What issues related to economics, reserving, analytics, regulatory concerns and healthcare should CFOs be paying particular attention to and why? Experts identified and discussed the hottest industry issues and how they might impact your job and your organization at Tuesday's Chief Financial Officer Roundtable.

The roundtable gives CFOs plenty of “food for thought,” says Celeska Fredianelli, who chairs the IASA committee that is producing the session. By session's end, CFOs should have a much better handle on where their organization stands. They also should leave with at least several actionable ideas to apply within their own organizations, says Fredianelli, vice president, financial planning and analysis, at QBE North America in Southfield, Mich.

During the session's first segment, James E. Glassman, managing director of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and head economist at Chase Commercial Banking, provided an in-depth economic outlook. “That's a pretty heavy hitter in the industry,” Fredianelli notes. “We're excited about having him. He's a dynamic speaker, very knowledgeable and highly recommended.”

Glassman touched on consumer spending, energy technology and healthcare, among other factors that likely will shape the economy in the years ahead.

Joining Glassman at the table as moderator was Brent Jones, CFO of the Texas Property & Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association.

The program's hour-long second segment, “The Art of Reserve Risk Management,” examined that topic — including what to look for during a merger or acquisition — from the perspectives of an actuary, a claims consultant and a CFO. The scheduled panelists are Blake Berman, an assistant vice President at Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC; Mike Murdock, a senior insurance consultant with the Nolan Co.; and Harold Meloche, CFO and treasurer at Conifer Holdings Inc. Brian Fisher, a managing director at Guy Carpenter, is set to moderate the discussion.

During the luncheon segment, Craig Bedell from the Business Analytics Software Group at IBM Corp. discussed how some insurers are wisely using analytics.

After lunch, the next roundtable segment examined the regulatory environment. Fredianelli says panelists are likely to discuss, among other things, the new Federal Insurance Office and the International Financial Reporting Standards that have been adopted elsewhere in the world and are pending adoption in the United States.

At press time, the confirmed panelists were Scott Kipper, Nevada's insurance commissioner; William P. White, the District of Columbia's insurance commissioner; and insurer executive John Svoboda, chief compliance officer at QBE North America. Jean Adams, a principal in Johnson Lambert LLP's regulatory practice, is scheduled to moderate that segment of the roundtable.

After their discussion, the roundtable wraps with a town-hall-type discussion devoted to healthcare. “There are just so many issues out there that people need to be aware of, with all of the pending changes in healthcare” set to take effect in 2014, Fredianelli notes, explaining the focus of this segment of the roundtable. “We're anticipating a lively discussion and a lot of questions.”

Scheduled panelists include Thomas Hampton, a senior advisor at SNR Denton U.S. LLP, and Kay R. Curling, a senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Salient Commercial Solutions. David B. Atkinson, an executive vice president at Reinsurance Group of America Inc., is set to moderate.

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IASA Roundtable Helps CFOs See the Future

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