When most people think of catastrophe (cat) adjusters, theymay envision claims professionals dealing withfirst-party natural or weather-related events. But the universe ofpotential catastrophic claims is far broader than that and isgrowing, especially third-party and man-made catastropheevents.

These catastrophe events can range from environmental disastersand massive transportation events to technology and financialcrises. In all of these situations, time is of the essence. Indelivering responsive service during a crisis, the cat adjusterrepresents the essence of the promise made to policyholders bytheir respective insurance carriers, and in fact, is to the insuredthe embodiment of the policyholder's insurance company during thattroubling time.

Regardless of the type of disaster involved, the goal ofeveryone involved in the process should be “getting back to normal”by demonstrating certain skills and behaviors.Claims' Christina Bramlet consulted Sean Upton, seniorvice president of environmental claims at Aspen Insurance aboutcore competencies of the cat adjuster. His answers areoutlined below.

Bramlet: What, in your opinion, are essential attributesa cat adjuster must possess?

Upton: Any competent catastrophe adjuster musthave strong organization skills, be able to process large amountsof information quickly, possess technical understanding of thesubject of the claim, be able to prioritize issues, and beconfident in his or her ability to make good decisions.

Organization: This is especially true as itrelates to resources, whether referring to people, technology, ordata. The adjuster needs to know where to find it and how to useit.

Information processing: All catastrophe eventsgenerate enormous amounts of information. Adjusters need to be ableto process the information quickly and efficiently, and target theappropriate information to assist in making decisions.

Technical Knowledge: The adjuster must havesufficient technical knowledge of both the risk and the losscomponents, be they structural or financial, to be able to identifywhich information is accurate and or relevant as it comes to him orher.

Prioritizing: This goes hand in hand with thevolume of data being processed. Adjusters have to be able tounderstand the big picture as well as the individual claims andexecute accordingly.

Confidence: Catastrophe events are incrediblystressful on all and adjusters need to have the knowhow andexperience to project confidence in their ability to get the jobdone, and communicate how they will get the job done.

In addition to claims handling expertise, cat adjustersmust effectively communicate with those who have suffered a majorloss. Is it possible to teach them empathy?

Yes, but this is often a cultural issue within an organizationas much as a specific adjuster issue. I think people who haveexperienced a major catastrophe event want to know that everythingis going to be OK when it is all said and done.

Having the knowledge, experience, and ability to clearlyarticulate the plan of action will go a long way to helping peoplecope with a major loss. While knowledge is power, it needs to becommunicated effectively, and I think presentation and/orcommunication skills can be taught.

How can adjusters strike the right balance betweenformal education and on-the-job experience?

While formal education is the foundation for handling claims,and specifically catastrophe situations, there is no better'instructor' than actually going out and doing [the job]. While youcan never teach or experience every scenario, an adjuster who iswell-trained in the classroom and has actually handled catastropheclaims will be far better equipped to deal with a situation thathas not been taught or previously experienced.

It is critical that investments be made in both theoretical andpractical training for adjusters and that new adjusters get theopportunity to go out and experience real live situations as partof their training. Never under estimate the value of interactionand camaraderie among adjusters. This is where you truly learn thenuances of adjusting. I think you learn more about real life claimsadjusting by listening to war stories from more seasoned adjustersand watching seasoned adjusters practicing their craft, than anyclassroom or book. Listen, watch and learn.

What about designations? Are certain ones more crucialthan others?

I am not sure that any one designation is more crucial thanothers, and there are many factors that go into the analysis todecide what designations to get. Designations are excellentfoundations, and wonderful teaching tools, and I would encourageadjusters to keep refreshing and expanding their knowledge base.Obtaining additional designations is one way of doing this.

While it is important to keep the focus on the area the adjusterpredominantly practices in, I believe that having a workingknowledge in other areas is hugely beneficial, and will enableadjusters to better understand their claims within the context ofthe entire catastrophe event. That being said, it is criticalto make sure that all adjusters are properly licensed.

What keeps your adjusters up at night? What are themost vexing challenges of the job?

Knowing that regardless of how involved they become in theclaims process or how much energy they devote that they can't fixeverything. Also knowing that every decision will be subject topost game analysis, often in a completely different environment andcontext, can be very difficult for adjusters to adapt too.

Conversely, what is the most rewardingaspect?

Seeing and meeting the victims in a disaster and knowing thatyou, as their adjuster, are part of their solution and not part oftheir problem.

Aside from tenacity and expert knowledge ofmultiple lines of coverage and regulations, what does a person needto excel in the profession?

All of the above and more. I would add that someone who isinherently inquisitive and needs to know more, someone who wants todig deeper and truly understand how things work, why roofs fail,how chemicals react, how the accident occurred, dose response tochemicals, someone who is always looking to learn from pastexperiences and flexible enough to change their way of doingthings. You cannot sell it if you do not properly understandit.