General Average (GA) is an often overlooked and poorly understood risk with significant financial consequences for cargo owners. Navigating through a GA can be a difficult and frustrating experience for logistics providers and cargo owners, but it doesn’t have to be.

Join us on Wednesday, February 24th at 12pm CT as our panelists delve into the details about what you and your cargo owner clients can expect when a General Average is declared. They will share lessons learned from hands-on claims experience and provide answers to FAQs about General Average. This information is intended to help you and your clients avoid frustration and delays when the next GA occurs.

Last updated on December 8th, 2020

It is with tremendous sorrow that I must inform you that Billie Sullivan passed away early on the morning of December 1, 2020 rather unexpectedly with heart complications. Fortunately her beloved son was by her side. Billie had two children, Sean and Nicole and three grandchildren, Chloe, Michael and Ryan, and she had been excitedly awaiting one due in the next few weeks.

Billie Sullivan, Vice President Underwriting, had worked for Roanoke for 40 years, and her claim to fame was bringing Roanoke the ‘Transportation Advantage Policy’ (TAP) when she joined the company (some remember it was once called the ‘Anduril’ program). She worked in Roanoke’s Long Beach office, closely with Gina Patterson for decades. Billie and Gina supported all of the Roanoke offices and clients with dedicated TAP service and underwriting, and did so with passion. Concerning her long and formative time spent with Billie, Gina says,

“I was very surprised when I received the opportunity to work with Billie in my 2nd month at Roanoke.  It turned out that she had asked for me out of a field of other candidates, and as I grew to know her, I realized it was due to her appreciation of the curiosity that drove me – one curious mind to another. Billie had a pure love of learning and acquiring new information.  She thought I was absolutely crazy to pursue designated studies, but she supported me in my academics nevertheless.  As I frequently would tell her “inquiring minds gotta know!”

Her dedication to her clientele was fierce – her motto was that if she taught her clients how to correctly use insurance to improve and protect their businesses, that would be the best way to educate them and ultimately keep them out of business pitfalls, and she was exceptionally good at all of it.  She made dedicated friends with most of her clients who remained steadfastly loyal to her for decades. They loved her.

Billie would share her years of experience and knowledge with anyone who asked. When presented with a dilemma, she would work the figures and terms/conditions until she came up with a solution that worked for everyone. The transportation industry, Roanoke Insurance Group, her clients, and her colleagues all lost one of the brightest and most experienced minds in the domestic transportation fields with her passing, and I lost a mentor, a friend and a soul sister.”

Billie’s understanding of the transportation-related insurance needs of our clients, and her connection with the logistics industry, ran deep. In fact, Billie was the first woman to set foot into Lloyd’s of London to conduct transportation insurance business of this nature. Early in her career faxing was the optimal mode of communication, so underwriters never saw or heard her—they just knew that this “Billie” character had a good book of business. When the Lloyd’s underwriter finally met her for the first time in London, he said “You’re Billie?!? Good gracious, we always thought you were a man!” It was not normal for women to be in this business, and that is why many refer to her as a trailblazer. Billie loved this story, just as much as she loved sharing her knowledge of the business with anyone wanting to learn. I am blessed to be one of the people she taught and I am just a long list of those she helped and supported in their careers.

One of those whose life and career was blessed by Billie is Vice President of Business Development, Glenn Patton. Patton says,

“When I started Roanoke at the age of 26, Billie took me under her wing and taught me everything she could. I so admired how much she knew and how well respected she was in the industry. I had the privilege of working with her for 22 years and even till the day she passed, I was always learning from her. Billie was not only a mentor to me, but she was like a second mom, always looking out for me. I will miss Billie dearly.”

Another Roanoke colleague who was deeply impacted by her long tenure working with Billie, Karen Rzeszutko, Vice President Head of Underwriting says,

“It was a privilege and honor to have worked with Billie.  She was a pillar in the industry, supportive, gracious and kind.  She will so deeply be missed by me and those who had the great honor of knowing her.”

And Rick Bridges, VP of Business Development, shares a story of Billie’s devotion to helping our clients,

“Thanksgiving is a time in which I always look back to how much of a mentor Billie was to me and advocate she was to our clients for one particular experience that I will never forget. A client at the time had the contract to deliver the ballots following the invasion of Iraq. This was to be ten 747s from four countries delivering ballots to a still hostile region. Most insurers would have run away at the prospect of insuring this, but Billie’s perseverance convinced underwriters to insure this and on Thanksgiving day of 2004 we got it done. All that aside, she will be missed as a friend, confidant, and a true pillar of knowledge. She is a bright star shining down on all of us.”

Other interesting facts about Billie surround her longtime seat on the AEMCA Board, active member of the LAACA, and participation on the Planning Committee for the highly acclaimed AirCargo Conference. If you ever forgot to dot an “i” or cross a “t”, she was there to fix it, and if you were ever new to attending an association event or conference, all you had to do is stick by Billie’s side, and you’d know all the key players before the end of the night. It was like you’d instantly become recognized and significant, just because you knew Billie!

Without a doubt, there is and will always be a ‘Billie Fan Club’ among the TAP clients she developed over the years, demonstrated by their fierce loyalty with decades of client retention. Billie is a shining example for all of us—that being a person who cares about others, lifts them up and supports them will reap the benefits of loyalty and meaningful relationships in return.

Here is Billie’s bio and a link to her WIT-LA Global Trade Catalyst Award recognition.

Our hearts and prayers are with Billie’s family, friends and colleagues. I, along with you, will personally cherish many fond memories and remember her always.

Karen M. Groff, President
Roanoke Insurance Group, Inc.

Last updated on November 16th, 2020

Customs Bond Roundtable Webinar

Thursday, December 3rd at 12:00pm CT

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? Soon many will be building snowmen, hanging stockings and competing to find out who has the best ugly sweater. Before the frenzy begins, we hope you will make plans to join us for a special holiday edition of our Customs Bond Roundtable webinar series. These webinars are designed to focus on the issues that matter most to you, our customers and partners.

Because financial fallout from COVID-19 and recent trade wars are causing underwriters to examine your clients’ bonds more closely than ever. Your active participation in a surety risk assessment is very important, so we’ve arranged for some of Santa’s best helpers to share insightful tips to help you through the process:

• Be aware of current conditions influencing underwriters such as economics, the pandemic, and market capacity changes.
• Make accurate bond sufficiency projections to avoid unnecessary mid-term increase demands.
• Prepare for the underwriters’ review process—client financial statements are more important than ever.
• Leverage the importer’s history and profile and your relationship to help advocate for your client.
• Utilize Roanoke’s library of bond sufficiency and renewal tools and guides.

We know these surety risk assessments can be challenging for you and your client. That’s why we hope you will join our speakers Colleen Clarke, Jennifer Rome, Maya Mackey and Patrice Lafayette to learn a few ways to improve those difficult bond underwriting conversations with your clients and ensure smooth and streamlined renewals.

The NEI has approved this webinar for 1 CCS/CES credit.

WESCCON is the premier annual gathering of Freight Forwarders, NVOCC’s & Customs Brokers and this year is no different! Join us virtually on October 22-23 and tune into our sponsored session with Terry Cummings, Amanda Barlow and Patrice Lafayette.

Thursday, October 22

Session begins: 3:55pm

How has your business fared during the pandemic?  Are you well positioned to handle the challenges of another crisis? Roanoke Trade presents: 

Planning, Preparedness and Protection – What you need to know and do before a disaster hits

In this presentation we will discuss:

• How to develop a business continuity plan
• How to prepare for the unique business challenges different types of disasters create
• What role insurance plays in protecting your business.

Cybercrime incidents have increased 300% since March. For those that fall victim to an attack, the average downtime is 3 days. These hackers have the logistics and warehouse industry in their line-of-sight. 

It can (and may) happen to you. Don’t let it! To learn how to avoid the worst-case scenario, please join our webinar to hear “3 Keys to a Sound Cyber Risk Management Plan.” 

1. Awareness of current cyber threats and trends including social engineering, phishing, ransomware attacks, and application hacks.
2. Best practices for prevention including staff training and developing an effective response plan.
3. Cyber coverage to ensure you have the right insurance to properly manage the costs and downtime of a breach.

We’ll share new insights and the signs and signals of social engineering, phishing and application attacks. We’ll also review the best practices to train your employees. And, we’ll make sure to review how insurance can help you recover from a breach. 

It’s a good investment of your time.  And to make sure you get a return on your investment, we’ll provide you with a free cyber risk report card. 

Join TIA every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET. This interactive webinar series provides participants with an opportunity to learn and engage with industry peers during these times of social distancing and teleworking.

On Thursday, October 1st Roanoke’s Grant Goldsmith will present “Everybody Wants Warehousing – A Guide to Warehouse Risk Management Solutions.”

The pandemic is driving an increased need for warehousing solutions. Because of this demand, many Logistics Service Professionals are receiving warehousing service requests from their client base. Is now the right time for you to consider offering warehousing services? What are the risks associated with Warehousing? How does Warehouse Risk differ from normal Property Broker Risk?

This discussion will answer these questions and help you to consider offering Warehousing as a service in the future.

G-TEC’s 2020 Virtual Conference

We are pleased to be a sponsor of this year’s G-TEC 2020 virtual conference! Although we can’t meet face-to-face as we did last conference, doesn’t mean we can not interact with one another.

This year we’ve set up a Slack Channel! You can find us at #sponsor-roanoke-insurance-group and while visiting, you can secure educational content everyday! Since we are social distancing, be sure to leave a message on our channel comprised of your favorite emojis. You will automatically be entered into our drawing for a $50 gift card!

A Fresh Look at Managing the Fallout of Trade Wars, Supply Chain Disruptions and Limited Insurance Capacity

Join us on Wednesday, July 22nd for a webinar that will review current issues in warehousing, including the trend toward increased customer inventories as a direct result of the trade war with China and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have challenged the prior model of “just in time delivery” and lean static inventories.

We hope that you gain valuable insights from this webinar and can apply what you learn to your business operations.

We will discuss the following in this webinar:

• Risk management consideration for rising inventories.
• Strategies to address customer demands for enhanced contractual liability.
• Unique factors to consider when selecting insurance coverage.
• And more!

Join our presenters Grant Goldsmith Vice President – Business  Development, Roanoke Trade and Robert Reeb, Attorney at Law; Marwedel, Minichello & Reeb, P.C. as they guide you through these current events.