Lineup includes astronaut Scott Parazynski, senior Celent analyst Michael Fitzgerald, and insurance leaders from top carriers
Boston – February 26, 2019 – Duck Creek Technologies revealed today the full roster of speakers who will be presenting this year at Formation ’19, Duck Creek’s flagship annual conference. The event will be held at Turnberry Isle resort in Miami, FL from March 31st to April 2nd, and will feature keynote addresses from, among many distinguished speakers:
- Scott Parazynski: Astronaut, Everest climber, author, physician, pilot, and inventor. In his 17 years as an astronaut, Parazynski served in numerous senior leadership roles, including Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Branch Chief and Lead Astronaut for Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System Inspection & Repair in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. Mission highlights include serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal physician” during STS-95 and conducting EVA-assembly of the Canadian-built space station arm during STS-100. Awards received by Parazynski include: five NASA Spaceflight Medals, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, two Vladimir Komarov Diplomas from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, and two Flight Achievement Awards from the American Astronomical Association. He is also a member of the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame and was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland. In May 2016 he was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.
- Michael Fitzgerald, CPCU, MBA, PMP: Senior Analyst at Celent. Fitzgerald’s research focuses on innovation, emerging technologies (blockchain, artificial intelligence), billing, business process and operations, social media, and distribution management. At Formation ’19, he will reveal results of a months-long international research project measuring carriers’ ability to keep pace with change in P&C insurance.
- Tracey Berg: President of Cerity. A subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc., Cerity is a direct-to-consumer company dedicated to reimagining the way small businesses purchase and maintain their workers’ compensation insurance. Prior to the formation of Cerity, Berg held the positions of EVP, Chief Innovation Officer and EVP, Chief Information Officer at Employers. Over 25 years, she has held a variety of roles in insurance and technology. Berg holds Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
- Darryl Catts: CIO, Insurance IT at AXIS Insurance. Catts led a multi-year enterprise transformation program including technology re-platforming and product / process redesign at AXIS that has supported growth 40% above plan, financial returns at 250% of initial estimates, and a 75% improvement in quote times for many lines of business – all of which contributed to AXIS earning a 2018 Novarica Impact Award, one of the largest peer-juried awards in the insurance industry.
- Kardiner Cadet: Senior Vice President of StarStone’s eCommerce Division. With more than 22 years of experience in property and casualty insurance, Cadet is responsible for ongoing operations and evolving the division’s digital strategy. He recently led a transformative business intelligence project that improved StarStone’s loss ratio significantly while also streamlining underwriting and increasing the carrier’s net promoter score.
In all, more than 20 speakers will present at this year’s Formation, which has rapidly become the premier SaaS event in the P&C insurance space due to its innovative and engaging speakers, group sessions, and product and feature introductions.
“Duck Creek’s mission has always been to provide carriers with the solutions they need to make work more productive and more efficient, and to position them well for the future through digital technologies,” said Duck Creek CEO Michael Jackowski, who will also deliver a keynote speech. “This year at Formation ’19, we will be introducing products and features that further differentiate the Duck Creek Platform and Duck Creek OnDemand as the tools modern insurers need to succeed in an ever-changing marketplace. Add to that an amazing lineup of speakers, and we’re confident that attendees will leave the event with a clear blueprint for the future.”
Carrier registration for Formation ’19 is now open. To learn more or to register for this year’s event, go to www.duckcreek.com/formation19.
About Duck Creek Technologies:
Duck Creek Technologies paves a genuine path to the future for P&C insurance companies. Decades of insurance experience underpin advanced technologies specifically designed to accommodate change – allowing carriers to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. All of the company’s offerings are available standalone or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand, the provider’s SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.
