It's not every day that Van Halen gets referenced in an insurance magazine.
Actually, that's not true: Back in the early 1980s, around the time of the release of the "Fair Warning" album (yes, folks, I still say "album"), lead singer David Lee Roth—for whom one-night-stands often turned into a liability exposure of sorts during their years of touring the U.S.—famously purchased a policy from Lloyd's of London covering him for (what else?) paternity claims from groupies. One can only wonder what the actual limits and premiums were, but it wasn't important. The media ate it up, and master showman Roth had scored another media "hit" in making the group a household name.
The "Fair Warning" era is notable because it yielded several Van Halen classics, the most important a song called "Unchained," which is one of my favorites and features a monster guitar riff by Edward Van Halen before the rhythm section kicks it into high gear, with bassist Michael Anthony thumping on a low D note like a rolling freight train and drummer Alex Van Halen pounding away. It's one of their very best, a rallying cry, a call to arms. And its chorus contains a lyric that is wholly appropriate for how we're feeling at the National Underwriter offices these days:
Change, nothing stays the same.
Unchained.
And you hit the ground running.
This issue of National Underwriter Property & Casualty represents a renewed spirit of vigor about which I could not be more excited. We've put aside the "PC360" name and logo and returned to the flavor that made us famous, as it were—a deliberate, forward-looking move that's part of a larger strategy in which we're doubling down on the highly respected National Underwriter name and launching the National Underwriter Professional Network, an integrated suite of products, services and resources that will serve the needs of insurance professionals throughout the arc of their entire career.
So where did "PC360" come from, you may wonder, and what exactly did that mean, anyway? I'm glad you asked.
The "PC360" moniker was adopted, briefly, for the simple reason that we offer a 360-degree perspective on the entire P&C industry: issues critical to agents & brokers, claims professionals, carrier executives, risk managers and all who work in the business of insurance. We cover it all, delivering you solid, insightful content in all those areas, and we shall continue to do so.
Other reasons for the name change, few as they may be, will now be left to legend. If you see me at a conference, ask me about it and I'll spin you a typically entertaining Irish yarn about the need to try new things—and in the end, knowing your strengths.
Between the National Underwriter P&C rebranding in these pages and the promise of the Professional Network, we're coming out of the gate more determined than ever before to provide maximum value to our readers and to make you glad you opted to put your trust in us. We champion this industry, celebrating its accomplishments and reporting honestly and straightforwardly when it exhibits room for improvement. As a legacy brand, we speak with an authoritative voice built on 116 years of telling it like it is for those who care, and we will endeavor to perpetuate that legacy.
In so doing, we'll be reminding you every day on PropertyCasualty360.com and with every monthly issue exactly why we've earned that reputation as the information authority on the P&C insurance business. This issue is a prime example; our cover story on the deadly serious issue of Traumatic Brain Injuries and the sizable potential losses for carriers operating in this space is a must-read.
And after you do, go ahead and ask me again why I'm so excited about the future of National Underwriter and the many years of great things that lie ahead of us.
Unchained.
And you hit the ground running.
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