Damon Burke
Mt. Laurel,NJ
Summary
Litigation and reserve management Policy coverage interpretation. Experience with general liability, homeowners, pollution, construction defect, commercial and personal lines auto liability claims in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Strong analytical skills. Knowledgeable Risk Manager equipped with strategic planning and program leadership abilities honed in Public Sector industry environments. Establishes strong and successful policies to mitigate risk at each level and establish clear procedures for assessments, prevention and containment. Familiar with regulatory requirements to maintain strict controls.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Risk Manager
CAMDEN CITY
12.2022 - Current
- Revamped Risk Management program to address inefficiency
- Worked with claims administrator to address stagnant inventory
- Reviewed claims data to help identify areas of concern
- Helped to reshape the City risk profile.
- Enhanced risk identification processes for early detection and mitigation of potential threats.
- Developed strong relationships with internal stakeholders, promoting a culture of risk awareness and accountability.
- Streamlined communication channels between various departments, ensuring timely sharing of critical risk information.
- Trained employees on risk management best practices, empowering them to make informed decisions regarding potential risks.
- Conducted thorough analysis of historical data, helping identify patterns and trends in potential risks.
- Supported executive decision-making by providing accurate and timely reports on enterprise-wide risk exposure levels.
- Managed insurance programs efficiently, balancing coverage needs with budgetary constraints while maintaining adequate protection against losses.
- Identified opportunities for process improvement and cost reduction through insightful analysis of current risk management practices.
- Partnered with IT department to assess and mitigate technology-related risks, safeguarding the organization''s digital assets and infrastructure.
- Produced and filed reports to inform senior management of current activities and progress with investigations.
Risk Manager
BURLINGTON COUNTY
08.2015 - 12.2022
- Conducts, oversees and arranges a full range of appraisal inspections
- Advises management on all matters related to loss reserves and policy interpretation
- Coordinates and arranges the implementation of various insurance programs
- Arranges bonding and insurance for public personnel
- Examines leases, contracts and agreements for liability exposures
- Appraises value of government properties to determine appropriate insurance policy and coverage
- Acts as liaison between claimants, insurance administrators and County management
- Maintains records of policies, premiums, losses, recoveries, types of contracts and expiration dates
- Interprets reports pertaining to employee injuries and confers with physicians to determine validity of injuries
- Maintains harmonious working relationships with various officials, line supervisors, third party administrators and attorneys, to implement risk control measures and insurance programs
- Responsible for the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of procedural policies as they relate to insurance, safety, claims, and the settlement of losses
- Serve as a commissioner for the Burlington County Insurance Commission
- Manages the process for insurance policy purchase and renewal
- Acts as coordinator between the County legal department and the claims administrator
- Actively pursues the recovery of uninsured damages incurred by the County against at fault parties.
Claims Supervisor
MERCER INSURANCE COMPANY
12.2011 - 08.2015
- Supervise a unit of multi-line field and desk adjusters
- Supervise and direct the handling of complex claims
- Resolve policyholder complaints
- Address coverage issues with the insured and agents
- Effective use of employee performance appraisal
- Accurate and timely development of claim reserves resulting in overall year end reserve development below 3%
- CAT experience
- Develops and implement policies governing claim administration
- Coordination and execution of claim audits and round table meetings
- Vendor management to obtain a reduction in loss adjustment expenses
- Developed team members enabling them to attain greater adjusting authority
- Managed team to attain and maintained a better than 1 to 1 closing ratio
- Achieved positive year end feedback from agency partners
- Directly impacted underwriting profitability by incorporating loss control efforts into my teams claim handling
- Acted as key liaison for the branch in the implementation of a new claim system.
Senior Claims Examiner
Mercer Insurance COMPANY
12.2004 - 12.2011
- Analyze policy and resolution of coverage questions
- Complete comprehensive loss scene investigations
- Collaborate with underwriting to document changes in the insured risk
- Proactive handling of loss investigation
- Collaborate with nurse case manager during the handling of New Jersey Workers Compensation Claims
- Develop treatment plan which corresponds with policy requirements
- Review injury documentation to rule out causality questions
- Review property repair/remediation proposals
- Prepare proper documentation of loss to support liability and reserve development
- Participate in the mediation and arbitration of liability claims
- Properly identify potential subrogation claims and then seek recovery
- Develop and implement litigation plan with defense counsel
- Negotiate claim settlement with attorneys and unrepresented claimants
- Handle large exposure losses.
Claims Manager
General Fiber Communications
05.2004 - 12.2004
- Managed daily claims function for corporate entity
- Oversaw the handling of liability, workers compensation and property claims within retention
- Created subrogation policies and procedures and tracked subrogation recoveries
- Implemented company-wide policy and procedures for reporting and managing claims against the company
- Point of contact for insurance issues
- Maintained certificates of insurance for sub contractors
- Maintained OSHA 300 log
- Instituted processes and controls to reduce severity and frequency of liability exposures
- Generated risk management reports for senior management
- Participated in the insurance renewal process
- Participated in the claims auditing process with our insurance broker.
Claims Examiner III
Sedgwick Claims Management Service
09.2001 - 05.2004
- Responsible for multi-state handling of commercial auto and general liability claims
- Proper case reserve calculations within clients self insured retention
- Developed and carried out litigation plan with defense counsel
- Pursued subrogation and argued against subrogation claims with other adjusters or counsel
- Liaison to AAA regarding NY no-fault arbitrations
- Panel arbitrator with Arbitration Forums
- Cross training in Pennsylvania and New Jersey Workers Compensation claims
- Referred claims directly to State of New Jersey Fraud department.
Senior Claim Representative
State Farm Insurance
03.1997 - 09.2001
- Handled New York PIP/No-Fault and New Jersey PIP/No-Fault claims under Senate Bill 3
- Identified files for subrogation
- Handled both litigated claims and claims from unrepresented claimants
- Handled uninsured and underinsured motorist claims
- Negotiated 'early paid' bodily injury settlements with claimants
- Identified and pursued subrogation claims
- Identified and investigated suspicious claims leading to several successful referrals of claims to company’s special investigative unit
- Participated in mediation, arbitration and pre trial conference.
Education
Bachelors degree in Public Administration -
Baruch College
Skills
- Loss Prevention Programs
- Stop-Loss Reporting Tools
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Root Cause Analysis
- Trend Analysis
- Employee Safety
- Cybersecurity risk management
Training Technical Skills
- Vale National – Dwelling Damage Estimating, Xactamate 24
- 10 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Training Course: Exposure to loss control topics important in the construction industry.
- PC, Internet competent, MS Windows, MS Word, Excel
Licenses Designations
- Associate in Risk Management
- Associate in Claims
- Associate in Insurance Services
- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter
- New Jersey Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines Producer Licenses
Certification
CPCU Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter
ARM Associate in Risk Management
AIC Associate in Claims
Timeline
Risk Manager
CAMDEN CITY
12.2022 - Current
Risk Manager
BURLINGTON COUNTY
08.2015 - 12.2022
Claims Supervisor
MERCER INSURANCE COMPANY
12.2011 - 08.2015
Senior Claims Examiner
Mercer Insurance COMPANY
12.2004 - 12.2011
Claims Manager
General Fiber Communications
05.2004 - 12.2004
Claims Examiner III
Sedgwick Claims Management Service
09.2001 - 05.2004
Senior Claim Representative
State Farm Insurance
03.1997 - 09.2001
Bachelors degree in Public Administration -
Baruch College
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