The recent Republican and Democratic political conventions saw no shortage of controversies, newsmakers and speechmaking – and even a little history being made with the first time a woman has accepted the nomination for President. Of course, the two conventions were also bursting with lawmakers and lobbyists at the federal and state levels.

That’s why the Zurich Advocacy team was out in full force networking, attending meetings and generally making their presence known.

“We attended about 50 meetings and events during the RNC and DNC,” said Zurich North America Government & Industry Affairs Head Laura Favinger. “We were able to tell the Zurich story to numerous stakeholders and policy makers at both the state and federal levels. Being on site for both conventions allowed us to create visibility for Zurich on our important issues such as foreign-affiliated reinsurance, flood resilience, cyber, big data, crop, and the value of foreign direct investment. By reinforcing our relationships and forming a few new ones, we can leverage those contacts in Washington and in the states to underscore the view of Zurich as a knowledgeable and reliable leader in the insurance industry and beyond.”

Laura added that the events we sponsored with the Organization for International Investment (OFII) at the DNC and RNC were particularly significant because we were able to talk about the many contributions companies like ours make to the U.S. economy. Several legislators and governors attended, and we were able to highlight the jobs we create, the risk mitigation we provide and the infrastructure we help insure.

Zurich was also represented at an event with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who talked about the importance of agriculture to the world’s economy. “Agricultural exports and expertise from the U.S. are critical to economies around the world, and Zurich’s part as a major crop insurer contributes to the global supply chain that increases food security for many people around the world,” said Laura.