Some four and a half years ago, I was asked to join Summit Professional Networks – then Summit Business Media – to become the Editor in Chief of National Underwriter Life & Health. I jumped at the chance. I have revered both National Underwriter Life & Health and National Underwriter Property & Casualty for my entire career as an insurance writer and editor, and to even be considered for the job of leading one of these institutions was an honor in itself.
With the help of the editorial team, we swiftly established a strong new direction in terms of enterprise content, breaking news and analysis. I worked hard to build a better relationship with our audience, and to always, always, always put out something that I felt represented the best of my craft, respected the business of insurance and served the professionals who read our content. In all things, strive for excellence. There is no other way.
In time, I was given the further honor of overseeing all of Summit's insurance publications, including both editions of National Underwriter, and our websites LifeHealthPro, ProducersWEB and PropertyCasualty360. We redesigned and re-launched certain titles, folded others into existing titles, made waves, won awards and in a few cases, really made a difference. It was all the best work I had ever produced, and I felt that everything I had done in my career to that point was so that I could lead these great brands – these great people – as best I could. They deserved nothing less.
But with all things, there must come change, and today, that change is my departure. This will be my final editorial for National Underwriter, and by the time you read this, I will already be gone. And while I look forward to a new chapter in my career, I will always look upon this one with great fondness and satisfaction. Here is where I joined with the oldest and the finest tradition of insurance journalism in American history. Here, I served an audience filled with those noble souls who serve the insurance world, not because it is something that they do, but because it is something that they are. Here, I wrote stories that really expressed things I felt had to be said, made points that had to be made and told stories that had to be told.
