Chris Lang Joins Spencer Board of Directors

Spencer leadership confirmed the addition of Christopher J. Lang, Global Placement Leader – US/Canada Division for Marsh to its Board of Directors. The appointment is effective as of September 2019.

A valued member of the insurance industry, Lang brings 32 years of diversified experience in global placement, relationship management, and underwriting to the Foundation. His professional service within the industry includes active engagement on various Carrier Advisory Boards, Marsh Resource groups and emerging talent mentoring. “Throughout his career, Chris has proven himself as a leader in the industry who exemplifies leadership and client service,” said Chairperson Marya Propis. “Spencer leadership is excited to welcome Chris Lang to its Board of Directors.  With his help and the continued support of Marsh as a key partner, we are even further enabled to deliver exceptional resources for tomorrow’s risk management and insurance leaders.”

Prior to his current responsibilities, Lang served within the Global Specialties organization as the Global Relationship Officer for AIG.  Preceding that role, Lang held a variety of roles in FINPRO, managing client and market relationships across the management and professional liability spectrum.  Before joining Marsh, he served in underwriting management roles at Continental Insurance Company and AIG.

Established in 1979, the Spencer Educational Foundation funds the education of tomorrow’s risk management and insurance leaders by awarding scholarships, facilitating internship opportunities, providing Risk Manager in Residence programs to universities, and awarding grants to help promote the industry to the next generation.

Marsh is the world’s leading insurance broker and risk adviser. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data driven risk solutions and advisory services. Marsh is a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With annual revenue approaching US$17 billion and 76,000 colleagues worldwide, MMC helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman. Follow Marsh on Twitter @MarshGlobal; LinkedIn; Facebook; and YouTube, or subscribe to BRINK.

Spencer Applications Now Open!

Internship Program

Internship grants of up to $7,500 are offered to RIMS member companies to administer a Spencer Student Internship Program locally. The deadline for application submissions is January 9, 2020.

Apply Here

Scholarship Programs

Spencer Offers three categories of scholarship to apply for.

Full Time Students

$5,000 undergraduate awards and $10,000 Graduate and Pre-Dissertation Ph.D. Awards

Application Deadline: January 31, 2020

Undergraduates Apply Here

Graduates Apply Here

Doctoral Candidates

Application Deadline: March 1, 2020

Apply Here

Part-Time Master Degree Students

Scholarships of up to $10,000 are awarded to practicing risk and insurance professionals in part-time Master programs. Amount based on tuition and employer reimbursement.

Applications Open: February 1, 2020

Application Deadline: May 1, 2020

Apply Here

Spencer Gala Raises $1.3M For The Next Generation of Risk Management and Insurance Professionals

2019 Spencer Gala Dinner Chair, Teresa M. Black

Industry Leaders M. Steven DeCarlo and David North Honored for Unwavering Support of Rising Risk and Insurance Professionals

More than 700 insurance and risk management executives gathered at the Spencer Educational Foundation’s (Spencer) annual fundraising gala on September 19 at the Midtown Hilton Hotel in New York. The group celebrated gala honorees M. Steven DeCarlo, executive chairman at AmWINS Group, Inc. and David North, chairman and CEO of Sedgwick. The event raised more than $1.3M that will fund the development of grants, scholarships, internship and other educational programming for the next generation of risk management and insurance professionals.

At the gala, Spencer honored Renata Bruno, a junior at St. John’s University. Renata is the first recipient of the Elizabeth Lisle Scholarship donated by the two-time Spencer Scholar Elizabeth Lisle. Also honored at the event was Varun Sivakumar, a senior at Temple University. Varun was the first recipient of the 2018 Steven Penman Memorial Scholarship donated by Sedgwick.

“The insurance industry and risk management profession are filled with countless opportunities for future business leaders, but it starts with providing these future leaders with the chance to succeed in the classroom,” said 2019 Spencer Gala Dinner Chair Teresa M. Black. “Today, more than ever before, businesses are counting on the ingenuity of these young professionals to address a myriad of cultural and technological changes. Spencer could not be more proud to bring this industry together, to celebrate the bright and talented students entering the profession and honor the generosity of this amazing professional community.”

Two-Time Spencer Scholar Megan Miller to Lead Foundation as Executive Director

Miller’s Nonprofit and Insurance Experience a “Winning Proposition” for Spencer

The Spencer Educational Foundation (Spencer) announced the addition of Megan Miller as the Foundation’s executive director. This is a new position and the appointment is effective immediately.

 At Spencer, Ms. Miller will oversee the Foundation’s day-to-day operations including the administration of grants, the Risk Manager in Residence program for universities, and the scholarship and internship programs that support undergraduate and graduate risk management and insurance students. Her responsibilities also include managing Spencer’s fundraising endeavors such as the Spencer Gala, golf outings, the Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge academic competition, the Spencer 5K Fun Run, and others.  

“As a Spencer Scholar myself, I know first-hand just how valuable this Foundation’s support is,” said Ms. Miller. “In addition to its already outstanding lineup of services, I look forward to working with the Spencer team and its esteemed Board Directors to identify new opportunities that pave the way for tomorrow’s risk management and insurance leaders.”

“Megan joins us with an outstanding skillset and background in both the insurance and risk management arena, combined with a long-standing dedication to philanthropic and humanitarian causes,” said Spencer Chair Marya Propis. “Her blend of leadership skills and altruism priorities made her unique candidacy a winning proposition. And, the best part of her story, Megan is a two-time Spencer Scholar. We are excited to gain her perspective and learn from her keen understanding of our mission and our ability to impact lives.”

Ms. Miller comes to Spencer with an extensive background in nonprofit management and working within the insurance and risk management space. Most recently, Ms. Miller was the executive director for The Sasamani Foundation where she managed an international team, developed strategic and fundraising plans and directed all aspects of its financial performance and viability.

Her work within in the insurance industry included employment at Beecher Carlson, Swiss Re , XL Insurance (now AXA XL) and FM Global.She earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Lehigh University and Master of Business Administration from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

Spencer Elects Lori Seidenberg to the Board of Directors

NEW YORK (April 15, 2015) – Spencer leadership confirmed the addition of Lori Seidenberg, ARM, director and the global head of real assets insurance risk management for BlackRock, Inc. to its Board of Directors. The appointment is effective immediately. A valued member of the risk management community, Lori brings 30 years of diversified experience in risk management and insurance to the Foundation. Her professional volunteerism within the industry includes serving on the RIMS Board of Directors from 2011-2015, as well as on RIMS New York Chapter Board of Directors from 2008 – 2010 and from 2018 – 2019. She also actively participates on the Chubb Real Estate and Hospitality Advisory Board and has presented at numerous industry events.

“Throughout her career, Lori has proven herself as a leader in risk management who unselfishly gives back to the profession through her volunteer work,” said Chairperson Marya Propis. “Spencer leadership is excited to welcome Lori Seidenberg to its Board of Directors and to continue to deliver exceptional resources for tomorrow’s risk management and insurance leaders now with her on our team.”

Prior to BlackRock, Lori was the senior risk manager at Fannie Mae Housing and Community Development and responsible for risk and insurance oversight of their entire multifamily portfolio, including rewriting the insurance guide after Hurricane Katrina. In 2018, she was recognized with the RIMS Ambassador Award and, in 2015, was honored by Business Insurance as one of their Women to Watch. Lori earned the Bachelor of Science in Business from California State University at Northridge.

Spencer funds NYU course to explore insurance data analytics

Spencer awarded a $50,000 grant to New York University’s Center for Data Science to pilot and develop a course that is focused on insurance and insurtech. The course is anticipated to be taught in Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Michel Léonard, PhD, CBE, who applied for the grant, will create and teach the course.

“We are excited to be investing in curriculum that ties into risk management and insurance industry priorities,” said Spencer Grant Committee Chairperson Andrea Dudek. “Data analytics has become a critical component in corporate and industry decision making. It is critical that our future leaders have the skills needed to make data valuable and actionable. We look forward to working with Dr. Léonard and NYU on this grant.”

Said Dr. Léonard, “The course will showcase the insurance industry’s leadership in expanding the use of A.I. in our daily lives, from self-driving cars to smart homes, cyber security, and predictive modeling, while providing the machine learning skills needed for students to succeed in insurance”

"We are excited to broaden our successful Data Science Masters Program with this offering connecting data science to insurance and insurtech,” said Julia Kempe, Director, NYU Center for Data Science. “This will significantly strengthen the profile of some of our students and prepare them as leading actors in the corporate sector.”

Established in 2013, under founding director Yann LeCun, the NYU Center for Data Science is a focal point for New York University’s university-wide initiative in data science and statistics. The Center was established to help advance NYU’s goal of creating the country’s leading data science training and research facilities, and arming researchers and professionals with tools to harness the power of big data. For more information, visit www.cds.nyu.edu.

Top nine risk management challenge teams named

Spencer is a proud supporter of the 2019 Spencer/RIMS Risk Management Challenge, and we would like to congratulate the top nine teams that will be traveling to the 2019 RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Boston to present their findings before a panel of distinguished industry judges. The nine teams are from (in alphabetical order): Appalachian State University, BCIT, Butler University, Florida State University, Fudan University, St. Joseph’s University, St. Mary’s University, Temple University and the University of Georgia.

To reach this stage in the competition, teams submitted a written paper on a case study. This year the case study involves IKEA. After each team makes its presentation on Sunday, the top three team will be identified and will present in a public session on Monday, April 29. The winner will be announced at the Spencer reception Monday evening.

Spencer kicks off 40th anniversary in Atlanta

The Foundation began its 40th anniversary celebration in the city where it was established — Atlanta. The Atlanta RIMS Chapter’s Education Conference served as the venue for the foundation to begin celebrating 40 years of funding the education of industry leaders.

Joining the celebration were Robert Spencer’s widow, Charlotte Spencer, and their daughter, Libby Swinson. Founding board member Jim Newton and his wife Judy also attended. A reception also was held for local alumni.

Here is a link to a video of the celebration, streamed live on Facebook. During the event, we debuted a new video:

The Atlanta chapter made a $25,000 contribution to Spencer. Over time, the chapter has contributed more than $500,000 to the foundation. The Chapter has established two named scholarships and has supported the foundation’s ongoing programs.

Foundation Chairperson Marya Propis with Spencer alumna Sunmi Hirata and LaKenya Young.

Celebrating Spencer’s 40th anniversary: Spencer alumni Paulus Ackah (far left), Julia Hellman (third on left) and Sunmi Hirata (far right) talk with Charlotte Spencer, Jim Newton, Judy Newton and Libby Swinson at a reception the night before the luncheon.

Spencer opens applications for 2019 scholarships and grants

Foundation highlights awards new scholarship opportunity in 2019

“For many years we have offered a Pre-Dissertation Ph.D. scholarship,” said Mr. Tim Meacham, Chair of the Scholarship Committee. “We need to make sure that there are professors in the schools to teach risk management and insurance and are pleased to extend our scholarships to doctoral candidates.”

The Doctoral Candidate Scholarship application will follow a slightly different schedule – opening in November 2019 with a deadline of March 1, 2020.

In 2019, two Doctoral Candidates were awarded $10,000 scholarships: Ms. Juan Zhang of Temple University and Ms. Chenyuan Liu of University of Wisconsin-Madison

2019: FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

“What’s new this year is that we are recognizing academic performance, leadership, community service and commitment to the industry,” said Tim Meacham, chairperson of the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee and COO of Lockton Benefit Companies. “The top five undergraduate applicants as determined by our committee will receive a $7,500 scholarship and named a Spencer Honors Scholar.”

Spencer awards undergraduate scholarships in the amount of $5,000 and Master and pre-dissertation scholarships in the amount of $10,000. Among the criteria students must meet are: they must be a full-time student for the full 2019-2020 academic year; have major or minor in risk management, insurance, actuarial science, business/finance; and have a GPA at or above 3.3. The full list of criteria can be found at https://www.spencered.org/students/scholarships/. Completed applications are due by January 31, 2019.

INTERNSHIP GRANTS

“Our grants enable risk managers to provide experiential learning opportunities to students,” said Marya J. Propis, chair of the Spencer’s Internship Committee and SVP, Director of Distribution& Broker Partnerships at All Risks, Ltd. “To keep pace with the job market, we are delighted to increase our grant from $5,000 to $7,500 for 2019.”

The Foundation will only be awarding 40 grants for 2019. Risk managers interested in applying for this grant should read the criteria. Applications must be completed by January 9, 2019.

Established in 1979, the Spencer Educational Foundation changes lives and propels careers by awarding scholarships, facilitating internship opportunities, providing a Risk-Manager-in-Residence program to universities, and awarding grants to help promote the industry to the next generation. For more information, visit www.spencered.org.

Spencer Awards 16 Part-time Master’s Scholarships

Total value of scholarships awarded for 2019 exceeds $600,000

June 27, 2019 (NEW YORK) – Spencer, the premier foundation supporting risk management and insurance education, awarded scholarships to 16 industry professionals who are seeking master’s degrees part-time. Each recipient was granted up to $10,000; a total of $148,315 was awarded. Combined with its full-time scholarships, the Foundation awarded 93 scholarships this year totaling $600,815. Since its inception, the Foundation has given out more than 1,143 scholarships.

Tim Meacham, Chair of the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee and COO of Lockton Benefits Companies congratulated the recipients, “These individuals are taking an important step to further their education. Their dedication and commitment to advancing themselves also helps advance the industry as a whole. We would also like to thank our donors, for making the education of tomorrow’s industry leaders possible and accessible.”

The 16 outstanding industry professionals receiving the scholarships this year can be found here:

Spencer Scholars are selected through a rigorous and competitive process. Criteria for evaluation include field of study, career objective, work experience, leadership skills and academic performance.

Applications for the Foundation’s Part-time Master’s Scholarships will be available on the Foundation’s website (www.spencered.org) in February, 2020.

Spencer is moving!

We’re moving offices! Our new address is effective June 4th.

Starting at 12:00pm (eastern time) on Thursday May 31st, we will close the office and suspend our phone and e-mail service as we physically move to our new space. Our website should be unaffected. We will be available to speak and respond to e-mails on Monday, June 4.

Our new address is:

Spencer Educational Foundation
1407 Broadway, 29th Fl.
New York, NY 10018

2018 Spencer/Gallagher Golf Tournament Results

Spencer announces new leadership

Board names new chairwoman and elects new officers, board members

C. Zakia Phillips

The Spencer Educational Foundation announced that its board has elected new officers as well as new board members. C. Zakia Phillips, formerly of Willis Towers Watson, was elected Chairwoman for 2018-19 and five new board members were named: Dr. Cassandra Cole (Florida State University), Andrea Dudek (Accenture), Stephen Grabek (AIG), Dr. Weili Lu (California State University – Fullerton), and Debbie Michel (Liberty Mutual).

New Spencer Board members: Front row (l to r): Dr. Cassandra Cole (Florida State University) and Dr. Weili Lu (California State University – Fullerton). Back row (l to r):  Andrea Dudek (Accenture), Stephen Grabek (AIG), and Debbie Michel (Liberty Mutual).

Serving with Phillips on the Foundation’s Executive Committee will be Marya J. Propis (formerly of AIG) -- president, Robin Joines (Sedgwick) – vice president, Matthew Schneider (Aon) – secretary, and Peter Heard (Travelers) – treasurer.

“I look forward to working with the board as we continue,” said Phillips. “I would be remiss if I did not thank and acknowledge the great contributions made by our outgoing chair Ron Davis and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of departing board members Peggy Accordino, Roger Andrews and Debbie Rodgers.”

Phillips worked at Willis Towers Watson for ten years, most recently as the East Region Director for Corporate Risk and Broking, Large Accounts. She provided her colleagues and their clients with thought leadership, strategy, coordinated relationship management and other assistance for those large, complex corporate accounts. Her broking experience also includes work at Aon. Prior to being a broker, she was an Executive Director in the Risk and Insurance Management Department of Morgan Stanley, where she worked for 23 years. Phillips graduated with honors from the State University of New York, she is a licensed New York insurance Broker and has her ARM certification. She has been actively involved in RIMS where she served on the board of the New York Chapter for a number of years and is a Past President. She has served on the Foundation’s board since 2013.

Spencer alumna provides named scholarship

Spencer alumna Elizabeth Lisle. She received scholarships in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and is now the principal of Silvient, Inc.

New scholarship looks to the convergence of insurance and technology

The Spencer Educational Foundation announced that one of its alumna, Elizabeth Lisle, has made a donation to create a named scholarship. The new scholarship will be given in Mrs. Lisle's name to a student who is studying risk management and insurance as well as technology. This is the first scholarship funded by a past recipient.

"This scholarship will recognize those students who see how insurance and technology/MIS are converging," said Mrs. Lisle, a three-time Spencer scholarship recipient.  "It is a joy to be able to return a small measure of all that Spencer has done for me since my very first interview in 1995.  The encouragement and support of Spencer and RIMS leadership over the last two decades have been an incredible gift."

"We are delighted that Elizabeth is funding this scholarship and paying it forward," said Ron Davis, Chairman of the Spencer Educational Foundation and EVP, Head of Customer Management for Zurich. "Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the industry and this scholarship will recognize up-and-coming talent that will help drive future innovation."

Mrs. Lisle received Spencer's scholarships in 1995, 1996 and 1997 while studying at Georgia State University. She is the Principal of Silvient, Inc., a risk technology consulting company. She is a member of the Foundation's Alumni Committee and has previously served on the Scholarship Committee.

The first Elizabeth Meldrum Lisle Spencer Scholarship will be awarded in 2019. Students receiving this scholarship will need to meet the academic criteria set by the Foundation's Scholarship Committee. In addition, they need to be pursuing a major, minor, or certificate in MIS, technology, computer science or similar discipline.

Foundation grants 70 full-time scholarships; Exceeds 1,000 cumulative scholarships awarded

The Spencer Educational Foundation named 70 full-time undergraduate, graduate and Pre-dissertation Ph.D. students as its 2018 Spencer Scholars. The students, selected and screened from a record pool of more than 730 applicants, represent 28 schools. These awards bring the number of scholarships awarded by the Foundation to 1,051. The Foundation awarded 62 undergraduate scholarships ($5,000 each), five master’s scholarships ($10,000 each) and three pre-Ph.D. dissertation scholarships ($10,000 each). A total of $390,000 was given out.

See the full list of 2018 Undergraduate and Graduate scholarship recipients.

“These scholarship recipients represent the future of our industry and, based on their collective credentials, our industry will be in very good hands,” said Tim Meacham, Spencer’s Scholarship Committee Chairman COO of Lockton Benefits Companies. “Since our inception, we have awarded more than one thousand scholarships. These students have been and continue to be among the best and brightest students entering the workplace and we thank our donors for their generosity which allows us to continue our mission by providing them with these scholarships.”

The Foundation’s scholarships are merit-based and take into consideration academics, leadership, industry interest and experience. Each application was reviewed by every committee member.

Named scholarships

In addition to 33 general undergraduate scholarships, the Foundation awarded 29 named undergraduate scholarships. All those scholarships are for $5,000. The named scholarships have been sponsored by: Allied World, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Chubb, FM Global, Liberty Mutual, Lockton Companies, RIMS Atlanta Chapter, RIMS Chicago Chapter, RIMS Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter, RIMS New Jersey Chapter, RIMS New York Chapter, RIMS, Sedgwick, St. John’s University, XL Catlin, and Zurich.

While announced last year, this is the first year that the Steven Penman Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Sedgwick is being awarded. It was given to Varun Sivakumar, a junior at Temple University double majoring in Risk Management and Insurance and Finance.

The Foundation also awards risk managers pursuing part-time master’s degrees up to $10,000 scholarships. The deadline for these scholarship applications is May 1. Learn more about the Part-time Master’s Scholarship

Foundation awards 40 internship grants

Karrie Honnaka at Alexander & Baldwin’s recently renovated Kalaheo hydro facility on Kauai, HI as part of her risk management summer internship in 2017.

The Spencer Educational Foundation announced that 40 companies will have the opportunity to hire a summer risk management intern because of $5,000 grants they each will receive from the Foundation. The Foundation acknowledges the RIMS Northeast Florida Chapter and the Risk and Insurance Management Society for their continued sponsorship of this program. The full list of grant recipients can be seen here.

“Spencer has a proven record of providing experiential learning opportunities to students. Our internship program is a prime example,” said Roger Andrews, Chairman of Spencer’s Internship Grant Committee. “As the industry celebrates Insurance Careers Month, we are excited to announce these 40 internship grants that will provide students hands-on experience in a corporate risk management department. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.7 million in internship grants — including $200,000 this year — to expose students to a dynamic industry with vast career potential. We appreciate the industry’s support of this program and thank our generous sponsors.”

Fore!

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will host the the 27th Annual Spencer/Gallagher Golf Tournament on April 15, 2018 at the Hill Country Golf Club in San Antonio, TX. The event benefits the Spencer Educational Foundation.

This event is one of the largest fundraising events each year to benefit the Spencer Educational Foundation.

For more information about playing in or sponsoring the event, please visit: https://www.ajg.com/s/spencer-gallagher-golf-tournament/2018-spencergallagher-home/

Open

Spencer Educational Foundation has opened the application process for its 2018 scholarships and grants. These include:

• Full-time undergraduate scholarships — Selected individuals are awarded a $5,000 scholarship. The application deadline is January, 31,2018. Click here for criteria.
• Full-time graduate & pre-dissertation Ph.D. scholarships — Selected individuals are awarded a $10,000 scholarship. The application deadline is January, 31,2018. Click here for criteria.
• Summer internship grants — Awarded to risk managers’ companies to hire a student in the risk management department (Grant amount is $5,000). The application deadline is January 9, 2018. Click here for criteria
• Risk Manager in Residence grants — These are $4,000 grants awarded to colleges/universities to bring risk managers to their campus to speak with students. The application deadline is April 1, 2018.
  • Risk Managers: Your participation is needed. We need individuals who are willing to go to schools and share their (and their company’s) story. For more information, please click here

The application portal for all programs can be accessed here.