Ryan Specialty Group

On Wednesday, Ryan Specialty Group’s first ever Intern On-boarding day may have finally blurred the lines between team building, insurance and zombies.

 I am one of seven new summer interns who will work in v
arious departments of RSG, from Compliance to Marketing to Legal. At 9 a.m., the seven of us gathered around the 46th floor conference room for the first time. We immediately launched into a thorough crash course on the ins and outs of RSG, led by Chris Taggart and Diane Scumaci of Human Resources.

The morning’s visitors represented a wide assortment of the office functions, each discussing their departments while saluting their respective interns. Each speaker took the chance to infuse bits of advice where they could as well.

The panel began with Jeremiah Bickham’s rundown of the Treasury department, followed by an overview of RT Specialty by Michael VanAcker. Both men found opportunities to mention the importance of networking their personal paths to their current positions. In an instant, all seven pens were down, taking notes.

Alice Topping visited next from Marketing to weigh in on the importance of branding, continuity and consistency in RSG’s messaging. Alice also came bearing exciting news of the upcoming website redesign. If this sounds like a plug for my home department, you are correct.

Representing Compliance, Roger Smith took the floor for an intriguing talk about the function and importance of underwriting, starting as far back as the Titanic’s Lloyd’s of London insurance policy. To round out the speakers’ panel, Lisa Paschal introduced us to the wide range of pants that Human Resources can wear in a single day and the significance of such a dynamic department.

Following lunch, Chris and Diane led a series of activities, testing our business knowledge, showing us the value of communication, and reminding us of our own inability to unscramble words.

Capping off the day was the most bizarre, yet effective team building exercise I have ever participated in. Our group walked into a small room off Michigan Avenue and was greeted by a mad scientist, who explained the rules to “Trapped in a Room with a Zombie.” This somewhat self-explanatory game involved our team, “the Six-Foot-Underwriters,” rushing around a small room finding clues leading to our escape. A zombie character tried to catch and tag us while tied to one wall with a slowly-lengthening chain.

From our singing and dancing to distract the zombie, to our fearless leader Chris Taggart’s unfortunate death, the afternoon was a hilarious way to get to know each other and potentially even understand our own roles in a crisis situation. Thanks to Chris, Diane and everyone else who helped welcome us into the RSG family!

For the second year in a row, RSG employees joined over 27,000 runners from 600+ companies in Chicago’s Grant Park for the 35th annual JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. The run benefited “Get In Chicago”, which supports programs that lead to a sustainable reduction in violence for the individuals and communities most affected.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States causing an estimated $50 billion in economic losses each year, which is projected to surge even higher as sea levels and precipitation amounts continue to rise.*

Across the nation torrential downpours are becoming more frequent, causing flooding and closing businesses, highways, airports, and schools. Last week we watched a similar situation unfold in Houston where over 17 inches of rain fell within 24 hours. This weather event left the city largely gridlocked leaving numerous people displaced and five dead.  

Beyond the financial devastation and displacement of communities, this type of event can also compromise public entities such as roads, bridges and sewage systems.

The stress of water can lead to structural damage requiring more frequent maintenance, repairs and even the rebuilding of infrastructure. Highway infrastructure in coastal areas is especially at risk to more frequent and permanent flooding from rise in sea levels and storm surges.*

Scientists have found the number of days of extremely heavy precipitation is rising by 1 to 2 percent each decade in the world’s driest and wettest regions. Similar increases are projected through at least 2100.*

Unfortunately, many don’t consider their flood risk until it’s too late. There is often confusion surrounding flood coverage such as what is covered, the difference between a man-made and natural disaster, and so on.

RSG’s CivicRisk specializes in excess liability coverage for public entities. For more information about how CivicRisk can address your client’s most complex public entity risks, please visit www.civicrisk.com

Sources:
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/across-us-heaviest-downpours-on-the-rise-18989 https://weather.com/news/climate/news/global-warming-heavy-rainfall-climate-central

RSG Chicago recently participated in World Sport Chicago’s Spin to Break the Cycle event. World Sport Chicago  has reached over 20,000 Chicago youth, offering positive role models, safe places to play, life skill training and character development through sport. The event took place at the House of Blues and the RSG team biked alongside over 1,000 participants.

Check out some photos from the event on RSG’s official Facebook page!