Individual Award
This award goes to an individual in the risk management and insurance field, who has made significant industry contributions, has exceptional lifetime accomplishments, innovation, and whose work has contributed to helping develop the next generation of risk management and insurance professionals. The overarching criteria for selecting this individual are:
Character
Individuals who are well-respected for ethics, and character. We especially consider activities involving actions enhancing social responsibility including humanitarian efforts, community service, civic engagement, and promotion of ethics.
Contribution to Industry
Individuals who have contributed to industry through education (including presentations and articles written), mentoring, promoting diversity, and leadership in professional organizations and trade associations.
Professional Accomplishments
Has performed well in his/her risk management and insurance career. Has been a life-long learner as demonstrated through continued professional education and certifications, and college degree programs.
**Submissions demonstrated examples of innovation appealing to the next generation are especially welcomed. .Stories illustrating perseverance and leadership in the face of adversity are also viewed favorably. An activity that an individual performed, was involved with, or had a particularly important and positive effect on the risk management and insurance industry would be given additional credit.**
This award would go to an individual whose activities inspire the next generation and bring honor and dignity to risk management and insurance professionals working in the risk management and insurance industry.
Please send email to james.jones@ilstu.edu with the following:
- Award Nominee’s name, contact information, and job title, and organizational affiliation.
- Individual making submission name, contact information, and job title.
- How award nominee meets the following criteria:
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- Work is inspiring and helps to enhance favorable reputation towards insurance industry
- Work is encouraging to next generation in considering a career in insurance
- Demonstrated professional accomplishment
- Demonstrated social responsibility
- Demonstrated contribution to industry (beyond professional accomplishment)
- Demonstrated innovation and leadership
2018 Hall of Fame Innovation and Leadership Award Winner
Karen Clark
President & Chief Executive Officer | Karen Clark & Co.
Karen Clark is Co-founder and CEO of Karen Clark & Company (KCC) and a leading global authority on catastrophe risk assessment and management. Ms. Clark developed the first catastrophe model and founded the first catastrophe modeling company, Applied Insurance Research, which subsequently became AIR Worldwide after acquisition by Insurance Services Office.
The probabilistic catastrophe modeling techniques and innovative technologies that Ms. Clark pioneered revolutionized the way insurers, reinsurers, and other financial institutions assess and manage their catastrophe risk. She continues to innovate and under her leadership, KCC is taking the powerful invention of the catastrophe model to the next level of sophistication by introducing the first open loss modeling platform.
Ms. Clark has been recognized for her contributions to the insurance industry, including being honored as Woman of the Year by the Association of Professional Insurance Women (APIW) in 2001. In 2007, she was honored with the Review Worldwide Reinsurance Award’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Ms. Clark has been honored with an award certificate for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize bestowed on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for her support of the work of the IPCC since its inception. In September 2008 she was named the Most Influential Woman in the reinsurance industry by Global Reinsurance and a Risk Innovator by Risk & Insurance Magazine. In May 2011, Reactions Magazine ranked Ms. Clark the 14th most influential person in the insurance industry over the last 30 years, and in 2012, National Underwriter named her the 6th most influential Living Legend.