Leadership, Vision and Collaboration: Insurance & Technology’s Tech-Savvy CEOs 2006

It's fair to say that behind every successful insurance CEO you'll find an effective CIO; no business leader who dismisses the importance of technology will fare well against competitors in the long run, and those not trained in technology must collaborate effectively with those who are. However, the state of technology and its influence on the state of the industry ensures that increasing numbers of CEOs are more deeply acquainted with the potential of technology for their enterprise's success, and more aggressive in driving its use for competitive advantage.

CEOs determined to drive growth in a competitive market know that they can gain an edge through the effective employment of technology suited to their lines of business -- their distribution channels. In the report that follows, I&T profiles five of the business leaders across the P&C, life and annuities, and health insurance industries with an outstanding record of using technology to ensure success and growth, and we also offer a perspective from a CEO honored as a Tech-Savvy CEO in 2005.

Want to learn more about the management philosophies of the 2006 Tech-Savvy CEOs? Insurance & Technology is ex-panding the coverage to include podcasts -- short digital audio (MP3) files. To hear all of the interviews, which include exclusive content not found in this issue, visit www.insurancetech.com/podcast to listen to the audio podcasts.

Real-Time Vision
Dan Carmichael's career-long interest in technology standards culminated in a successful corporate turnaround at Ohio Casualty.

Crossing the Bridge
Elizabeth Haar's technology-driven business strategy led to Accident Fund Insurance's e-business model solution and national expansion.

Running a Tight Ship
Mark Schwarzmann's up-front discipline improves the technology process and drives the use of standards at Ameriprise Financial.

Information Is Power
Ronald Williams champions technology to support the creation of a high-performance culture as Aetna innovates consumer-directed healthcare.

Making Things Easier
By keeping it simple, Kent Cannon drives IT to facilitate business growth at Beneficial Financial Group.

Getting Closer
Insurance company CEOs might not yet know as much about technology as their technology officers might hope, but they know they need to be informed -- and so do the boards that evaluate their performance.

Changing the Game Through Technology Leadership
Michael D. Fraizer, CEO, Genworth Financial, one of Insurance & Technology's Tech-Savvy CEOs of 2005, shares his thoughts on the centrality of technology and the disciplines of innovation in shaping the insurance enterprise of the future.