“Connections” is the CPCU Society’s corporate outreach program. The goal of the Connections program is to develop and foster positive relations with CPCU employers, for the purpose of encouraging them to support membership in the CPCU Society. This program is important because:

• Market research indicates that employer support is critical to CPCU Society membership and involvement.

• Market pressures (consolidation, management turnover, and cost cutting) threaten CPCU Society support, unless actions are taken to communicate the value of membership to company decision makers.

The Connections program currently includes the following employer communication vehicles:

• Visits to key decision makers at “Connections companies” (employers of five or more CPCUs worldwide)

• Direct mail promotions to company executives

• CPCU Society Executive Quarterly, an electronic newsletter targeting senior-level executives at major property and casualty insurance companies

• CPCU Society Champions initiative

Chapter Involvement
CPCU Society chapters interested in participating in the Connections program can conduct Connections visits, which count toward recognition under the Circle of Excellence Recognition Program. A Connections Training Presentation, specifically written for chapters, provides an overview of how to plan and conduct a Connections visit.

Chapters considering making Connections visits should review the objectives and messaging for such visits, and use the visit worksheet. The CPCU Society will give assistance with hand-out materials to leave behind with company executives. Champions are great resources to consult when trying to schedule and prepare for a connections visit. Check out the current list of champions by company and by chapter, and consult the Champion Presentation for Chapter Leaders.

Society-Level Visits
If the visit qualifies as a Society-level visit (i.e.: CPCU Society officers visiting a company’s headquarters to meet with top operating executives), additional rosters and company profiles will be provided.

Feedback
After a visit has been completed, the chapter should complete the online Connections Visit Feedback Form. It’s simple! The date of the visit, the name of the company visited (a drop down menu), and the name of the Society officer conducting the visit are required. Otherwise, enter as much information as is available. Names and titles of the employer’s representatives at the meeting are very useful, particularly if follow-up action is needed. Under the “Current Support Levels” section, if the organization provides partial support for an item, click on the button in the “Part (%)” column, and enter an estimate of the percent of CPCU Society members covered (or 50% if unknown).

If completing the Connections Visit Feedback Form online is not feasible, then complete and mail or fax the form (available in a PDF format or as a Word document) to the CPCU Society.