Summertime at NGI is always busy as we prepare for back to school. But even in busy times, it’s important to reflect on our progress and to enjoy the summer months and spend some time as a team. Luckily, last week we got to do all of those things at our Boston, MA office, where much of the NGI team gathered for a sales meeting and summer outing – and it was a blast! Our sales team flew in from around the country, our tech team came in from California and the Boston team played host for two days of productive meetings and a sunset boat cruise. Everyone had a blast, and the sales meeting went well.
I did not attend the sales meeting, but I did get the opportunity to speak with NGI President, John, about it and learn his key takeaways from a day spent with the sales team. He said:
Sales meetings are interesting times to evaluate if we are fulfilling our mission which is to provide convenient access to student benefit programs that help students overcome the unexpected events that may disrupt their education. Our team is fully focused on offering programs that support student success.
With nearly 2/3 of parents surveyed having no idea how their school would handle a refund for a medical withdrawal, our greatest challenge appears to be having schools embrace a culture of greater transparency. As a result, we are looking to highlight how the most successful schools serve their students. Bennington, Cal Lutheran, UC Davis, Texas Tech, George Washington University & University of Southern California are just a handful of the diverse schools who demonstrate that when students are aware of the risks they will enroll in tuition and renters insurance programs.
It is also impressive to me how concerned our team is about maintaining affordable access to tuition and renters insurance programs. Just like employer sponsored health plans, the more people who participate the greater the chance there is to mitigate losses and keep coverage affordable. Schools that embrace a student benefits model – such as USC or Bennington – achieve greater than 50% student participation in tuition refund insurance programs. Particularly at USC – the participation rates are so high that the cost of coverage is very affordable. As a result, this year we must look for easy ways to integrate the insurance programs within the schools billing process.
After the sales meeting ended, we headed to Rowe’s Wharf in Boston to board the Adirondack III for a sunset cruise. The Adirondack III was a beautiful schooner, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather – it was warm, the wind was blowing, and we got to take full advantage of the boat’s sails. The crew was incredibly friendly and we had a lovely few hours cruising around Boston Harbor, taking in gorgeous views while we got to spend time with one another. It was a great memory for all us, sailing around the harbor was such a relaxing and unique way to spend an evening.
It was a nice opportunity to come together as a team to reflect on the work we’ve done thus far this year, and to prepare for the months ahead as students return to school. From all of us at NGI, we hope you have a relaxing end to your summer.
