma and manages all governance-related matters including the Board of Trustees and its committees.  She is an avid runner and sports fan, residing in Powell, OH with her husband and their five children.  If you would like to learn more about partnering with GIS, go to www.GammaIotaSigma.org.

Chris Gandy: Chicagoland NAIFA President and MDRT Financial Advisor

Take a few minutes to listen to a conversation with Chris Gandy.  Learn how Chris grew his business by helping his clients create custom financial strategies designed to help make their dream retirement lifestyle a reality.  In 1999, Chris started his own firm and, since then, has worked with business owners, physicians, professional athletes and key executives all over the country. Chris focuses on the areas of life insurance, disability income insurance, investments and tax-efficient strategies.

After playing basketball for the Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois, where he was co-captain and earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors, Chris played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs.  After his time in the NBA, and before founding his own agency, Chris worked as a Northwestern Mutual Financial network representative. While there, he became a Million Dollar Round Table Member.   So take a few minutes to learn from the best!

www.midwestlegacygroupllc.com

Bill Wienhoff – Clear Cert

Bill Wienhoff is the founder and CEO of ClearCert, which is an independent, centralized training certification clearinghouse for producers and leading Long Term Care Insurance and annuity carriers.  His firm publishes carrier authorized state-by-state rules, pre-certifies training courses that meet carrier requirements, and maintains a direct reporting network with hundreds of training firms across the United States. The ClearCert centralized data resource can be accessed by representatives of insurance carriers, their distribution partners, participating training firms and producers.  More recently, additional training requirements which insurance carriers are legally required to validate to  state insurance departments have been added to the platform. Prior to forming ClearCert Bill enjoyed a 30+ year career in retail, personnel and financial services, most recently as Director of Insurance Education with The National Underwriter Company.  Bill and his wife Jen have four grown children and eight grandchildren (so far!) In addition to time with family, he enjoys gardening (especially hot peppers) and fishing, and is a singer and musician in his church’s praise band.

http://www.clearcert.com

 

 

Jeff Brown – The California Privacy Law and It’s Impact Upon the Insurance Industry

Jeff Brown is the EVP of sales for Imprezzio, Inc., a Spokane-based proprietary software company that helps insurance carriers and agents manage data for better growth and distribution. The company provides sales software to over 150,000 users with several of the largest carriers in the nation. At Imprezzio, Brown is responsible for the software company’s market strategy and execution. He joined Impezzio in 2016 with 20 years of experience building high performing enterprise software sales teams that help companies build their brand. Brown was a three-time Academic All-American basketball player for Gonzaga University where he graduated with honors. He was elected into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor in 2010.

https://imprezzio.com/

#2 – Who Uses Cyber Security?

The internet’s philosophy of open communication permits us to express ourselves freely. It also leaves us immensely vulnerable. Criminals depend on the cyber world to conduct their illegal activities just as industriously as legitimate business and ethical people do. Unfortunately, the illegal and unethical use of cyber technology has made your job more complicated. Knowing what types of activities are the most vulnerable will help you in your efforts to protect yourself, your employees, and your clients.

http://www.adbanker.com

#1 – Developing Common Cyber Security Sense

Did you know that human error continues to be one of the most significant causes of data and security breaches? In today’s world these risks and exposures come into play with just about everything we do. Experiencing a security compromise can include not only the ones we usually think about such as when we make online purchases with credit or debit cards or with spam e-mail or cell phone calls. It also can come from unexpected places such as signals which are emitted from our car or airplane navigation systems, or unauthorized access to your medical records or the transmission of data to and from medical devices such as pacemakers.

http://www.adbanker.com/