2020 unleashed crises that no one could have ever imagined and forced the industry to pivot quickly to a new way of working. A year later, we're still trying to figure out and adapt to a new normal. But what are the key business changes that are emerging from the pandemic? How have customer experiences and expectations shifted? Where's our industry headed and what opportunities will be created from this challenging time? Carroll will draw upon LIMRA's wide-ranging global research and resources, as well as his own deep industry insights, to address these issues and help you better understand — and prepare for — what lies ahead.

With Canadians living longer and needing to make financial decisions in a sea of overwhelming information, advice has never been more valuable. Canada Life is evolving its partnership with advisors to make a bigger impact on their business, so they can make a bigger impact on the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. Moncrieff will speak to how his company helps advisors build better businesses and serve more Canadians.

Success in the New Norm starts with addressing your customers' experience (CX) through a re-imagination of their needs and wants. The last decade focused investments in CX through a Digital Glass of point-in-time interactions to the benefit of the insurer. Now is the time to be visionary, creating end-to-end experiences to the benefit of those we serve. Watson will discuss his market observations and point-of-view on what insurers can do to fit in the New Norm.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered most companies’ digital strategies, and almost all are planning to expand their use of APIs to connect with more external stakeholders and exchange additional types of data. As they undertake a digital transformation, many are still navigating fragmented legacy IT ecosystems, siloed data and disjointed processes. Leading companies are realizing the benefits and opportunities fueled by open platforms. These API-driven platforms break monolithic capabilities into individual services, unlocking flexible features that historically have been difficult to access and implement. Krugman and Jones will explain how to accelerate your digital transformation and reimagine the customer experience with the use of open platforms. Learn how to enable personalized policyholder experiences that can be deployed quickly, and leverage existing technology investments while developing a practical roadmap to support your digital initiatives.

Intelligent digital transformation technologies and automation are rapidly being utilized by life and disability insurers to proactively and objectively manage claims liability and improve customer experiences. Capato will discuss how digital transformation technologies — such as intelligent online portal, digital barcoding, robotic process automation, intelligent character reading, and automated business rules engine — are significantly improving carriers' operational efficiencies, bottom line and disabled life reserves.

In insurance distribution, “customer” applies to several audiences: distributor, advisor and consumer. Exceeding their differing expectations at each step of the customer journey requires a strategic approach to digital transformation — one that is focused on a thorough understanding of the experiences these stakeholders have every time they interact with your organization, and built on identifying clear customer experience goals, crafting the right processes and implementing the best technologies. Adamson will explore the go-to-market strategies, value propositions, and technologies that create superior experiences for each type of stakeholder and new opportunities for growth.

During this global pandemic, how do you overcome investor challenges, including swinging from panic to overconfidence? Manulife’s Catherine Milum, Head of Wealth Sales and Nic Pascoe, Sales Leader, Individual Insurance Sales will use behavorial insights to shed light on the psychological biases impacting consumer financial decision-making at this time. They will describe perceptions on seeking and following financial advice, the value of relationships and trust, the benefits of working with an advisor and the likelihood of working with an advisor in the future, as well as provide actionable recommendations grounded in the science of decision-making.