President’s Blog

This is my first direct communication with members following CILA’s recent “Claims Professionals Conference – Uncharted Waters” held on Thursday, 26th, and Friday, 27th September 2024. This coincided with my election to President at the AGM. I am grateful to the attending members and Immediate Past President, Steven Wallace, who asked me to be his Deputy. Steven has set a high bar during his tenure and put in motion many important initiatives, about which there will be further news shortly. I am delighted to work with the CILA Executive Committee, John Bissell (Executive Director), and benefit from the support of incoming Deputy President Hugh Kennaway, Council and the broader membership.  

 Conference  

Angela Walker moderated the event, which featured high-quality speakers and interesting panel sessions in the picturesque city of Bath. The Conference highlighted that change is a constant in the claims sector, whether that’s case law on construction defect wordings and COVID business interruption wordings, geopolitical challenges, AI and other technologies, and regulation. In that regard, CILA is well placed as a forum for claims professionals to share knowledge of these developments and consider their consequences for clients.  

 Relevance  

CILA vision is that it is the leading professional body for professionals in the technical claims sector, globally. This involves being relevant to a broader stakeholder group and pursuing initiatives that support this. The Institute’s Manifesto1 launched last year was a step in setting out a framework for a future vision. In addition, we must clearly articulate who would benefit from being a member.  

 The Institute’s Charter defines a ‘loss adjuster’ as: 

“a person whose predominant activity is the investigation, management, quantification, validation and resolution” of Property and Casualty losses.  

It’s fair to say that at the time this was drafted, loss adjusting was the preserve of those working in chartered loss adjusting practices. The claims world has evolved to encompass a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach based on professional standards and shared knowledge. Today, it involves, among others, quantity surveyors, forensic accountants, engineers, lawyers, insurers’ technical claims handlers, advocates/claims consultants working for brokers or independently, risk managers and repair contractor networks. Notwithstanding this team approach, policy knowledge is increasingly critical in the context of time and resource pressures, and the need to effectively manage expectations and demonstrate professionalism.  

Ensuring CILA’s relevance to our members, prospective members and stakeholders encompasses: 

• A broader offering: Offering an appealing membership proposition (including training, qualifications, events and other relevant content) to all stakeholders engaged in technical claims. One initiative is the introduction of a new membership qualification category to appeal specifically to chartered professional members of other institutes and disciplines working in claims (e.g. engineers, surveyors, accountants, lawyers).  

• International expansion: It was pleasing to see Conference attendees from Africa and the Middle East. How do we build on that and broaden our relevance internationally? Recent partnerships, such as with the Institute of Loss Adjusters of South Africa (ILASA) under the leadership of Bryan Moyles, are consistent with this aim.   

• Corporate membership: One of our key initiatives will be looking to create a new ‘corporate’ membership class whereby practices, divisions, or firms will have an opportunity to gain accreditation and thereby subscribe to the Institute’s Guide to Professional Conduct, whatever their role in relation to technical claims management.  

More information will follow on these, and other significant, initiatives in due course. Ultimately, they support greater relevance and in delivering these, the Institute continues to benefit from its membership’s passionate and committed support.  

Please share your ideas, concerns, and suggestions with John Bissell, me, or other Council or SIG Committee members.  

Best wishes, 

Adam