Ethics Under Pressure: Navigating Uncertainty 

Presenters: Rita Williams-Bogar, CPCU, ARM, AINS (moderator), Lori Hurkin, CPCU, Michael A. Lawrence, CPCU

Mar. 17, at 2 p.m. ET

Join The Institutes CPCU Society and Ethics Committee for a special LIVE event in honor of Ethics Month! 

Periods of rapid change, uncertainty, and market volatility intensify ethical risk across the insurance profession. When professionals must make decisions quickly and with incomplete information, the line between compliance and ethical leadership can blur. 

In this interactive webinar, members of the CPCU Ethics Committee examine real-world insurance scenarios and explore how pressure influences judgment, communication, and accountability. Participants identify the conditions that increase ethical drift and discuss practical strategies for leading with integrity, strengthening transparency, and maintaining trust while guiding teams and organizations through uncertainty. 

Key Takeaways:

  • Recognize the conditions under which ethical drift is most likely to occur during periods of uncertainty and market volatility. 
  • Evaluate complex insurance scenarios through the lens of professional responsibility and stakeholder impact. 
  • Strengthen ethical resilience by implementing disciplined leadership practices under pressure. 

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Rita Williams-Bogar, CPCU, ARM, AINS (Moderator) 

CEO 

Personal Development Solutions, LLC 
 

Rita Williams-Bogar, MBA, CPCU, AINS, AU, ARM, ChFC, is the founder and CEO of Personal Development Solutions, LLC, bringing more than 25 years of corporate experience in the insurance industry across commercial and personal lines, public affairs, human resources, and learning and development. She works with individuals and organizations through tailored workshops and consultations focused on leadership development, emotional intelligence, ethics, diversity, and insurance education. Rita holds an MBA in Finance and Risk Management with honors from Walden University and serves as Chair of the CPCU Society's global Ethics Committee. She is also a course designer and facilitator for the New Jersey Civil Service Commission and is affiliated with several higher learning institutions in northern New Jersey. Her TEDx talk, "Surpassing Your Personal Best," reflects her ongoing commitment to inspiring others to achieve excellence. 

Rita's board service includes Chair of the Community and Belonging Committee on Bryant University's Board of Trustees and Chair of the insurance and sales committees for Rosedale Cemetery's Board of Managers. Her contributions have earned her numerous honors, including the 2025 Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Bergen/Passaic Chapter; the 2024 and 2025 Award of Excellence from the NJ Black Women's Collective; the 2015 Alumni Achievement Award from Bryant University; recognition as one of New Jersey's Best 50 Women in Business by NJBIZ (2011); and the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2011 Region II Minority Small Business Champion of the Year. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rita is an avid runner, golfer, and world traveler. 

Lori Hurkin, CPCU

Technical Director, Casualty Claims

Nationwide
 

Lori Hurkin, CPCU, CIC, SCLA, is Technical Director of Casualty Claims at Nationwide and brings more than 30 years of insurance industry experience to her work in claims leadership, operations, and team development. Over the course of her career, she has led claims organizations through periods of significant change, including declining claim volumes, office closures, and large-scale technology transitions, while consistently improving service quality, audit outcomes, and team performance. She has applied LEAN principles to build cultures of continuous improvement and has worked closely with Special Investigations Units (SIU) to support ethical claims handling and the defense of policyholder dollars. 

Lori is recognized for her ability to develop high-performing, autonomous teams and for her thoughtful approach to leadership through complex operational and organizational challenges. Her experience spans catastrophe response, remote team management, and cross-functional partnership, with a focus on integrating technology while preserving the human element in claims service. She is an active member of the CPCU Society and volunteers with the American Red Cross, reflecting a career-long commitment to professional excellence and ethical practice in the insurance industry. 

 

Michael A. Lawrence, CPCU 

Retired

 

Michael A. Lawrence, CPCU, is a native of Western Pennsylvania and a retired insurance professional with a 40-year career at GEICO, the majority of which was spent in agency management. He completed the requirements for the CPCU designation in 1988. 

Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and an Associate of Arts in Business Management from the Community College of Denver. 

He has been an active leader within the CPCU Society, having served as Vice President and President of the Middle Georgia CPCU Chapter in Macon, Georgia, where he currently serves as a Director. Lawrence has contributed to the Society at the national level through participation on task forces, service as a Regional Governor, and membership on the CPCU Society's Ethics Committee. He is a former Chair of the CPCU National Ethics Committee and currently serves on the Ethics Committee. He has also presented at the CPCU Annual Meeting and is a past member of the CPCU Student Action Committee. 

Lawrence is an approved continuing education instructor in the state of Georgia.