Luncheon Address

I-DAY 1999 LUNCHEON ADDRESS BY WALTER BATEMAN

N.B. This article was submitted by Joell Alter

iday99o.jpg (12733 bytes) The keynote address at Philly I-Day delivered by Harleysville Insurance Companies’ President, Walter Bateman, CPCU, ARM, demonstrated the speaker’s belief that adding even the smallest amount of any given catalyst to the right ingredients will affect change.

In fact, Bateman’s use of humor, personal experience and examples from history, encouraged the audience to view technological advances as the ingredients for success. The application of the individual’s education and knowledge to the management of this technology then becomes the guarantor for success in today’s and tomorrow’s marketplace.

Be it "Generation X-ers" who are masters of the Internet age, or those who prefer to receive information the old fashioned way, it is Bateman’s opinion that the availability of information leads to an increased need for education. Further, the professional who is committed to learning will be the one best positioned for future success.

Despite the bombardment of cutting edge technology as well as instant access to and exchange of information, Bateman believes that the most significant catalyst for change in the next century will be education. "Education allows one to organize and distill information and allows us to manage it." Individuals who want to be successful in the new millennium will, like those of centuries past, take the time to seek out educational opportunities as a means for self-improvement.

Education should be viewed as an ongoing process. Thus, we cannot rely on the knowledge and skills we may have now for future competence. Remaining stagnant, Bateman suggested, reaps no rewards.

All those who heard Bateman's address while attending the I-Day program reflect this pursuit of education and thirst for knowledge. Exchanging ideas, experiences and points of view with colleagues enriches us both as individuals and professionals. As an employer, Bateman understands the importance of providing employees a variety of opportunities for continuing education. He has found that people want to be challenged by their work, and have opportunities to learn.

Bateman’s comments were encouragement to all those who have earned (or are in the process of attaining) the CPCU designation. In addition to the technical knowledge a CPCU receives, he/she also benefits from participating in the process by learning from one another. To paraphrase an old saying, "sometimes it’s not what you know, but what you do with what you know" that really matters.