Outstanding Achievement Award

Purpose

The Outstanding Achievement Award was established in 2004 by the Academy of Life Underwriting Board (now the Life Underwriting Board).  The Life Underwriting Board currently sponsers it.  This award is designed not only to celebrate those who have made a lasting contribution to underwriting but to encourage members of the AHOU & CIU to make a personal commitment to their own professionalism and involvement within the industry.

Consideration Parameters:

• That it be granted on the basis of individual merit and as such may not be granted on a yearly basis.
• There be no restrictions as to the recipient’s geographic location.
• The recipient does not have to be an underwriter, former underwriter, employed in underwriting or insurance or formerly employed within these industries.
• There be no restrictions on who can make the recommendation.
• There is complete documentation accompanying the recommendation.
• It be given at the Association of Home Office Life Underwriters annual meeting.
• On an annual basis the Chair of the Selection Committee writes the members of the AHOU and CIU and to solicit their recommendations.
• Recommendations for the award can be made at any time during the year by written recommendation to the Chair of the Life Underwriting Board.
• Eligible candidates who are recommended for consideration and not chosen will have their names maintained in a pool for consideration for a minimum period of 5 years.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the award the nominee must:

• Demonstrate milestones of leadership
• Exemplify professionalism
• Have a driving commitment to the underwriting profession and industry
• Have demonstrated a pattern of outstanding achievement in support of our profession.

Selection Committee:

The Life Underwriting Board will, on a yearly basis, select a Chairperson (non-voting) to head the selection committee. The 5 person selection committee will be comprised of the current Chair of the ALU, the incoming Chair and the Past Chair of the Canadian Institute of Home Office Underwriters, and the incoming President and the Past President of the Association of Home Office Underwriters. The committee will first review those who have been nominated to make sure the supporting documentation makes the proposed recipient eligible. The committee will then add the list of acceptable candidates from the past 5 years into the pool of eligible candidates for consideration.

Thereafter, the recipient will be chosen on the basis of a blind voting process, the format of which is determined by the non-voting Chairperson. Once a final candidate has been selected, the name of the candidate will be submitted to the Life Underwriting Board (LUB) for final review in order to ensure all eligible criteria has been met. The LUB chairperson will contact the recipient at least 8 weeks prior to the AHOU Annual Meeting and will present the recipient with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the next AHOU Annual Meeting.

Recommendation Process:

Recommendations for consideration of this award can be made at any time during the year and such recommendation can be forwarded to the selection committee chair or the chair of the Life Underwriting Board.  

The recommendation must include the following information:

1. The nominee name and current employer, if applicable.
2. The nominee’s contact information re full address, phone number and email address.
3. The nominator's contact information including name, address, phone number and email address.
4. The reason for the recommendation. The recommendation should make reference to the eligibility criteria and in so doing provide some specific examples of events that make the nominee qualified.