Each year, the Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference features two keynote speakers—one from the insurance industry, and one nationally recognized person noted for achievement in his personal and professional life.
The industry keynote speaker for the 71st annual conference August 21-24 is Vincent T. Donnelly, president and chief executive officer of PMA Companies.
In his address during the Opening General Session on August 22, Donnelly will discuss the key issues and challenges impacting the workers’ compensation market, and what industry participants can expect in 2017 and beyond.
“These are turbulent times for the workers’ compensation industry. We continue to face growing medical and pharmacy costs, a workforce that is aging—and increasingly impacted by chronic health conditions—and a challenging regulatory and legal environment,” says Donnelly. “At the same time, there is a host of new solutions emerging to advance worker safety and health, maximize claims outcomes and impact costs, ranging from innovative managed care strategies to more effective ways to capture and use data to manage risk.”
Donnelly has been the president and chief executive officer of PMA Companies since 2004. He also serves as president and chief executive officer of the PMA Insurance Group, a responsibility he has held since 1997. Prior to that, he was senior vice president, finance and chief actuary for the PMA Insurance Group. He began his insurance career in 1978 as an actuary with AIG. After spending 10 years with AIG, he spent four years as vice president and corporate actuary for Continental Insurance Companies.
“We are delighted to have someone of Mr. Donnelly’s experience and reputation as our keynote speaker,” says Conference General Chairman James N. McConnaughhay. “In a career that spans more than three decades, Mr. Donnelly has held executive positions with leading insurance companies, served as an advocate for the industry through his involvement with multiple professional associations, and spoken at numerous national forums. The thousands of workers’ compensation professionals at our conference will benefit greatly from his knowledge and insight.”
Donnelly currently serves on the following insurance industry boards:
- Workers’ Compensation Research Institute; past chairman of the board
- Property Casualty Insurers Association of America; chair of benefits & compensation committee
- Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania; past chairman
- Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau
The PMA leader also served on the National Council on Compensation Insurance board, including finance committee chair and two-time chairman of the board.
In June 2009, Donnelly was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 Award in the Financial Services & Insurance Category in the Greater Philadelphia region. In February 2015, he was named the Franklin Award recipient by the CPCU Society, Philadelphia Chapter. The Franklin Award is bestowed to an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the property/casualty industry in the region.
Also presenting a keynote address is Steve Spurrier, the winningest football coach in school history at both Florida and South Carolina. (Only Bear Bryant has done this at Kentucky and Alabama.) He has coached a National Championship team (1996), seven SEC championships at Florida, and one ACC championship at Duke (1989).
In high school in Johnson City, Tennessee, he was All-State in football, basketball and baseball.
As a college player, he was an All-American at Florida, won the Heisman Trophy and other player-of-the-year awards in 1966.
He played ten years in the NFL, nine with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
He began his head coaching career with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in 1983.
ABOUT THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
Now in its 71st year, the Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference is the must-attend event for C-level executives, risk managers, claims adjusters, insurers, and medical and legal experts. Presented by the Workers’ Compensation Institute, the conference offers attendees an extraordinary opportunity to connect with their peers and learn from nationally recognized experts. The 2016 Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference will be held August 21-24 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Follow conference news on Twitter with the hashtag #WCI2016. Registration is now open.