Welcome Ran and Brian, OneBeacon’s summer law clerks

This summer, we’re pleased to welcome two law clerks to the OneBeacon Corporate Legal team. Ran Lu (University of Minnesota Law School) and Brian Ortiz (University of Iowa Law School) joined us this month as part of the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP) 1L Rotation Clerkship program.

TCDIP is a non-profit organization “comprised of leading Twin-Cities employers with a vision to create a vibrant and inclusive legal community and a mission to strengthen the efforts of member organizations to attract, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color.”  More information can be found on the organization’s website at http://diversityinpractice.org/about.

We’re very proud to be a corporate member and to support the program.  Welcome Ran and Brian!

Ran Lu (University of Minnesota Law School)

Brian Ortiz (University of Iowa Law School)

Start the conversation

Our hearts are broken over last week’s events, which took place not far from our U.S. corporate offices. The frustration and anger that George Floyd’s death has sparked is sadly all too familiar. We encourage everyone to dig deep and use the passion of this moment to consider how we can help address racism. Our corporate values include behaving with integrity, fairness and kindness, and respecting the diversity of our community. We stand united with the black community and committed to living our values and helping make a difference where we live and work. Let’s start the conversations, consider and accelerate change, and not disappoint the memory of George Floyd.

Staying Connected during COVID-19- IMU and Technology

At OneBeacon, we continue to try and find creative methods to stay connected during this unprecedented time of social distancing and remote work.  Our International Marine Underwriters (IMU) and  Technology teams have both recently come up with unique ways to stay connected and bring a little fun to their days.

IMU FaceTimes
Ever since our company transitioned to remote work, IMU’s North Pacific Region has had regular conference calls.  Recently the team decided to upgrade those calls to  FaceTime.

“It’s  wonderful to see each other’s faces, and feel more connected than to just a phone speaker,” says IMU’s Lauren Dixon.

The team is also participating in a 30 day song challenge, where team members pick one song a day based on a unique daily category. Learning a bit more about everyone’s musical tastes and interests has brought some unique fun.

Pictured from top to bottom: Sara Farren, Dawn Dulay, Leilani Sinkula, Candice Yi, Lauren Dixon

Technology Shows Their Work
The Technology team recently decided to put their own spin on a remote work stations selfie contest.  Participants were asked to take a selfie at their home “offices”– serious and/or silly. The winner, Pam Pearson, was chosen by a neutral judge (team member spouse) and received a prize in the mail.

COVID-19 Resources

As today’s environment continues to rapidly evolve, we are all focused on maintaining service levels and remaining aware of COVID-19’s impact on our customers. Given the latest federal social distancing guidelines, all of us at OneBeacon will continue working from home at least through April. In the meantime, below are several resources we thought you may find helpful.

General COVID-19 Resources
Health & Safety Institute: this dedicated COVID-19 “digital toolbox” offers access to curated content from WHO, OSHA, the CDC and other trusted sources. Materials include videos, podcasts, training courses and other relevant tools.

Industry Voices
American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) offers COVID-19 related rules, regulations and insurance department communications.

Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB) content highlighting COVID-19’s impact on the commercial insurance industry.

Insurance Information Institute’s (I.I.I.) recent NAIC presentation addressing COVID-19’s impact on our industry.

Working from home Materials:

• OSHA tips for productivity and wellness.
• Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s (IICF) long-time early literacy partnership with the Sesame Workshop offers “Every day is a reading and writing day” resource for employees or customers who are working from home while also caring for young children.

Cyber Awareness
Cyber criminals understand vulnerability and are using the public’s preoccupation with COVID-19 for targeted cybercrimes. Our recent blog post offers several precautionary tips.

Update & Questions
We will continue to provide updates as necessary. We particularly appreciate your business and friendship during these challenging times. Be well.

Celebrating Insurance Careers Month

This month we are teaming up with our industry colleagues to commemorate the second annual “Insurance Careers Month.” This industry initiative unites members of the insurance community to raise awareness of insurance as a desirable career choice. With nearly half of insurance professionals expected to retire within the next 15 years, we realize how critical it is to attract young talent to our workforce. During this month’s awareness campaign, we joined others in inspiring the next generation by sharing intriguing facts, career insights, tips and general information about insurance.

So, why choose a career in insurance?

Opportunity and growth, according to OneBeacon Government Risks’ VP of Business Development Brad York.

 

Challenge, stability and satisfaction, according to millennial Laura Peterson’s InsureMyPath.com blog. Laura, a member of OneBeacon Government Risks, shares an inspiring story about joining the industry.

A commitment to educating tomorrow’s leaders. OneBeacon is committed to fostering insurance knowledge among students and supporting risk management programs across the U.S. Earlier this week, OneBeacon launched its annual scholarship program, which awards 16 graduating high-school seniors with $2,000 college scholarships for the upcoming academic year. This month we are also attending two college career fairs. Although located in different states, our goal at these events is common: offer career opportunities to tomorrow’s leaders and spread awareness about our industry.

For more insights and tips related to Insurance Careers Month, we invite you to follow @OneBeaconJobs on Twitter.

2014 Holiday Donations

After receiving more than 800 votes in our holiday ecard donation poll, the OneBeacon Charitable Trust was pleased to allocate $30,000 among three worthy nonprofits as follows:

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: $18,000
• Feeding America: $9,000
• Wreaths Across America: $3,000

Additionally, our Charitable Trust donated $51,000 to nonprofits in those communities where OneBeacon has a presence. Listed below are the 21 organizations our local offices (noted in parentheses) selected to support this holiday season:

• American Cancer Society (New York City)
• Annapolis Area Ministries Inc. (Annapolis, MD)
• Boys  Hope Girls Hope of IL (Chicago)
• Canton Area Helpline (Canton, MA)
• Cavalry Children’s Home (Atlanta)
• Clarity Child Guidance Center (San Antonio)
• Dorothy Day Center -Catholic Charities of St. Paul & Minneapolis (Minnetonka, MN)
• Father Bill’s and Main Spring (Canton, MA)
• Food Bank of the Rockies (Denver)
• Food Share (Farmington, CT)
• Harvesters (Overland Park, KS)
• Holy Trinity Parish Food (New York City)
• Interfaith Food Pantry (Morristown, NJ)
• Pine Street Inn (Boston)
• RFK Center for Justice & Humanity (New York City)
• San Francisco Food Bank (San Francisco)
• Seattle Children’s Hospital (Seattle)
• Sharing and Caring Hands (Mary Jo’s Place) (Minnetonka, MN)
• Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Los Angeles)
• SW Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank (Salem, VA)
• The Greater Boston Food Bank (Boston)

OneBeacon was pleased to donate over $80,000 during the recent holiday season, supporting organizations that matter most to our community.

Team Boomer MVP

Volunteering is a selfless act, and when it involves a life-threatening medical condition affecting kids, it’s a particularly inspirational commitment. This describes OneBeacon Accident’s (OBA) Steve Mueller, who’s volunteered with the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) for years. BEF is a dynamic partnership of leaders in the medical and business communities who volunteer to heighten awareness, education and quality of life for those affected by cystic fibrosis, while providing financial support to research aimed at finding a cure.

Steve’s commitment has been contagious, catching on among his OBA teammates and other friends and colleagues in the industry. His efforts now include serving on BEF’s Board of Directors, and more recently, recognition as the 2014 Timothy M. O’Brien Award recipient presented at BEF’s annual gala fundraiser. With OBA teammates in attendance and Charitable Trust sponsorship, Steve’s success and drive exhibited through his support of BEF and throughout all other aspects of his life were honored that evening.

The Timothy M. O’Brien Award was established in 2003 to honor an original BEF Board member who lost his life in the September 11 terrorist attacks. We congratulate Steve for all he does to help those struggling with cystic fibrosis and for supporting their fight for a cure.

Steve is pictured below with BEF’s founder and namesake, Boomer Esiason.

 

2014 OneBeacon College Scholarship Program

We’re excited to announce that for the 11th consecutive year, OneBeacon will award college scholarships for the upcoming academic year!  If you’re a OneBeacon employee or producer—and have a college-bound student at home—simply download the application and review the program brochure for details.

Eligibility
Sixteen deserving members of the class of 2014 are eligible to receive a $2,000, one-time scholarship funded by the OneBeacon Charitable Trust. Recipients will be announced in early June, with eight scholarships awarded to OneBeacon employees’ children and another eight granted to our producers’ children.

Applications Due April 15, 2014
Applications must be submitted and postmarked no later than April 15, 2014 along with a complete transcript. Please send all required materials to the following address, and refer any questions to Scholarship Management services at 507.931.1682.

OneBeacon Insurance Scholarship Program
Scholarship Management Services
One Scholarship Way
Saint Peter, MN 56082

Congratulations to the Class of 2014!

‘Tis the Season to Give Back: Charitable Trust Holiday Contributions

For the sixth consecutive year, the OneBeacon Charitable Trust has donated more than $50,000 to nonprofits across the country, specifically in local communities where OneBeacon has a presence. The local employees identified a worthy organization where they may volunteer or offer support, or that is simply well recognized for helping a meaningful cause.

Listed below are the nonprofits we were pleased to support  this holiday season, with the sponsoring office noted in parentheses.

Additionally, the Trust is donating  $30,000 to three national nonprofits. The allocation of the funds is decided via our holiday e-card poll. If you wish to participate, simply view the card and select your choice.

We wish you all a joyous holiday season!

• Annapolis Area Ministries Inc. (Annapolis)
• Cavalry Children’s Home (Atlanta)
• Pine Street Inn (Boston)
• Food Bank of Western New York (Buffalo)
• The Greater Boston Food Bank (Canton, Quincy, Needham, MA)
• Canton Area Helpline (Canton)
• Boys  Hope Girls Hope of IL  (Chicago)
• Food Bank of the Rockies (Denver)
• Food Share (Farmington, CT)
• St. Jude’s Research Hospital (Los Angeles)
• Dorothy Day Center (Catholic Charities of St. Paul & Minneapolis) (Minnetonka, MN)
• Sharing and Caring Hands (Minnetonka)
• Interfaith Food Pantry (Morristown, NJ)
• Holy Trinity Parish Food (New York City)
• RFK Center for Justice & Humanity (New York City)
• American Cancer Society (New York City)
• Harvesters (Overland Park, KS)
• SW Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank (Salem, VA)
• ThriveWell Cancer Foundation (San Antonio)
• San Francisco Food Bank (San Francisco)
• Seattle Children’s Hospital (Seattle)

OBGR At Louisiana PRIMA: Say Hello!

OneBeacon Government Risks is in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana PRIMA (Public Risk Management) Fall Conference, December 12-13. Be sure to stop by the team’s table and say hello!

View the 2013 Conference brochure