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The focus of the seminar will be on the use of the Internet and associated technologies today to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of interactions among the participants involved in the distribution chain - Insurer to customer. Experienced practitioners will provide a real-world perspective of the current status, and thought provoking views on the near- and mid-term term changes we are likely to see.

Seminar Topics

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Coffee

8:30	Welcome: Doug Grant Insurance-Canada.ca
	Distribution Effectiveness in Two Channels: - Byren Innes, Newlink Group.
Today's MGAs must find a value added reason for producers to continue to place business with them, and technology may (finally) be the answer. Full service offerings are now available that promise to reduce the work of both the MGA and the Brokers, and which will dramatically increase communications. Policyholders have long been a source of opportunity for insurance companies. Apart from some sporadic direct mail programs, few companies have any real success stories. Most companies talk cross-sell, but few have ever been successful. Now companies can link their brokers' interests to their enterprise CRM to leverage sales and customer satisfaction, and to create revenue and leads for their brokers.
	Streamlining the Group Benefits Sales Cycle with Online Technology - Jim Giblin, ConnectInsure
Web-based technologies are rapidly gaining momentum in the insurance industry - today's life insurance agents know that adopting technology will have a critical impact on their business. Designed by Global IQX Inc. in Ottawa, ConnectInsure (www.connectinsure.com) is an online portal designed to automate the quoting and enrollment of insurance products. Using the Internet, ConnectInsure enables the licensed insurance professional to instantly access detailed, online quotes from major Canadian insurance carriers. There is also an option to view summary reports that offer detailed comparison and deviation analysis between plans. This seminar will include a business case illustrating the key benefits and concerns of brokers using the ConnectInsure system.
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	Mission Possible: Terminate Dual Entry with Extreme Prejudice - Tim Fitzpatrick, CoVirt
Duplicate entry & proprietary systems are significant barriers to work flow, and the cost associated with proprietary systems is endless. CoVirt leads the charge that any customer service system can, and should be, replaced by browser-based Internet services, and that the varied systems should inter-connect. Tim Fitzpatrick will describe their experiences in looking to integrate with any tool that increases sales and / or reduces duplicate entry for CoVirt clients. There is new cooperation amongst the parties and progress is being made.
	E-Z Data's DataXchange Enabling Connectivity - Mike Overdorf, E-Z Data
E-Z Data's DataXchange platform offers secure, bi-directional Internet based connectivity for data movement among carriers, distributors and information providers. By utilizing open industry standards and integrating carrier home office data with agency management functionality, DataXchange enables carriers and distributors to significantly reduce costs, improve application turnaround time, and enhance service to both customers and producers. Data transfers include pending case status, commissions, licensing and appointments, and applications. Carrier staff can spend more time engaging in productive, value-added activities and less time on the phone responding to routine inquiries about application status, commissions, and other distributor requests. Agencies and agents can spend more time with their customers and less time filling out paperwork and entering case data into their agency systems.
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	Mining the untapped value of your inforce customers - Brad Smith, ReMark Group
On average, over 80% of existing policyholders receive no communication from their advisor or insurer in any given year, other than standard billing notices / policy statements. Recognizing that your best customer is an existing customer, ReMark has developed a methodology for mining the untapped value of the existing customer base. ReMark's Policyholder Optimization Process is based on twenty years of global experience in policyholder marketing. Utilizing state of the art web based technology, ReMark actively markets riders and upsells to the inforce portfolio through direct communication channels, while integrating existing broker and contact centre channels. ReMark is the global leader in policyholder marketing, with over 70 insurance company and 120 bank clients. ReMark is based in Amsterdam, with offices around the world including Toronto. In Canada, ReMark has worked with 18 insurance companies, four banks, CAA's, alumni associations, and credit unions.
12:15	Close: by Doug Grant Insurance-Canada.ca

Seminar Sponsors:

The only national directory published for the Canadian financial services industry - from Stone & Cox.

Speaker Information

Tim Fitzpatrick, President, CoVirt Inc.

CoVirt provides a unique fully Internet-based integrated management service called VirtGate that processes information collected by life insurance organizations on applications, policies, and brokers. VirtGate also includes online integrated document management where documents are posted to the broker record, policy record, or public library in seconds.

Previously, Tim was best known as a specialist in life insurance product development from top to bottom, product marketing and actuarial services, representing multiple life insurance companies on issues of product development to their brokers, parent companies and their reinsurers. Tim also designed and launched a unique third party national marketing and servicing organization that restructured the life insurance delivery process by performing the traditional life company functions of product design, underwriting, policy issue, policy owner service and premium collection. He also supported numerous life insurance carriers on Chalke's PTS life insurance product development and modeling software including simulation models for planning, regulatory compliance and asset/liability management. Tim has held a number of positions - President of several organizations, board member of the Institute of Insurance and Pension Research, Vice President and Actuary, and Marketing Director.

Jim Giblin, Manager, Client Relations, Ontario for ConnectInsure.

As Manager, Client Relations, Ontario, Jim is responsible for broker and consultant relations for ConnectInsure in the greater Toronto region, where the company holds a significant client base. Jim brings over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry to ConnectInsure. He brings tremendous experience in new business development, sales and promotion of group insurance products and services.

Most recently, Jim held the position of Account Executive, eHealth Solutions Group at BCE Emergis. In this role, he was responsible for managing the sale and promotion of products and services for Great-West Life and National Consulting Networks. Prior to joining BCE Emergis, Jim spent several years as Senior Group Insurance Account Representative for Liberty Health. Previously, he also worked with Metropolitan Life and Confederation Life.

Jim earned his certificate in Business Administration from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. He has also taken several professional development courses in management and investing. When he's not talking about ConnectInsure, Jim keeps busy skiing, hiking and biking with his wife and two daughters. An avid hockey fan, you can also find him cheering on the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Byren Innes, CLU, ChFC, CFSB, FLHC, FLMI, ACS, HIA, Senior Vice-President and Director, NewLink Group Inc.

Byren provides strategic marketing advice to retail financial services companies, consulting firms and industry suppliers with a focus on emerging distribution channels, creation of marketing and sales systems and structures, re-positioning of existing products, and research on emerging product categories. He is a recognized industry expert in National Account and Financial Advisor distribution channels. Byren and his team are the authors of the National Account Quarterly report, the preeminent research report on this key Canadian distribution channel.

Byren has also been a designer of e-business initiatives for financial products distribution and distributor/wholesaler effectiveness including Advisor CRM/PRM.

Byren is very knowledgeable about the financial products and the various methods of distribution, having been an MDRT-level insurance agent before taking on Distribution Management roles early in his career. He has spoken widely at Financial Planning and industry conferences on the planning process, estate planning linked to financial planning, emerging insurance distribution trends, and e-commerce applications. Byren has held senior executive positions in insurance companies, and with both investment and mutual fund dealers. During his career, he has been very active in various important industry initiatives and was the founding chair of the IDA Insurance committee and is a past chair of the LIMRA International Marketing Committee.

Mike Overdorf, Corporate Account Manager, E-Z Data

Currently a top-performing corporate account manager for E-Z Data, a leading provider of financial services CRM solutions, Mr. Overdorf brings more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry. Mike's roles as Director of Sales at ChannelPoint and LifeMarkets (a unit of GEFA) led to his happy acquisition into E-Z Data. Both roles focused on general agency management systems and the electronic distribution of data across all points of the insurance distribution channel. Mike has also served as Internet product manager and regional account manager for AMS, the largest property and casualty software vendor in the US; and as the Vice President of Property & Casualty Sales at InsWeb, the leading consumer portal for insurance sales.

E-Z Data, Inc., established in 1986, is the leading provider of front-office systems for insurance companies, broker-dealers, general agents, agents, and investment advisors. Its Windows-based Client Data System™ (CDS™) and Web-based Enterprise CRM Platform™ (ECP™) provide comprehensive solutions that synchronize the efforts of all the key players in sales, marketing, and customer service. E-Z Data serves more than 40 of the largest U.S. and international insurance and financial services companies, including American Express Financial Advisors, AXA Australia, ING, MetLife, New York Life, Prudential, and Wachovia Bank. The company's domain expertise, coupled with mature, industry-specific business solutions, results in consistently successful customer implementations.

For more information about E-Z Data's solutions, go to www.ez- data.com or call 800-777-9188.

Brad Smith, President, ReMark North America

As President of ReMark North America, Brad Smith is responsible for the company's strategic development across the United States and Canada. A veteran of the international financial services marketplace, Smith has more than 15 years experience in product design and pricing, business development, direct distribution strategy and e-commerce / CRM solutions. He joined ReMark as marketing manager for Canada in 1993, and has risen quickly through the company while working in several different parts of ReMark's global operation. He was appointed to lead ReMark's Canadian business unit in 1996, and to his current position in 2002.

Smith also served for several years as vice president of marketing for Cowan Insurance Group, one of Canada's largest privately held insurance brokerage groups. There he concepted, sold and developed the AOL Canada Insurance Centre, North America's first virtual property and casualty insurance brokerage. This virtual brokerage seamlessly integrated multiple insurance companies and multiple products, with complete online binding capability.

Host and Moderator

Doug Grant MBA CIP, Consultant, Insurance-Canada.ca

As a keen analyst of computer and networking evolution for more than thirty years, and the opportunity and impact on the insurance industry, frequent industry speaker, columnist, and consultant. Doug is cognizant of the changes that are occurring in the Internet insurance world. As a principal in the Insurance- Canada.ca Web site, he brings a unique perspective to the session. For a more extensive biography.

Doug will be host of the seminar and will welcome and set the stage, build the linkages between topics, and then provide conclusions and points to ponder at the end of the session.

(Examples will be used throughout)

Questions? call Doug Grant 416-921-7756 or email at doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca

See a list of our Previous Seminars.

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