Transforming the Claims Process: An Interview with Brian Cohen

Brian Cohen has long been recognized as one of the most dynamic thought leaders in the insurance industry.  As a senior executive with Farmers insurance, Brian led several highly successful business units.  As the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sales, he was instrumental in driving fundamental changes in the company’s sales process.  He also was involved with Farmer’s efforts to improve their claims operations.  After Farmers, Mr. Cohen became President and CEO of Clear Technology, a global software provider to the insurance industry, which was acquired in 2008 by Versata Enterprises.

You can find articles authored by Brian in numerous insurance publications.  He is also a frequent speaker at various insurance industry conferences.  Most recently, he spoke on the topic of insurance claims management at the ISOTECH 2008 conference held in Las Vegas this past November.

Brian is not shy to voice his opinion about things that insurance companies should do differently.  We had the opportunity to catch up with Brian at the end of 2008 and get his take on the opportunities that lie ahead for insurance companies. Following are excerpts from our conversation.