Cohen Tells NAPSLO: Americans At An Intersection Between Terror, Technology
Orlando – Since 9/11, Americans have been living in a world at an intersection between terrorism and technology, former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, explained during the opening of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Ltd. (NAPSLO) 30th anniversary conference. Cohen was the 20th Secretary of Defense during the Clinton Administration between 1997 and 2001.
During his Sept. 21 presentation, Cohen said that central issues to the insurance industry are because everyone became complacent, lazy, indifferent and dropped their defenses. “This made us vulnerable, terrorists took advantage of our pride, openness and low security.”
Cohen warned Americans to recognize the role of religion and culture in the overall world picture and that there are people who hate the United States because it is seen as too powerful, arrogant and undiplomatic.
Mergers, acquisitions and long-term trends were discussed during a mid-morning presentation by Steven S. Wevodau, and Robert J. Lieblein, both with WFG Capital Advisors LP. They discussed agency consolidations, consolidators objectives and a broad range of other trends and developments. Developing a successful acquisition strategy, key reasons for failure and lessons learned from past acquisitions were highlighted by Lieblein.
The Sept. 22 schedule includes a presentation by Astronaut Sally K. Ride, Ph.D. entitled “Reach for the Stars,” at 9 a.m. in the conference center. This will be followed by a panel discussion on “Building Relationships Among the Retailer, Wholesaler and Company,” moderated by Mark Wells, publisher of Insurance Journal.