What drives life insurance shoppers to go beyond information gathering to actually purchasing a policy? How can companies more effectively and rapidly process applications and get the shopper underwritten? What are the key predictors of surrender or lapse activity? LIMRA's new Center of Excellence for Predictive Modeling and Data Analytics was established to address these and other issues. Actuarial hipster Purushotham will discuss the Center’s mandate and unveil exciting results from the latest applications of statistical modeling and predictive analytics to member benefits research and how they can inform your organization's strategic decision making.

Change is happening all around us and transforming our industry. One major shift occurring in Canada and elsewhere is the decriminalization of recreational cannabis consumption. In this groovy presentation, Dr. Empringham will clear the smoke about the potential risks and benefits of marijuana use and legalization, and disclose his views from the perspective of a doctor, an underwriter and a father.

Business model disruption. “Fail fast.” “Iterate.” Have you heard these words enough times as yet? They represent critical concepts to actually create and deliver change. However, most of the time we just pay them lip service and skim the surface, while avoiding the gory details and stories that give better insight to what actually goes right and wrong in the pursuit of innovation. Dubejsky will go behind the scenes with a real live case study of innovation strategy, focusing on a pivotal moment for Gillette. He will share insights and his good, bad, and ugly anecdotes on how he approached business model innovation on an $8-billion established business. He’ll also advise on pitching to a multinational CEO, how the tiniest parameter can have dramatic impact on a system, why business models are actually important, and how to innovate even though there are no new ideas.

The FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) group has shifted the paradigm, significantly raised customer expectations on many dimensions and impacted every single industry sector. The wave of disruption is upon us now but is the life insurance market ready? An industry disruptor himself, Dudarev will present his views and perspectives on how we need to embrace this sea-change.

Growing up in a small town in Manitoba, Montgomery always wanted to be a Canadian National Team athlete, but he didn’t know which sport it would be in. Keeping his eyes wide open, living outside his comfort zone, trying new things and accepting difficult challenges enabled him to discover his passion and the opportunity to achieve his dreams. His inspiring message focuses on the power of self-efficacy, the unwavering belief you will accomplish that which you seek, as well as exploring possibilities that are grounded in realism and inventive thinking.

Digital health – the use of wearables to track biometrics, chatbots to provide medical advice and mobile apps such as “digiceuticals” – is no longer science-fiction. But what opportunities and barriers exist within the Canadian health care system? Simard, an e-health entrepreneur, pharmacist and self-described rebel, will examine the use of Big Data; the different platforms utilized to capture health data such as smartphones, connected health devices, and “smartpills”; and the application of data to perform predictive analysis. He will also reveal examples of private and public health care systems where digital health has been implemented, business models to support its use, and legal issues surrounding data privacy and confidentiality.