Captive Insight Vol I | Page 48

A Successful CONVERGENCE OF DIVERSITY Captive Resources, LLC explains that overcoming challenges is a true measure of success for group captives. by Sandra R. Duncan Vice President-Operations Captive Resources, LLC image © Sergey Nivens - Fotolia.com Member-owned group captives, whether heterogeneous or homogeneous, are comprised of diverse companies, both large and small, publically and privately owned, and with varying operating structures, corporate cultures, products and services, goals, priorities, etc. How is it possible to achieve cohesiveness in a group captive whose many owners seemingly have little in common, and are focused on the successful operation of their own respective companies? It is when the captive is faced with challenges, some inherent in its business model, that commitment and resolve can be tested. The ability to work together to reach a consensus on how best to address each challenge, then becomes critical to the long-term viability of the captive. member companies must submit detailed information about operations/exposures, loss history and current financial statements. It is possible that additional information of a confidential or sensitive nature may also be required. DATA SHARING AMONG THE MEMBERSHIP. One of the most frequently asked questions by prospective group captive members is, “How is the confidentiality and security of my data ensured?” This is certainly a valid concern, especially given that the members must have access to sufficient, meaningful data to run their captive properly. In order to be considered for membership, prospective 48 Each member is periodically provided with its own results. However, when sharing data across the membership, strict confidentiality is maintained by presenting it in encoded format. Prior to board meetings, members receive loss, claims, risk control and other data by member and aggregated for the captive as a whole. Individual member data (used primarily to identify members that may require increased risk control support or monitoring of financial position) is coded so that members cannot be identified. Members’ individual equity statements which accompany the captive’s financials are similarly prepared. Some captives engage an independent financial analyst to conduct regular, periodic reviews of members’ financial positions, and for some, this review is handled by the fronting company. Access to members’ financial statements is restricted to the analyst or fronting company, which adequately maintains the confidentiality of these documents.