Aspen Insurance SVP’s Cat-Adjuster Checklist

When most people think of catastrophe adjusters, they probably envision claims professionals dealing with fallout from weather-related events. But the universe of potential catastrophic claims is far broader than that and is growing—especially in regard to third-party and man-made catastrophes. These can range from environmental disasters and massive transportation snafus to technology crises. 

Sean Upton, Senior Vice President of Environmental Claims at Aspen Insurance, speaks with NU about the core competencies of the cat adjuster and the skills required to excel.

What are the essential skills a catastrophe adjuster must possess?

Any competent catastrophe adjuster must have strong organization skills, be able to process large amounts of information quickly, possess technical understanding of the subject of the claim, be able to prioritize issues, and be confident in his or her ability to make good decisions. To break it down:

• Organization: This is especially true as it relates to resources, whether it's people, technology or data. The adjuster needs to know where to find it and how to use it.
• information-processing skills: All catastrophe events generate enormous amounts of information. Adjusters need to be able to process the information quickly and efficiently and target the appropriate information to assist in making decisions.
• Technical knowledge: The adjuster must have sufficient technical knowledge of both the risk and the loss components, be they structural or financial, to be able to identify which information is accurate and/or relevant as it comes to him or her.
• Ability to prioritize: This goes hand-in-hand with the volume of data being processed. Adjusters have to be able to understand the big picture as well as the individual claims and execute accordingly.
• Confidence: Catastrophe events are stressful on everyone involved, and adjusters need to project confidence in their ability to get the job done and communicate precisely how they will do it. 

How can adjusters strike the right balance between formal 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]. It is critical that investments be made in both theoretical and practical training for adjusters and that new adjusters get the opportunity to go out and experience real situations as part of their training.

Additionally, never underestimate the value of interaction and camaraderie among adjusters. This is where you truly learn the nuances of adjusting. You learn more about real-life claims adjusting by listening to war stories from more seasoned adjusters and watching seasoned adjusters practicing their craft than from any classroom or book. Listen, watch and learn.

What are the most vexing challenges of the job?

Knowing that regardless of how involved they become in the claims process or how much energy they devote, adjusters can't fix everything. Also, knowing that every decision will be subject to post-game analysis, often in a completely different environment and context, can be a very difficult [fact] for adjusters to adapt to.

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

All of the above and more. I would add that [it takes] someone who is inherently inquisitive and needs to know more; someone who wants to dig deeper and truly understand how things work—why roofs fail, how chemicals react, how the accident occurred, etc. Someone who is always looking to learn from past experiences and is flexible enough to change their way of doing things.