World Water Day, IoT, and Water Damage Reduction with John Dempsey

Published: March 21, 2023, 7:36 a.m.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

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Today\u2019s guest is John D. Dempsey, CEO and Co-Founder of InsightRisk, Founder and Managing Partner of Dempsey Partners, a risk management consulting firm acquired by Aon. John also formed Terrabella Risk Consulting LLC, which provides insurance advisory and risk management consulting services globally. John advises insurance industry professionals on technology and innovation. Today\u2019s discussion covers water damage prevention with IoT technology, other ways that IoT technology is being tested for risk management, and a review of World Water Day and the UN\u2019s SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework for safe water. #WorldWaterDay.

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Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast.

[:14] About today\u2019s episode, our Annual World Water Day episode.

[:25] All about upcoming RIMS webinars, workshops, events, and more!

[1:05] About RIMS-CRMP.

[1:19] About RIMS-CRMP-FED.

[1:53] About RISKWORLD 2023 with closing keynote speaker Danica Patrick!

[2:09] About recent RIMScast episodes.

[2:32] About World Water Day, March 22. Learn more at worldwaterday.org.

[2:46] About today\u2019s episode with John Dempsey, CEO and Co-Founder of InsightRisk on World Water Day, how the IoT can be used to reduce water risk, and the UN\u2019s SDG 6.

[3:10] Justin welcomes John Dempsey to the podcast!

[3:17] John became a RIMS associate member in the \u201990s.

[3:45] John started a company in the \u201980s that helped risk managers recover from losses and seek recovery from insurance.

[4:04] John\u2019s career helping risk managers culminated in selling his company to Aon in 2013. John spent four great years working with Aon helping companies globally.

[4:24] John focused on exposure valuation, helping underinsured clients to increase their coverage. After Aon, he works with startups to reduce losses through technology.

[5:22] About the RIMS chapters where John has been a member. NY is his favorite.

[5:51] John will be seeing some of his RIMS friends at RISKWORLD!

[6:11] How John became involved in water risk management later in his career.

[6:21] How a hospital was damaged when a contractor left a roof hole exposed to rain.

[7:21] Most man-made water damage losses can be prevented. John explains IoT sensor systems technology. Who pays for the installation?

[9:15] John\u2019s company has a financing methodology to make the system affordable. They absorb the cost of the systems by using them over and over on different projects.

[10:41] John describes the value proposition of the IoT water damage sensor system.

[11:41] As new technology is introduced into the loss management space, testing proves the value proposition.

[12:21] John tells of a partly occupied condominium under construction. A water sensor was triggered at night. A repairman responded and fixed the leak, saving $10,000,000.

[13:34] InsightRisk\u2019s purpose for the sensors is to avert big water damage losses that cause long delays for builders and balance sheet volatility for carriers.

[14:48] RIMS plug time! Sponsor a weekly or dedicated episode of RIMScast! Contact us at pd@rims.org. Register for RISKWORLD and in-person workshops before RISKWORLD.

[15:50] Justin revisits his interview with Josh Linkner, highlighting why live events are so critical, with the demand for human connection in this era of remote and hybrid work.

[17:55] John discusses areas where new IoT technologies can avert damage. Look at the value proposition. Do the technologies reduce the frequency or the severity of loss?

[18:44] John shares an example: Wearable technologies reduce workers\u2019 compensation and GL claims, and increase profitability.

[19:56] Fire is the second biggest cause of loss. Technology is being developed that can detect very early the potential of electrical fire from degrading insulation.

[20:26] John mentions Chad Hollingsworth and Bret Bush of InsightRisk. Chad and Bret stay ahead of the curve, working to prove and deploy the next generation of technology.

[21:38] About World Water Day and effective water risk management. The emerging world and even some U.S. have major water issues.

[22:12] World Water Day is to achieve the UN\u2019s SDG 6 agenda by 2030, so that safe drinking water and safe sanitation are available to all. There are 17 UN SDG Goals!

[24:29] Justin recalls Henk Ovink telling him about Heineken\u2019s recycling of sludge in the brewing process. Water-intensive industries have to pay very close attention to water.

[25:30] John discusses water use in the mining industry. Risks abound but everybody wants battery-operated cars so we have to deal with the needed supply chains.

[26:50] Risk managers have many responsibilities, including insurance, and a seat at the table for strategic decisions. Are they aware of IoT technologies to avert damages?

[28:16] When risk managers identify a problem, they figure out ways to solve it. John started two businesses this way.

[30:01] John would love to hear from risk managers on what they see out there and what kinds of solutions they\u2019re looking for, that technology might play a role in solving.

[30:47] Justin thanks John for being on the show and sharing his insight on water risk management and water damage.

[31:14] Check out the links for past coverage of World Water Day. Sponsor a RIMScast episode to reach a global audience! Justin shares other RIMS offers including a transitional membership!

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Mentioned in this Episode:

RISKWORLD 2023 \u2014 April 30\u2012May 3 in Atlanta, Georgia! Public registration is open!

Riskworld: In-Person Workshops April 29\u201230 | Save 30% on pre-conference workshops when you register to attend RISKWORLD!

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RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Prep Course \u2014 May 8\u201210, 2023 | Register by May 1.

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\u201cOn The Menu: Restaurant Injury Risk Trends in 2023\u201d

\u201cWorld Water Day 2022 with Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands\u201d

\u201cEarth Observations, Acronyms, and Risk with Dr. Shanna McClain of NASA\u201d (2021)

\u201cCombating Water Scarcity with AquaShares Founder James Workman\u201d (2020)

\u201cRiskworld Keynote Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM President and CEO\u201d (2023)

\u201cInnovation and Improvisation with RISKWORLD Keynote Josh Linkner\u201d (2023)

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Follow up with Our Guest:

John Dempsey
InsightRisk

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Tweetables (For Social Media Use):

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\u201cExposure to water losses was endemic. \u2026 The forms of water losses are many, including storms and storm surges, which we\u2019re all aware of. \u2026 The less sexy forms of water loss are things like a hole in the roof of a hospital ... the night of a major thunderstorm.\u201d \u2014 John Dempsey

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\u201cWhen we deploy the [water damage sensor] system, there\u2019s no additional cost to the insured or the carrier. We absorb it and make up for it by using the systems over and over again on different projects. \u2026 It\u2019s an additional cost that nobody wants to pay.\u201d \u2014 John Dempsey

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\u201cWhat\u2019s needed is a very solid value proposition. And that means that if you\u2019re a risk manager on the buy side or you\u2019re a carrier looking to finance better risk control, if you spend X, how much do you get out of it? What\u2019s \u2026 your return on the investment?\u201d \u2014 John Dempsey

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\u201cEvery risk manager knows, when there\u2019s a problem, there\u2019s a way to resolve it and sometimes if you take bite-sized pieces it\u2019s a little easier to solve those pieces one at a time. SDG is 17 initiatives, only one of which is water.\u201d \u2014 John Dempsey

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\u201cI know from experience that when risk managers identify a problem, they figure out ways to solve it. In fact, I started two businesses that way.\u201d \u2014 John Dempsey

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Additional background detail about SDG 6:

COVID-19 makes us acutely aware of our shared vulnerability and common destiny. Yet the extraordinary global disruption caused by the pandemic offers a unique opportunity, and a new hope, to \u201cbuild back better.\u201d With a shift in priorities, we can get the world on track to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 including SDG 6 water and sanitation for all.

Launch of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework:

Hosted by UN-Water, the Sustainable Development Goal 6 Global Acceleration Framework launch during the 2020 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will be a high-level and multi-stakeholder moment to generate commitments for ambitious solutions on water and sanitation in support of the Decade of Action to deliver SDGs by 2030. The framework is driven by country demand and will align the international community to strengthen country planning, implementation, and knowledge sharing for SDG 6 while supporting country response to the COVID-19 pandemic.