Speakers

Featured Speakers

Eric R. Dinallo
Former Superintendent
New York State Insurance Department

Eric R. Dinallo took office in January 2007 and was confirmed by the New York State Senate on April 18, 2007 as the 39th Superintendent of the New York State Insurance Department.

As Superintendent, he has been a national voice for efficient, effective regulation to protect both consumers and foster a healthy, competitive market for insurance. During his tenure, the Department was given the 2008 Esprit de Corps award by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for outstanding service to state insurance regulation.

Under Superintendent Dinallo’s leadership, the Department effectuated the largest regulatory settlement in the U.S, a $2 billion insurance agreement settling a longstanding dispute stemming from the destruction of the World Trade Center. Superintendent Dinallo also led the task force that produced workers’ compensation reforms estimated to reduce the $5 billion annual cost for New York businesses by more than 25% while increasing benefits for injured workers.

Superintendent Dinallo and the Department have facilitated more than $15 billion in new capital for the bond insurance industry as well as two new entrants and the restructuring of industry giant MBIA. In addition, the Department recommended new state pension fund regulations to further safeguard the more than $154 billion in assets in that fund, reached an agreement that will protect nearly 11,000 accident victims and other individuals receiving annual payments from structured settlements and pensions from insolvent insurer ELNY, issued the first proposed principles-based regulations and was a leader in the successful effort to renew and extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.

Along with Governor David A. Paterson, Superintendent Dinallo worked with the United States Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and others in the rescue of financial services giant AIG. Superintendent Dinallo is chair of the 50-state task force of the NAIC charged with safeguarding AIG insurance interests during the federal government’s stewardship of AIG. He has served as chair of the NAIC’s Life and Annuities Committee since January 2008.

Superintendent Dinallo has testified to both Houses of Congress 11 times in less than two years, leading the call for regulation of the credit default swaps (CDS) that were integral to the creation of the current financial crisis.

Superintendent Dinallo joined the Department from Willis Group Holdings. Since 2006, he had been General Counsel for the company, the world’s third largest insurance broker. From 2003 to 2006, he was the Managing Director, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs for Morgan Stanley.

Superintendent Dinallo served at the Office of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer from 1999 to 2003. As Chief of the Securities Bureau, he led the reinvigorated Bureau’s investigations into the Wall Street Cases – conflicts of interest in the financial services industry, including research analyst cases and the spinning of hot initial public offerings. He produced more than 40 major civil and criminal matters, and led the Bureau through the beginning of the mutual fund industry investigations.

Before joining the Attorney General’s office, Superintendent Dinallo served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s office from 1995 to 1999. He had primary responsibility for securities fraud and white collar and insider trading investigations and trial.

From 1991 to 1995, Superintendent Dinallo was a Litigation Associate with the Manhattan law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkin, Wharton & Garrison.

From 1990 to 1991, the Superintendent clerked with the Honorable David M. Ebel of the United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit in Denver.

Superintendent Dinallo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Vassar College in 1985, followed by a Master of Arts degree from Duke University School of Public Policy in 1987. In 1990, he earned his law degree from New York University where he was New York University Law Review and Essay Editor.

Superintendent Dinallo lives in Manhattan with his wife, Priscilla Almodovar, and children.

Sam Friedman
Editor-in-Chief
National Underwriter Property & Casualty

Sam Friedman is Editor-In-Chief of the Property & Casualty edition of National Underwriter, in charge of day-to-day editorial operations at the weekly newsmagazine and daily online news service available at www.property-casualty.com. He also writes a weekly opinion column and a lively blog at www.NUSamSoapbox.com, called "A View From the Press Box," and is a frequent speaker and panel moderator at industry events. He joined NU in 1981.

Dr. Robert P. Hartwig, CPCU

Robert P. Hartwig is president of the Insurance Information Institute. Since joining the I.I.I. in 1998 as an economist and becoming chief economist in 1999, Dr. Hartwig has focused his work on improving understanding of key insurance issues across all industry stakeholders including media, consumers, insurers, producers, regulators, legislators and investors.

Presently, the I.I.I. provides assistance on thousands of stories annually and covers all aspects of print, television, radio and new media while also responding to thousands of requests from I.I.I. member companies and other constituencies. The institute is generally recognized to be the most credible and frequently used single source of information and referral for the widely diverse insurance industry. Its Board represents companies from all areas of the industry, including life insurers. In addition, some 20 other insurance organizations contract with I.I.I. for media services.

The I.I.I. is involved in products and services as varied as original research and publications with the National Bureau of Economic Research and The Wharton School, through widely used consumer publications and Fact Books, to maintaining the National Insurance Consumer Helpline on behalf of the entire U.S. property/casualty industry. Each year the institute’s staff makes more than 100 presentations worldwide on behalf of member organizations.

Dr. Hartwig previously served as director of economic research and senior economist with the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) in Boca Raton, Florida, where he performed rate of return and cost of capital modeling and testified at workers’ compensation rate hearings in many states. He has also worked as senior economist for the Swiss Reinsurance Group in New York and as senior statistician for the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the American Economic Association, the American Risk and Insurance Association, the National Association of Business Economics and the CPCU Society and from May 2005 to May 2008 served on the board of directors of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association of New York. In 2005 and 2006 Dr. Hartwig served on the state of Florida’s Task Force for Long-Term Homeowners Insurance Solutions.

Dr. Hartwig received his Ph.D. and Master of Science degrees in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has served as an instructor at the University of Illinois and at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Hartwig also holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) credential.

Dr. Hartwig has authored and co-authored papers that have appeared in numerous publications, including the Journal of Health Economics, the Proceedings of the Casualty Actuarial Society, the John Liner Review (where he also serves on the editorial board), Dossiers et Etudes (Geneva Association), the Journal of Workers’ Compensation, Global Reinsurance, Risk & Insurance, Insurance Day, Compensation and Benefits Review. He is also a regular contributor to National Underwriter and many other industry trade publications.

Dr. Hartwig makes frequent presentations to industry associations, company management, industry executives, analysts and clients and speaks internationally on a wide range of insurance issues. He has testified before numerous state and federal regulatory and legislative bodies, including the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises and the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Dr. Hartwig serves as a media spokesperson for the property/casualty insurance industry, and is quoted frequently in leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, CFO, Fortune, Forbes, The Economist and many others throughout the world. Dr. Hartwig also appears regularly on television, including programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox, PBS and the BBC.

Michael S. McGavick
Chief Executive Officer
XL Capital Ltd

Mike was Chairman, President & CEO of the Seattle-based Safeco Corporation, which he joined in January 2001. He left in December 2005. Prior to joining Safeco, Mr. McGavick spent six years with the Chicago-based CNA Financial Corporation where he held various senior executive positions before becoming President and Chief Operating Officer of the company's largest commercial insurance operating unit.

Mike’s insurance industry experience also includes two years as Director of the American Insurance Association's Superfund Improvement Project in Washington D.C. where he became the Association's lead strategist in working to transform US Superfund environmental laws. Most recently Mike ran for a seat in the US Senate in the state of Washington. Prior to entering the insurance industry, Mike was involved in a number of political and public affairs organizations, including serving as a Chief of Staff in the United States Senate.

Among his many industry and community service involvements, Mike is a former Vice Chairman of the American Insurance Association, and was the founding Chairman of the Seattle-based Business Partnership for Early Learning (BPEL). He was named the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Executive of the Year in 2003 for leading the turnaround of Safeco, and was the 2005 winner of the prestigious Charles E. Odegaard award for his efforts in promoting diversity at the University of Washington. He is also a founding member of the Washington D.C.-based old boys rugby club, the Wild Geese RFC.

Pierre L. Ozendo
Member of the Executive Board
Chairman & CEO
Swiss Re America Corporation Head of Americas Division

Pierre L. Ozendo is a member of Swiss Re Group's Executive Board and Chairman & CEO of Swiss Re America Corporation. Based in Armonk, NY, he leads the company's reinsurance operations in the Americas region.

Swiss Re’s Client Markets Americas division includes expertise in traditional life & health and property & casualty reinsurance, Global & National, Regional & Specialty, Marine, Facultative, Commercial Insurance, and Broker business, and spans from Canada to Latin America.

Mr. Ozendo joined Swiss Re Group in 1995, taking an assignment as CEO of the subsidiary Union Re. In 1998, following Union Re's integration into Swiss Re, he was named Head of Asia and occupied that position until 2006 when he assumed his current role.

Mr. Ozendo has more than 30 years of international experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry.

Prior to Swiss Re, Mr. Ozendo worked for General Reinsurance Corporation for 20 years in several leadership roles. He began his career in insurance at the New York Life Insurance Company.

Mr. Ozendo, a US and French citizen, graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

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