Despite the crazy nature of this past year, students were able to participate in an amazingly unique event: The Co-Curricular Learning Board (CCLB) Case Competition. The companies of the CCLB (American Family, CUNA Mutual, Milliman, Swiss Re, and Travelers) generously sponsored and participated in the event, enabling students to build upon our teamwork, presentation, and communication skills while also giving us a unique opportunity to make valuable connections. The competition was held via Zoom over two days on March 18 and 19, 2021, with thirty students and twenty-two CCLB company representatives participating.
Prior to the event, we were given the topic “insurance disruptors,” along with three articles to read as background information. On the first day of the event, groups of three or four students brainstormed ideas that could be potential disruptors in the insurance industry and then focused on one idea identifying strategies and recommendations for successful implementation. Our goal was to create and record an 8-minute presentation based on our ideas. Our presentation covered various challenges that the particular disruptor may face during the course of its implementation, such as consumer hesitancy, regulatory acceptance, financial uncertainty, and more. On the second day, we returned to the virtual event to network with several representatives from each of the CCLB companies, watch the winning presentations, hear general feedback from the judges, and have the opportunity to win some gift cards in a raffle.
When I first heard about the case competition in the Actuarial Club newsletter, I immediately signed up. I had never participated in a case competition and wanted an opportunity to work collectively with classmates on an interesting insurance topic. My group members each came prepared with ideas, and we were so engrossed in the subject that we brainstormed more than ten possible disruptors. We worked collaboratively and efficiently, given the time constraint of an hour and a half. I had the opportunity to be a team leader, building upon my leadership skills. This role entailed creating the individual team Zoom meeting, creating and sharing the presentation slides, recording the presentation, and uploading it for judging.
Although the virtual nature wasn’t exactly what I imagined for a case competition, I was extremely appreciative of the opportunity. Especially after the past year that we have had, I believe participating in such an engaging and insightful event was highly beneficial for all students no matter their year in school. I was able to delve deep into an essential topic in the insurance industry, practice my critical thinking skills, develop valuable presentation and teamwork skills, and build connections with multiple representatives from the CCLB companies. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Kirk Peter, Jodi Wortsman, and the CCLB company representatives, my first case competition will undoubtedly be an event I will never forget.
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