ICBA Broker testimonials and outlook for 2011

ICBA independent brokers share their thoughts about the opportunities for 2011 as presented at the ICBA two-day Global Sales Conference held late in 2010.

The event allowed employees within the ICBA broker family to network, participate in nuts-and-bolts prospecting and lead sharing seminars, and learn more about ICBA’s ability to combine local service with global coordination to provide trade, credit and political risk insurance solutions for multinational companies. ICBA independent brokers believe the opportunities presented at this event will add to ICBA successes in the coming year.

"In the past ICBA Italy approached small and medium sized companies. We have now changed our focus and can also concentrate on multinational companies because of the opportunities presented by ICBA partnership. The recent conference delivered concrete business opportunities and aided our team's ability to approach large companies in every sector." – Diana Santin is Account Manager with Assiconsult SRL Insurance Brokers – ICBA Italy.

"Within the ICBA, members’ knowledge of their own territories is so useful. Each member knows their market and what is going on in their area. Yet, both local and global customers benefit because ICBA offers good premiums leveraged with global insurance companies. It is amazing what the ICBA offers and how ICBA is participating as a major global trade credit insurance force in the industry." – Danielle Thwaites is Branch Manager with Enhanced Finance and Credit Insurance Solutions (EFCIS) – ICBA UK.

Credit insurance brokers improve performance and results by using yesterday’s progress as the zero point and aiming higher each day

By Rob Downey

Commercial airline passengers benefit everyday from flight crews who, by law, tradition and training, follow pre-flight checklists. My view is that the use of checklists to maintain high standards in the performance of important recurring team tasks should be studied in business schools.  What has this got to do with trade credit insurance, trade finance and the management of political risks?  ICBA USA uses a wide variety of lists in our global brokerage business to assist, educate, and guide ourselves as well as our global credit-insured clientele.

One of the most recent and striking confirmations of the efficacy of using lists as touchstones to guide high performance comes from the medical profession.  In case you have not heard it, I synopsize below the story of how empowered nurses armed with checklists in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Johns Hopkins Medical Center managed to dramatically improve patient outcomes at what was already one of the world’s finest hospitals.

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