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Director, Higher Education Alliance
Aon
Chicago

Last year, a major research university in the Midwest had a serious headache.

Its insurance had to cover its parent medical facility and several affiliates, which sometimes overlapped, or sometimes resulted in gaps.

The university had gotten into this dilemma due to greatly expanding clinical studies, research projects and licensing opportunities.

"It was a complex and thorny problem," said the university risk manager. For the risk manager, it seemed like there was no obvious solution. "But Anne cheerfully jumped into this morass and made it a pleasure to work on," she said.

That involved risk identification, contractual liability and indemnification issues, clinical trials, student internship liability, management liability and insurance treatment. In addition, Mulholland considered a captive insurance company against commercial insurance. This process gave the university a good understanding of what their exposures were and the extent to which they were treated or retained.

"Anne read multiple policies from numerous angles depending on whose insurance would respond to the gaps and redundancies. We wouldn't have gotten through it without her, without getting overwhelmed," said the risk manager.

Along the way, Mulholland brought in new ideas, and kept the discussion alive. It was a long process--it took a year.

Executive Vice President
Fred C. Church Insurance
Lowell, Mass.

It's never a picnic when a new brokerage firm takes over an account.

In this case it meant 54 schools, elementary through high school, belonging to an East Coast school consortium going through the transition from its previous broker to Chris Duble and Fred C. Church.

"But it was seamless; others couldn't have handled the group and created the team," said the risk manager. The group had over 100 open claims at the time but Duble settled half of them within a year.

"From the risk management perspective, it really helps to set up the program right away. That takes a lot of initiative," said the risk manager.

Another risk manager, this time of a private boarding school, is even more impressed with Duble and his team because they took the time to understand this unique type of institution.

"They understand our risks," he says. "Our students are on campus 24/7, and we're basically their parents and that brings a whole set of different risks."

But Duble and his team have educated the insurance carriers so now the premiums paid to cover this private school's risk are either the same or lower.

So now the school has 10 different insurers, including United Educators, which created the business model for private boarding schools with Duble.

Managing Director
Education Practice Leader
Marsh
Hartford, Conn.

Jean Demchak, an education broker for 20 years, is probably known by numerous college and university risk managers for her reputation as a creative and expert broker even if they don't use her as their own broker.

Education industry risk managers can usually find her speaking at higher education-related conferences because she stays on top of the various risks universities face every day, and can structure programs to address the newest wrinkles.

"We've had webinars at URMIA (University Risk Management and Insurance Association) that were her idea," said one URMIA member.

Indeed, within the past year she's established URMIA's webinars on the insurance marketplace, international programs and the reinsurance world of treaties. Currently she's been working with an Eastern school to partner with an international travel specialist to help develop a more complete overseas program for students and for faculty who do research abroad.

"The company can provide intelligence that the Justice Department just can't do," said the school's risk manager. Some students and faculty members are traveling to countries like India and Africa and the risk manager wants to add resources for them to contact when needed.

"We've hooked up (with the international travel specialist) through Jean's group," he said. And, as it turns out, the two principals of the company are school alumni.

Senior Vice President
Marsh
Detroit

Jerry McKay, in the words of the director of business services at one 11-member university pool, "does an outstanding job."

"He's purchased our excess coverages since the inception," said this client, who started with McKay and his support team at Marsh's Detroit office when the pool was originally created in 1987.

The client also appreciates the way McKay uses the entire Marsh higher education practice as a resource. "He's done workshops on suicide and emergency planning," he said.

When the pool needed environmental coverage, specifically mold coverage, "they were looking all over," and finally found coverage that was reasonably priced.

The same goes for their auto physical damage program. "At the time there were so many exclusions, but he got us the right price for a three-year program."

McKay also serves as the manager of the risk pool, and has done so since the inception. This arrangement is unlike the normal client relationship.

"It was more economical that way," said the risk manager. The contract is set up like a third-party administrator and McKay coordinates the work of the other TPAs.

"We hire the outside TPAs to do the claims and Marsh handles the loss control," the client said.

Vice President
Client Services Manager
Arthur J. Gallagher
St. Louis

Unfortunately for the risk manager of one large Midwestern education pool, the members of the pool sit close to the New Madrid seismic zone which stretches across Illinois, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. For that pool, it was hard to find earthquake capacity after Hurricane Katrina, explains the pool's risk manager. But fortunately for this risk manager, there was Leslie Miles.

The risk manager was grateful to Miles for putting together affordable pricing by working with carriers she knew while adding layer upon layer of excess coverage.

"With her experience there's a difference working with someone who will really work for you," the risk manager said.

Time and again Miles has proved her mettle with the 17-member pool. "We're very conservative, and she's been able to change the excess carrier's minds and reduced the requirements."

In general the pool offers its members property, liability, crime, workers' comp, earthquake, and boiler and machinery coverage.

"But sometimes members have additional needs so she'll go out to the markets and make sure we have the coverage for those additional needs, either for one time or ongoing," the risk manager said.

These are coverages she doesn't ordinarily supply. In the past she's added educator's legal liability, professional liability, employee benefits and overseas travel.

Senior Broker
Aon
Chicago

When the risk manager of a major Midwest research university needs an insurance overhaul she usually doesn't choose a broker she describes as "hilarious."

But for Peter Burrows, insurance is fun. So when Burrows isn't brokering insurance he plays in a band or orchestra, or acts in community theater.

"He brings his personality. He makes it fun and exciting," the risk manager said. "He's one of those people who's just having fun."

Working with Anne Mulholland, the director of Aon's Higher Education Practice, Burrows handles the excess general liability side for this particular client, working with United Educators. By consulting with the client, Burrows developed a specific course of action that needed to be handled by United Educators.

"He knows their people well," the risk manager said. "He made sure everything was covered," she said.

For example, he made certain that all three exposures, their nursing policy, athletic trainer coverage and coverage for a new EMT program were under control, would be covered, or that he had a game plan to be certain they would be covered at policy renewal time.

"He answers our obscure questions with great patience and is very responsive," the risk manager said. For example, when student affairs made a "dicey proposition," with "calm assurance" he made sure it was covered.