COUNCILcast

COUNCILcast podcast by The Council

COUNCILcast is a podcast series brought to you by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. Sound insights and new perspectives for commercial insurance and employee benefits brokers. Hosted by Ken Crerar.

  • 14 minutes 59 seconds
    Personal Lines with Joseph Schauer
    Joseph Schauer, President and CEO of Schauer Group, joins our personal lines podcast to share the 106-year history of his family's firm and discuss what gives him his competitive edge in business. He also touches upon how his hometown of Canton, Ohio, was vital to shaping his life.
    29 December 2025, 11:38 pm
  • 32 minutes 8 seconds
    What’s Now, What’s New, What’s Next in Tech
    Having previously served as chief futurist at Deloitte, global innovation director at Accenture, a venture capital co-founder, and an inventor, Mike Bechtel has more than 25 years of experience with technology and innovation. Starting with the basic tools developed by ancient ancestors, Mike explains how to view today’s advanced technology with the right perspective. Data centers, AI, and quantum computing are all on the agenda.
    22 December 2025, 6:20 pm
  • 26 minutes 37 seconds
    Politics and Risk with Rep. Linda Sánchez
    In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez of California’s 38th Congressional District discusses the impacts of the upcoming expiration of Affordable Care Act enhanced premium subsidies and issues of affordability in America, and offers her thoughts on President Donald Trump's leadership. Council Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Joel Kopperud and Vice President of Government and Political Affairs Blaire Bartlett also join for a conversation on what to expect from Washington in 2026.
    19 December 2025, 3:18 pm
  • 20 minutes 53 seconds
    The Liability Last Call
    Bars and other alcohol-serving establishments have been rocked by high premium increases and liabilities, which have resulted in business closures and job losses across America. In this podcast, Leader’s Edge writer Russ Banham takes us on a journey through his reporting and shows how a hard market for a specific type of coverage can easily disrupt a centuries-old U.S. industry.
    15 December 2025, 4:57 pm
  • 17 minutes 32 seconds
    Undertaking Integration
    Trucordia’s COO Michael Moran open up about the process of integrating acquired companies. Being a substantial brokerage acquirer in recent years, Trucordia is undergoing the multi-pronged process of integrating those acquired companies into one. From the tech stack to the branding to the culture, integration is a complicated process. This conversation gets under the hood of that work.
    10 December 2025, 4:14 pm
  • 11 minutes 36 seconds
    Claims Change, Empathy Remains
    During the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Paul Kottler, president of U.S. Loss Adjusting for Crawford, discusses how claims adjusting has changed in recent years given the changing weather environment, and whether policyholder needs have changed as well. He also explains how advanced technology is being used in claims handling and what success looks like in this environment.
    3 December 2025, 5:43 pm
  • 13 minutes 26 seconds
    Building Intentional Relationships
    In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, recorded live at The Council’s 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Dan Fortin, president of specialty insurance at QBE North America, dives into the intricacies of relationships in the specialty business. He describes how key relationships early in his underwriting career helped him to grow and understand the industry in new ways. He also discusses the challenges of building post-pandemic relationships, the importance of the broker-carrier relationship, and the importance of relationships in the complex specialty business.
    24 November 2025, 3:16 pm
  • 19 minutes 30 seconds
    Elections and Broker Expansions in Europe
    At last month’s Insurance Leadership Forum, Leader’s Edge podcast host Zach Ewell sat down with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, and Warren Downey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Specialist Risk Group, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation. The two leaders unpack how a major deal between their firms came together, offer sharp insights on the surge of brokers entering the continental European market, and reflect on how recent elections are reshaping their strategic priorities.
    17 November 2025, 4:25 pm
  • 12 minutes 3 seconds
    Personal Lines with Eric Diamond
    In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, Eric Diamond, President and CEO of Marshall+Sterling, shares how joining the military helped bring structure to his life, the lessons he learned while serving our country, and who inspires his leadership style.
    10 November 2025, 3:19 pm
  • 24 minutes 9 seconds
    Construction Risk and Solutions
    Talking with Leader’s Edge onsite at the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Darren Tasker, Head of Construction and Tom Houlihan, Head of Alternative risk transfer at Allianz Commercial, take a deep dive into the construction line of business. They discuss the current risk landscape, the risks of labor shortages and tariffs on construction, the rise of data centers and the challenges of insuring them, and the role of alternative risk transfer as a critical component in ensuring proper coverage for construction risk.
    3 November 2025, 9:06 pm
  • 15 minutes 21 seconds
    LIIBA Releases Innovation Imperative Report
    London & International Insurance Brokers' Association Chief Executive Chris Croft sat down with the Leader's Edge podcast during the latest Insurance Leadership Forum to share key findings from The Innovation Imperative, a report from LIIBA, Gracechurch, and Trimstone Partners laying out brokers' key role in today's insurance value chain.
    28 October 2025, 2:33 pm
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