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Once again we find ourselves in a market dynamic that has everybody thinking one way and acting the exact opposite. You too can be a leader in the industry with unique tools and value added education. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride as we tell the story of an organization entering its next quarter century with pride, passion and at the forefront of leading education.

As this article goes to print, the Society has more than 6,600 members active in 25 countries throughout the world. By the end of the current membership cycle, PLUS is expecting to grow to over 7,000 members. There are clear benefits to being part of an organization the size of PLUS .

At the International Conference and educational Symposia, PLUS is able to present thought leader s like Bill Clinton, Malcolm Gladwell, Condoleezza Rice, Steve Wozniak, and Tony Blair, as well as bring thousands of industry professionals together in one location. As a result, every attendee at these events has a chance to learn from panel discussions lead by subject matter specialists, fulfill continuing education (CE/CLE) requirements, and network with their peers.

Simply being large isn’t what’s important, though. Everyone at PLUS knows that each of the members value the ability to differentiate themselves in a very competitive industry. The staff and volunteer leaders of PLUS are evolving to personalize the member experience so each PLUS member can make their membership work for them.

For professionals 35 and under, you can connect through the newly created Future PLUS membership level. Formed in 2011, the Future PLUS Committee is hard at work making the member experience more relevant for the next generation of professional liability leaders.

If you value specialized, industry-focused education, I would encourage you to attend one of the educational Symposia, Chapter Events, or to check out the updated PLUS Curriculum . If you can’t get away from your office, sit in on a topical webinar (or watch a recorded presentation in the members-only multimedia library), or search the archive of Journal articles and find exactly the information you need.

Looking for professional development that shows the commitment you have to your craft? I would encourage you to join more than 1,900 other professionals who have earned the Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation. If you want to really be one of the few, you can continue your studies and join the 19 people who have earned the RPLU+ designation.

PLUS offers many ways to connect on the local level as well. You can attend a local event at one of the 14 Chapters, or volunteer with the PLUS Foundation on a Chapter Charity Event. I would also encourage you to join the conversation by participating in the vibrant PLUS LinkedIn group, blog and Twitter account. With PLUS you don’t just listen to the conversation, you can become an active participant in it.

As we review a plethora of years in a declining market and end 2011, we are sure to be challenged in many ways in 2012. The equity market is well…moving up and down, the government is finding its way into more corporations to better understand how they operate and the costs/expenses associated with Professional Liability related insurance continues to rise.

At PLUS, we will improve our products, announce new offerings and continue to build out this leading institution in myriad ways. Stay tuned!

ZOOM® is Beecher Carlson’s patent pending business process that combines the science of predictive analytics and data mining with hands-on claims consulting and loss control engineering expertise. Over the last seven years, Beecher Carlson has continued to advance the ZOOM® process. This has led to claims reduction results for a number of the world’s largest corporations ranging from 12 to 55%.

The latest enhancements ensure clients benefit from the most up-to-date statistical methods and data mining algorithms. They also automate Beecher Carlson’s base reporting capabilities; thereby, improving the speed with which ZOOM® analysts can uncover the otherwise unnoticed trends and anomalies in clients’ casualty loss data.

“Dr. Priestley and her team are working with our ZOOM® analytics team to guarantee the continuous improvement of our predictive claims models and the soundness of our statistical techniques”, says Steve Denton, Beecher Carlson’s President and ZOOM® architect. ”Furthermore, our recent investments in the areas of data management and data warehousing will help to pave the way for future innovation within ZOOM® by enhancing the informational reservoir which is used to power these models and reports.”

Since 2005, Beecher Carlson has built a multi-disciplined team of over 25 professionals dedicated to driving down the largest cost in many clients’ casualty programs – self-insured and retained claims cost. The specialists on the team include claims consultants, claims adjusting specialists, statistical analysts, actuaries, loss control engineers, technology specialists, project management executives and casualty insurance brokers.

To learn more about ZOOM®, please visit www.beechercarlson.com/innovations/zoom .