PLUS MISSION: PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH ACCESS TO USEFUL INFORMATION

International expansion and Web site development
are highlights of the last year

Providing PLUS members and members of the professional liability insurance industry overall with valuable information about major issues which affect their business is the primary role of the Society, according to PLUS President William R. Mullin, senior vice president of the American Professional Agency, Inc., Amityville, New York. "In today's volatile property and casualty insurance marketplace, and especially in the area of professional liability, where new exposures are arising every day and where new products are being developed to meet those exposures, making information available about those new exposures and products is our most important function."

PLUS President William R. Mullin

Personally, during this past year as president of PLUS, Mullin said his role has been one of continuing the excellent work that had been done by his predecessors. "Over the last three years," he said, "PLUS has emerged as one of the major insurance associations in the insurance industry. Membership is up, new chapters are being added and our international reach has widened with chapters in Canada and London.

"However," continued Mullin, "I take pride in the fact that my role has been to continue the good work that was begun by those who came before me. For example, this year we have enhanced the RPLU program and we will have more graduates this year. These people need and want continuing education so that they can keep abreast of the changes that are taking place in the marketplace."

Mullin said also that PLUS is taking advantage of the electronic age by working to develop a library of information that can be easily accessed by members. "We have already developed a Web site that our members are using with great success and we are fine-tuning that. Moreover, we are developing a community service unit and, in September, we will be having a meeting to look over the first draft of that proposal and discuss it. I am excited that we have some of the most dynamic insurance professionals working on the project."

Mullin said that, on the international front, PLUS had its first event this year in London in conjunction with another organization, and that around April of next year PLUS plans to have its own event there. "We had a very successful Directors' and Officers' symposium this year here in January and we are planning other such educational forums for later this year.

"It is so important," continued Mullin, "to educate our members on the trends that are taking place in the professional liability business. Our national conference discusses important issues overall, but we believe our strength is in presenting specialized events focusing on specific issues."

The PLUS president maintains that these special events are important, not only to provide members with information, but also to provide an impetus for developing new products and services.

Mullin said he also takes great pride in the fact that PLUS has brought on a new general counsel in a staff position. "Prior to this we had marvelous assistance from someone who was doing yeoman's work. But with our increased activities, it just wasn't fair to have one volunteer do all that work. Our new staff general counsel will work with that volunteer to assist us in our contractual obligations with all our events in addition to other legal matters."

On the subject of volunteers, Mullin is particularly proud. "The efforts of our volunteers all over the country, I can truly say, have made this organization what it is today. There is no way that we would have arrived to where we are today without our volunteers. During this year, I have felt like a helmsman steering the ship in the right direction, with those coming before me having set the course." *