IRUA Announces 2022 Scholar Program Essay Winners

November 10th, 2022

The IRUA is pleased to announce the recipients of their IRUA Scholarship Awards for 2022. In 2021 it was decided to include first year new entrants into the business and this year’s first place recipient is such a person. The Scholarship Committee, led by Sam DeGiovanni of Ryan Re, is comprised of representatives from nine member companies who review and grade each paper without the author being identified to them and collectively selected the following authors and papers:

First Place: Kevin English, who graduated from University College in Dublin, Ireland in May 2021 and in late-September 2021 became a full-time employee of Liberty Mutual Re in Stamford, Connecticut, for his essay entitled: “The Importance of Nuanced Contract Wording in Light of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict”

Tied for Second Place: Sophia Fioretti of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and who interned with the Hartford Steam Boiler, an affiliated company of Munich Re, for her essay entitled: You and I, Plus AI: Adapting to the Democratization of Artificial Intelligence”

Tied for Second Place:  Kelsey Brown of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont who interned at Odyssey Re, for her essay entitled:InsurTechs: Are they a Disruptive Innovation?”

Honorable Mention:   Justin Canelli of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and who interned with Odyssey Re for his paper entitled: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting Insolvency

Thanks to the generosity of our members a total of $14,750 has been disbursed to these awardees to assist in furthering their educational studies.

IRUA’s President, Laura Herubin of MAPFRE Re, said: “We congratulate our winners and are grateful to IRUA member companies who have strongly funded this program that financially assists the efforts of these students and new entrants into the business. IRUA is committed to supporting and encouraging college students and with the initiative to expand the program eligibility to member company new hires in their first job in the industry it will enable them to gain a better knowledge of our important industry. Our goal is to encourage new entrants into the property and casualty reinsurance and insurance industry in the coming months and years. “

For more information regarding the Scholars Program or becoming a member of the IRUA, please contact Jerry Wallis, IRUA Executive Director, at jwallis@irua.org

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