Agenda

Lauded in the press for her courageous actions, Sherron was named as one of TIME magazine’s three 2002 Persons of the Year for being someone “who did just right by doing their jobs rightly.” Sherron discusses ethics and leadership, and the lessons to be learned from the collapse of Enron, where she served in a variety of executive positions for 8 over years. Sherron has seen firsthand the cost of an erosion in values. Her journey through the Enron crisis has inspired many, and has crystallized her focus to share and to improve the lot of whistleblowers and would-be whistleblowers.

Moderator: Martha Perkins, NASBP General Counsel

Panelists: Robert Cristiano, Everest Insurance
Steve Haney, Chubb Surety
Paul Rodriguez, Lockton Companies, LLC
Armen Shahinian, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

The name “Enron” is synonymous with massive corporate fraud and corruption.  From its meteoric rise to acclaimed success in the 1990s to its catastrophic implosion and bankruptcy in 2001, Enron presents a complicated tale of high-flying corporate cowboys, a macho culture, dislodged checks and balances, an disdain for corporate ethics, and a corporate culture of egregious self-interest.  This expert panel will explore how the surety industry was involved in this grand debacle.  Eleven companies issued surety bonds to guarantee alleged oil and gas deliveries set up by J.P. Morgan Chase for Enron.  The sureties ultimately paid hundreds of million dollars to settle with the bank. The panelists will address the sureties’ scope of underwriting, what kinds of bonds the sureties issued, the impact on the reinsurance market, and the ultimate fallout and lessons of the Enron scandal for the surety industry.  And much more.

Kelley Ann Williams, Singer & Songwriter

Will share her economic, public policy and political outlook in this data-driven analytical presentation.  She will also discuss the most pressing challenges facing Congress and the Biden Administration in 2024.  What do higher interest rates, coupled with elevated inflation mean for your business and can the U.S. avoid a recession?  Will legislation recently passed by Congress, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, bring relief to consumers and businesses?  Joan will explore those issues, as well as what the upcoming election might mean for insurance, tax policy, and the economy. Also, as President of the Travelers Institute, Joan will give a preview of the Institute’s 2024 initiatives.