Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/833859
2017 | Doing Business in Connecticut 49 By Matthew L. Brown I t may seem counter-intuitive these days for an insurance executive who holds a master's degree in computer science and has a deep interest in how tech- nology can be applied to business to trumpet the value and importance of brick-and-mortar retail locations. But that's not how David Gordon, senior vice presi- dent for strategy and innovation at ConnectiCare, sees it. Virtual assistance Gordon's vision for the future certainly includes an array of tech options for ConnectiCare's members, including consultations via computer, tablet or mobile phone. But he's careful to point out that while technology has its place in the health-insurance market, more isn't always better. "It's not about having a lot of apps, but about understanding the challenges our members have and looking for ways apps can help. It's really easy to sit around a table and say, 'is is really cool, let's bring it to the marketplace' " but care must be taken not to miss the point, he said. Late last year, ConnectiCare began opening "retail centers," a concept that may seem a little old fashioned, but the strategy had its roots firmly in helping the plan's members, Gordon said. "Consumers are interested in having choice in how they interact with their car- rier," Gordon said. "Some want to do it over the phone, some want self-service on the web, some want mobile apps. In the last couple of years, our members have been saying [health insurance] is a complicated product, and many members learn and understand better in a one-on-one, face-to-face setting." ConnectiCare's first retail center opened last October in Manchester, and three more are planned for Newington, Bridgeport and Orange. "It creates a deeper, stronger relationship with us and our members," Gordon said. "Our business strategy is to make it easy for members to get the care they need, and the retail centers are a key component of that." Gordon, born and raised in Hartford and now a resident of Cromwell, hasn't always been a techie. And he hasn't always been in the insurance industry. After graduating from the University of Hartford with degrees in math and education, Gordon became a public school teacher. He then earned a master's degree in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. "I've always been intrigued by business and the application of technology to busi- ness," Gordon said. Aer RPI, he spent five years as a programmer at Pratt & Whitney before taking his first job in the insurance industry at Cigna. He's been at Connecti- Care about six years, where he says the work is "about a higher purpose." "In health care, delivery or insurance, I really believe there are new ways for us to get people the care they need, and health care innovation can be driven by companies like ConnectiCare. We're nimble, we can respond to market forces. Mobile technol- ogy clearly has some amazing applications to help manage and access health care, but everyone has a television. Can we leverage that technology to help people interact with their care team?" ❑ David Gordon and Community Development's Office of Insurance and Financial Services. "Resting on your laurels is a recipe for failure," Fernandez said. "e rest of the world will run over you. It's a cliché, but it's true: People used to get hired and stay in fairly similar jobs for their entire career and they tended to retire in their early 60s. at is not the case anymore, and retooling people is critical to the industry. Seven years ago, the industry was telling us they didn't have enough actuaries in the pipeline." e U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average worker now stays in a given job for a little over four years, and the youngest employees stay on for only about two years. Fernandez said the state's IFS industry now has a pipeline of "energetic, diverse people" thanks to the actuarial boot camps and other educational outreach efforts from the last five to seven years. e first students to take part in those programs are now be- coming full-time employees at Connecticut's insurance firms. Along with a pipeline of eager young workers, though, the industry needs a stable business and political climate and improved infrastructure, and at this point, some of those tasks are just as challenging as work- force development. "We have addressed all three areas, but success is a journey," Fernandez said. "ese companies don't want to be jerked around. ey want to be able to do long-term plan- ning and to be able to build those costs into their products efficiently. In transportation, we're making some progress with the rail system along the I-95 corridor, from Hartford to Stamford or New York, but it won't be done in a day. And as far as stability is concerned, there's progress, but I don't think the industry would say we're there yet." Because Connecticut is small, the rela- tionships between the state, its educational institutions and the industry tend to be close. And Connecticut still banks on its status as the insurance capital of the world, accord- ing to Winkler. "Companies know the workforce is second-to-none. e relationships from the companies to academia is essential, and those relationships are solid here and continuing to grow," Winkler said. "Schools build curriculum around the subject matter, and there are always companies interested in Connecticut as a result of our insurance capital profile." ❑ INNOVATIVE INSURANCE Gordon Helps ConnectiCare Customers Get Better Care PROFILE PHOTO/CONNECTICARE