We all know that the world is changing at an accelerating rate. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of marketing. But what’s driving this change, and for an industry not known for either innovation or marketing prowess, how can we adapt and thrive in the VUCA world that is emerging?

O’Donnell will explore the marketing landscape and how changes in consumer behavior are driving much of the disruption we’re seeing across the industry. He will cover how companies are responding and share his thoughts on what it will take for companies to fully embrace the disruption for their own advantage.

Insurance Banana Skins is a biennial survey conducted by the British think-tank Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers. It examines the risks facing the global insurance industry and identifies those that appear most critical.

The 2015 report indicates that despite an overall improving global economic climate, there is unprecedented anxiety in the Canadian insurance industry as it grapples with enormous challenges in the growth of regulation, a difficult operating environment, and the looming threat of structural change.

Chalmers and Johnson will discuss the results in detail, including:

• The top risks confronting Canadian insurers, namely regulation, low interest rates and cyber crime
• How these risks compare to those of their global counterparts
• How well prepared insurers think the industry is to handle the risks

The world around us is rapidly changing: shifting demographics, technological advances and evolving economic environments to name a few. These changes present both challenges and opportunities to international insurance organizations. Product development teams worldwide are competing to be first in line to bring new ideas to their markets to address these truly global forces.

Sanwal and Tonkovski will share inspiring success stories from companies around the world that have introduced new products and subsequently led and shaped the markets in which they were launched.

Advancements in the field of genetics are disrupting the medical and health care industry and creating enormous benefits for society. Lives can be saved with the early detection of disease, health care costs can be reduced, and individuals can gain peace-of-mind and make informed decisions knowing their personal and family health history. It's no wonder the popularity of genetic testing is exploding!

However, there is also growing concern about genetic discrimination. Even though Canadian insurers limit their use of genetic test results, patient advocates caution people about the test if they want life insurance. The CLHIA has suggested that consumers think about applying and obtaining insurance before undergoing genetic testing.

Dr. Empringham has been engaged in genetic testing issues and insurance for more than 15 years. He will provide an update on current utilization of genetic testing and ethical issues.

The challenge today is no longer getting your message out. There are more channels than ever: Blogs, Twitter, Instagram – the list goes on. The real challenge for all of us in business today is getting your message in – getting your hyper-distracted clients and even your own colleagues to take time to engage with you.

So what works? In a time of short attention spans and high expectations, this high-impact, high-energy session by Dr. Jasper will demonstrate the art of selling in a social world and creating connections in a digital age. She will examine:

• The latest visual storytelling techniques and channels
• How to tap into the power of LinkedIn to increase your networks and business
• The art of a powerful presentation
• Not just what's now but what's next

As consumer expectations change with each technology innovation, every financial services and insurance company today is struggling with determining the best channel to reach the social and mobile client. Legacy channels seem inadequate while the rise of robo-advice firms, insurance comparison sites and direct-to-consumer offerings look to disrupt the industry. Will the “digitization of everything” mark the beginning of the end for traditional agency business?

Gaxiola will share his perspectives on potential outcomes and what financial services leaders and marketers must do to help advisors adapt, be more productive and thrive in a world where technology advancements and innovation are only accelerating.

In today's ever-changing financial services landscape, one thing remains constant: the consumer's need for information and advice. But while the need is constant, what has changed is HOW they will seek out and obtain that information and advice. There are many options at their disposal, from web-based solutions to trusted financial professionals and everything in between. What do consumers think about these options? What information and advice are they looking for?

Leary will highlight new LIMRA research conducted across the U.S. and Canada that shows what organizations must do to align their strategies and connect today's — and tomorrow's — consumer with the advice they want and need.

In The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman notes that the rate of global "flattening" is different than past disruptive, dislocating technical revolutions. What used to take centuries is happening at warp speed, creating a new set of conditions called a "VUCA" environment. This military-derived acronym stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity and is used to describe the chaotic and rapidly changing business state that has become the new normal.

These forces are creating a business model disruption across the insurance industry. With great change comes both challenge and opportunity: leaders need to operate differently to respond to these challenges and prepare their organizations to take advantage of the opportunities.

Kessler will provide insights into the VUCA environment and the implications for leaders and teams. He'll also introduce Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility as a set of lenses to examine the capabilities necessary to respond and counter VUCA conditions.