Big Challenge

Hello everyone! In this first Opening Note, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Young Ha and I am Insurance Journal‘s new East editor. I am actually struggling mightily to find the right words to introduce myself to you and express how lucky I feel and how much I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

My predecessor Kenneth J. St. Onge did a fantastic job for the magazine. I promise that I will do my best to keep it great and make it the best news resource possible for insurance professionals.

It will be challenging. Reporting insurance news is tough. This is a highly complex industry with a long history, and becoming knowledgeable takes time. (I become humbled every time I interview industry professionals. Every time I learn something new, it dawns on me that there are literally a million more facts I need to study.)

This is one of the most important economic sectors a reporter can cover.

So much of our business and personal lives are intertwined with this industry, it would be nearly impossible to embark on any activity without it. Thanks to insurance, people get reimbursements for losses from auto accidents, property theft, and fire and storm damage; medical expenses, loss of income from disability or death; and pretty much every possible risk.

This industry is also a major jobs provider, employing more than 2.2 million in the U.S. Hard-working insurance professionals are the true backbone of our economy, keeping our economy running smoothly every day.

Being an editor of Insurance Journal is an honor — and a big challenge. Since 1923, Insurance Journal has been a trusted source of news for countless professionals. For me, it’s also a bit like becoming a crew member of a ship on a long voyage, sailing to discover new ideas.

I certainly will not sail alone. I will be working alongside some of the most talented reporters, writers, columnists and editors in our industry. And the publication is at the cutting edge of technology, with highly popular apps for iPad, iPhone, Kindle and Android. (We were also the first in the insurance industry to launch daily e-mail newsletters, back in 2000.)

The most important member of our team is you. You’ve helped Insurance Journal become a major publication in our field. I hope you won’t hesitate to contact me with your comments, your criticisms and your suggestions. Tell me what you want to know! Tell me what you’re doing in your business that others could learn from. What are the emerging trends and what’s causing the change? Let me know if you see problems in our industry that are not getting enough attention. Remember, this magazine is yours, so tell us what we are doing right and where we can improve. Thank you for reading Insurance Journal.