Michael Paulin is divisional CIO and managing director of IT at AF Group, which encompasses the group’s property/casualty companies. He has overall responsibility for technology strategy and execution. Prior to joining AF Group, he held CIO roles at H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox. He holds BBA and MBA degrees from Grand Valley State University and an MS in computer science from the University of Michigan. He spoke with Novarica in mid-April during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Large scale technology projects and pandemics have something in common—they can both be a drain on an organization’s culture. During challenging times like these, I am reminded of the value of having partners in this industry and the characteristics that make partnerships great.
As a 2020 Charter Leader of the Novarica Women’s Network, I had the pleasure of speaking with Novarica Vice President Nancy Casbarro at our first Virtual Meeting on the topic of networking. Networking has always been a huge part of my professional life.
It is always interesting to consider just how different the beachfront looks between low tide and high. Rocky bottoms and treacherous submerged objects can emerge when the tide rolls out, and these serious issues can warrant major course correction to avoid getting hurt. Or worse.
As global investors observe the value of their retirement savings plummeting and as tens of millions face sudden unemployment, how should the retirement industry be supporting its customers through communications and other services, especially for investors who lack ongoing access to a financial advisor? For most of the roughly half of U.S. workers who have a retirement account, the primary source of guidance and information will come from retirement plan providers and self-directed investment firms. As these communications start to make their way to investors through emails and online communications, we have a few preliminary observations to share.