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Jeff Rieder, a partner at Ward Benchmarking – Aon, has consistently been an engaging speaker at CLM’s Chief Claims Officer Summit, and this year promises another round of valuable insights from the latest Ward Benchmarking Study. Join Rieder on Sept. 9 in Baltimore at the 2026 CCO Summit as he discusses trends and impacts within the property and casualty (P&C) industry.
Rieder will share details from the latest report; and, while these topics may already be on attendees’ radars, Rieder will back them up with data. Rieder will offer an overview of key financial performance indicators within the P&C industry, followed by a focused discussion on claims operations. His session will explore key business trends, including the growth of MGA distribution, expansion of the E&S market, evolving labor dynamics, and the impact of AI on claims roles and workforce profiles. Rieder will also cover changes in the overall expense structure for P&C carriers and discuss implications for talent strategies in the evolving P&C landscape
When asked what might be of greatest interest to the CCO audience, Rieder states, “Companies are more prudent/cautious with growth and product expansion strategies.” He adds, “Increases in staffing have slowed with the adoption of AI and technology improvements. And AI is reshaping claims in three main ways: accelerating intake, improving adjudication quality, and protecting indemnity spend through better fraud detection.”
When asked about any surprising results from the research, Rieder offers two observations. First, he says, “Despite record levels of profitability and strong balance sheets for many companies, the likelihood of increasing staff across nearly all functions has decreased.” And mentioning claims, he comments that, although claims frequency has generally improved for most companies over the past five years, legal expenses related to claims have been among the fastest‑growing cost categories.
Attend Rieder’s presentation at the 2026 CCO Summit in Baltimore on Sept. 9 and explore the major trends in the P&C industry and what those trends mean for claims leaders as they assess the performance of their own operations.