Press Release

Organic Growth and Strategic Renewal Take Center Stage in Insurance Industry

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 26, 2008 -- If you're like most leaders in the insurance industry, organic growth tops your agenda. But despite all of the talk about the importance of new product and service innovation, managers have not found a blueprint for innovation that fuels consistent growth in the insurance industry.

Julie K. Davis and Anna Smith, who co-founded the California Women's Network Group, have set out to make innovation key as the insurance industry struggles for renewal. They share the accumulated wisdom from their 25+ years of experience in the insurance industry. Drawing on a wealth of real-life examples, the California Women's Network Group will devote their July meeting to discuss crucial topics that support organic growth and strategic renewal in the insurance industry. Covered topics for July's meeting include looking for undeserved markets, connecting to customers for ideas, internal brainstorming, piloting new areas for growth, going to market with new insurance products and services, building a solid strategy, adjusting for internal and external challenges and mergers and acquisitions.

"It is such a challenging time to be in the insurance industry," Davis commented. She said: "Stay focused on your people, listen to your customers and carefully invest in new ideas. That is difficult to do with a continued softening market, pricing pressure and increased global competition." When asked about innovation, Davis said, "A perfect organization has a strong new growth platform, listens to the needs of their customers and continues to build on their existing family of products and services."

Additional Highlights of the Meeting:

-- Marsh-Berry reports that P&C net written premiums were flat during 2007, but underwriting profits grew to $25 billion. During 2007 the combined loss ratio was 97.5%. It clearly was a great year for insurance carriers.

-- During 2007 Agency values reached an all-time high. But industry experts predict that buyers will become more selective in their search for acquisitions that complement their organization.

-- Industry expert Marsh-Berry predicts a tightening in future Agency values.

-- Agencies with strong track records in creativity, new product introductions, sales discipline, pipeline management and leadership in well established niches will likely be the winners. The real winners will be those that listen to their customers for clues about future products and services.

-- Industry experts predict that the average Agency is getting larger and there will be an increased number of targets available for acquisitions.

About the Discussion Leader:

Julie Davis has been with Aon Corporation (AOC) for fifteen years serving insurance and risk management needs of technology and Internet firms. She is the recipient of Chicago Innovation Awards and an Insurance Innovators Award (Insurance and Tech Magazine), as well as a finalist in the Annual Stevie Awards for Innovation of Best New Product / Service. She has been recognized by I-Street Magazine in their annual "Women in Black" Awards and recently named Who's Who for Entrepreneurial Work in the Insurance and Risk Management Field. She attended University of Texas and Rice University. She can be reached by email at julie_k_davis@ars.aon.com or by phone at 408-439-2654.

About the California Women's Network Group:

This event has approximately 120 participants. The group is a women's association designed for leaders of new or rapidly growing companies with less than 1,000 employees and leaders of autonomous business units in larger organizations.

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