71% of the earth is covered in it.  All of us need to drink it and most businesses rely on it.  We can live in hot environments and cold environments, but we can't live without water and we can't live under the water.  Water has also been one of the leading causes of loss for the insurance industry and one of the leading risk impacts on business profitability and sustainability.  It is a vital resource, with risks that we can't afford to take for granted.  Floods, droughts, hail, rain, snow and everyday leaks are more unpredictable, more severe, and impacting more people and more geographies every day.  Divirod helps to map, manage, and predict water risks while protecting properties and saving lives.  Javier Marti, the CEO and founder of Divirod joins us this month to discuss the impact of water risks and ways to assess and prepare for various impacts.  

The insurance industry has been on the forefront of climate impacts as the frequency of storms and fires continues to increase.  Those impacts are felt throughout the entire business ecosystem.  The transition to a more resilient economy has already begun in many areas, but the legislation that has recently passed, is intended to accelerate the goal of a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030.  Through direct investments and tax incentives, the law will impact strategic plans for architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, agriculture, commercial real estate, municipalities, and schools.  Lindene Patton is an attorney at The Earth and Water Group in Washington DC.  She is a recognized thought leader in climate attribution liability, financial risk management, and resilience assessment.  We are thrilled to have Lindene share her insights into our transition to a more resilient climate economy and walk us through all the impacts of the new investments on the business community.  

Two million employees in the United States are impacted by workplace violence (including gun violence) each year accounting for about 15% of all workplace fatalities; putting the United States at the highest end of the risk spectrum across the globe.  Without any success in implementing policies at the societal level to combat these tragedies, employers are left to demand change and try to address this increasingly frequent risk at an individual company level.  While this challenge is both daunting and sad, employers should make every effort to include this potential in a risk management strategy to protect the safety of employees and guests.  Learn more about the issues, challenges, and some possible steps from Paul Marshall, leader of the active shooter insurance program at McGowan Program Administrators.  

Work life impacts home life and home life impacts work life.  The responsibility of the employer towards mental health is rapidly evolving. In construction, the suicide rate is 4 times the general population and mental health impacts countless other significant injuries.  Bob Swanson spent over 45 years in the construction industry, and after becoming a suicide loss survivor, he became a passionate advocate for mental health in the construction industry.  We are honored to share his story and message.  If you need immediate support, please call the national suicide prevention lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Yes, even the insurance industry innovates and transforms.  In order to stay a step ahead of the competition, our innovation leadership joins us this month to discuss the new frontier of operations within the insurance industry, and what you should be doing in your business to maximize your relationships in the industry.  Highlights include carrier and agency technology, changing roles and responsibilities, and the importance of data management.   

For decades, businesses have required certificates of insurance (COI) from subcontractors, tenants, vendors, suppliers, and other third parties to confirm evidence of insurance.  This is important to confirm that risk transfer can occur as expected in a written contract.  Problems and gaps are often only uncovered after a claim occurs and coverage that was expected to be in place does not exist.  Modern processes and technology that can improve third party risk management now incorporate machine learning and automated tracking.  Sharon Fox, Director of Business Development at TrustLayer and Justin Voerster, AVP at Kraus-Anderson Insurance, join us this month to describe the risks, challenges, and solutions.

Did you know that in addition to a significant investment in our roads, the new infrastructure bill also includes a major commitment to making certain that those roads are safer?  Join us this month to learn more about what to expect regarding the coming innovation in highway safety and financial commitments for both workers and users of our roads from Stacy Tetschner, President and CEO of the American Traffic Safety Services Association.  

In many neighborhoods and in many cities, single-family and multi-family homes seem to be getting built at a record pace.  Is that really true?  What is different about today's construction practices?  What are the new risks and insurance industry challenges?  Katie Beck, Head of Home Builders for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance joins us to take us through these and other questions, while sharing her outlook for the industry.  Listen here or follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

No risk management conversation in 2021 is complete without a discussion of the risks, impacts, and mitigation factors related to supply chain management. No businesses are immune from the impact, yet only some understand the complexities and fewer are actively taking steps to manage the risk.  We are thrilled to have Mark Meier from C.H Robinson join us for this episode of ilume. Mark is the Global Customer Operations Leader and works everyday with customers around the world to create proactive solutions to supply chain challenges and risks.  Mark shared his insights on the current state of the supply chain across the globe, the current and future impact on business operations, and some practical solutions for businesses of any size.

What's your new office or facility normal?  Businesses are not going back to anything.  Businesses are going forward to a new way of working which includes a new use of space.  The role of the architect in physical space planning had started to evolve prior to 2020, but is now seeing a  rapid transformation.  Architects are certainly responsible for designs and specifications, but often, the architect is now the chief asker of the 'why' and 'how' questions.  Jon Buggy, a partner and director at RSP Architects, is one of the leading voices in architectural strategic thinking.  Please join us this month and hear directly from Jon about the changing role of the architect and his vision for the positive impact that architecture can have on a business.