This is an exciting issue for Claims readers. As you have no doubt deduced by glancing at this issue's cover image, the man in the ubiquitous orange polo—BP Claim Manager Darryl Willis—has taken time from his rather busy schedule (understatement of the year?) to speak with contributing writer Mary Anne Medina about how his company is managing the oil spill claim process. In the world of business trade magazines, it's as close to a “get” as we're going to come, and we're proud to present an avenue for him to talk about his company's efforts.

In the interview, Willis discusses how BP is handling not only claim response but also criticisms the company faces for the disaster it created nearly four months ago when its Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded. The catastrophe killed 11 crewmen and, at minimum, a summer's worth of tourist revenue for beach towns and, quite possibly, the livelihoods of many Gulf fishermen. It's a necessarily quick but insightful look into a disaster that has dominated news coverage to the point that phrases like “top kill” and “pay czar” have entered into the majority of American's lexicon.

But Willis' insight on the handling of the disaster, while supremely interesting, isn't the whole story. Willis is clearly handling public-relation aspects as much as he is overseeing the claim process. For those unaware, prior to his current appointment as claim manager Willis spent his time at BP working as a geophysicist. So while he is certainly an intelligent man, he is not replete with the kind of claim-handling experience one would imagine would be necessary for someone leading the charge to pay hundreds of millions in losses.