Our last, but certainly not least, spotlight of the month features Dustin Adams, Director, Specialty Underwriting & Reinsurance in our Actuary department. Dustin works in our large claims solutions area as the director of the Excess of Loss (XOL) Pool, and also has responsibility and oversight for BCS’s Property & Casualty (P&C) reinsurance coverage. Learn more below.
Q: What does a typical day look like at BCS?
A: Depending on the time of year, a typical day could involve anything from coordinating closely with my Actuarial teammates on evaluating potential new business opportunities, getting updates on large claims from our Claims and Clinical team, smoothing out payment remittance issues with our Premium team, and / or supporting any of our Blue Plan customers in the XOL Pool with anything they might need.
Q: Tell us about a project you are working on.
A: Right now my team and I are heavily involved in working to secure our goal of a 100% renewal rate in the XOL Pool. As of today we are halfway there, with no current indications of non-renewal!
Q: What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I’ve always found a tremendous benefit in ongoing education. From undergrad at Purdue, grad school at Loyola, CPCU designation, and earning required CE credits, education has always been both a professional asset as well as a personally rewarding pursuit.
Q: What is one professional development skill you are working on?
A: I currently sit on the board of the Chicago chapter of the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Society as the Immediate Past President. Unfortunately for many such volunteer and professional organizations, COVID-19 had a really negative impact. One of my non-BCS goals for the upcoming year is to personally reinvest in my professional development by supporting the reemergence of my local CPCU Society chapter and its recovery from the pandemic.
Q: What is a common misconception about your department?
A: Although I report into the Actuarial team, I am an Underwriter and not actually an Actuary myself. I think one misconception is that everyone on the team are all Actuaries, but, believe it or not, there are a couple of us who are not certified human computers ; )
Q: Do you have any plans for the upcoming holidays?
A: My wife and I will be hosting Christmas for both sets of parents again (for the fourth year in a row). So, we’re already busily planning and prepping meals and appear to be getting Amazon deliveries every single hour on the hour. Our families get along really well and my wife and I end up feeling like we’ve gained four extra children when our parents come to town ; ) But we love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. Christmas is the best and I hope everyone at BCS and all their families have a safe and happy holiday season, too!
