Editor-in-Chief

Pat Speer is an award-winning business journalist who has covered a spectrum of products and technologies that pertain to the insurance sector. With a 20-plus year career that includes an extensive background in business-to-business communications, Pat has held leadership positions in a number of trade publishing organizations and has reported on software systems and management issues that apply to companies of all sizes in a variety of vertical markets.

A business communications expert, Pat is the recipient of several business journalism awards, and during her career has led various teams to garner more than 15 American Society of Business Publication Editors awards for editorial and design excellence. She is the founder of Insurance Networking News’ popular INNovators program, the Vanguards in Insurance Practices Awards and INN’s Women in Insurance Leadership Program. A frequent speaker at industry events, and anchor of INN’s video newscast, she is a regular contributor to various Insurance Accounting and Systems Association’s (IASA’s) communications, and has served as a judge for IASA’s Technology Achievement Award. Pat graduated magna cum laude from North Central College in Naperville, IL with a degree in Organizational Communications.

Will Health Insurers Be Rendered Extinct?
March 28, 2012 Thanks to this week’s Supreme Court oral arguments, insurers have an opportunity to rethink how they conduct business.

Is Loss Control a Lost Art?
January 31, 2012 With all the tools and technologies at our disposal, isn’t it just good sense to hold clients’ contractually...

Will GPS Ruling Have Implications for Insurers?
January 25, 2012 The use of GPS technology by SIU teams may be moot when looking at how proactive improvements in the claims arena may make a...

Underrepresented? Maybe for Now
November 17, 2011 Women are leading the way in both technology and business.

Why Insurers Will Miss Steve Jobs
October 6, 2011 Jobs' ability to simplify the complex created a consumer-driven culture that will force insurers to improve how they conduct...

Terrorism Still Risky Business
September 8, 2011 TRIA may have survived budget cuts, but insurers are still struggling to manage terrorism risk.

Allstate’s Latest “Mayhem” Seen in Channel
August 24, 2011 On the heels of its agents’ threats to unionize and the departure of Cynthia Young as president, insurer names Tom Ealy...

A New Recipe for Fraud: Caskets Filled with Cow Parts
August 18, 2011 Ghoulish? Sure, but how can the industry fight the real cause of insurance fraud?

What's Really Holding Women Back?
August 5, 2011 Women's leadership has come a long way, but as long as women focus their energies on the problem, not the solution, they will...

Collaboration: Are We Capable?
June 29, 2011 If we collectively suffer from a bad rap, it's because our industry lacks a community of leaders that can act as an organized...