News

Clements Honors U.S. Foreign Service Youth Making a World of Difference Abroad

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Clements will present Community Service Awards to Alexandra Ike and Jared Gibson during the 2011 Foreign Service Youth Awards today in Washington, DC.

The Foreign Service Youth Foundation’s Award for Community Service honors teenagers who have demonstrated outstanding volunteer efforts overseas, either in community service or in service to their peers, while facing the challenges of growing up living an internationally mobile lifestyle. Two finalists each receive a certificate of recognition for their volunteer work and a $1,500 savings bond sponsored by Clements Worldwide.

Alexandra Ike, age 18, was selected to receive one of two community service awards for demonstrating strong leadership and service to her local community in Ghana. She served as president of Street Girls Aid, raising over $1,000 to assist working, homeless mothers by providing a safe place for their children to go everyday. She also served as the president of her school’s Habitat for Humanity, leading and organizing efforts to build homes in impoverished communities. With her committee’s support, Alexandra raised over 900 Ghana Cedis to assist a local village in building a library. As a member of her high school’s theater group, Alexandra visited and performed at a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana and helped raise over $500 for the refugee children’s school. In addition, she volunteered with WorldVenture Ghana to reach young ladies in her age group and made personal visits to their villages.

Jared Gibson, age 16, was selected to receive the second of two community service awards for his work in introducing skateboarding to local youth in Tunisia. He taught classes to children and teenagers, and educated them on important safety precautions. He used his skills to host skateboarding events and raised over $600 to benefit an ailing ten-year-old boy from a small village close to the Embassy community in Tunis. Through Jared’s passion for skateboarding, the international community in Tunis has been introduced to a new sport and a family in need received financial assistance to help with their child’s medical care.

“We are very proud to sponsor this award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of U.S. Foreign Service youth,” said Chris Beck, president of Clements Worldwide. “It is truly inspiring to see the impact they have had on their communities, all while handling the unique challenges of the expatriate lifestyle.”

The 2011 Foreign Service Youth Awards ceremony will take place on Friday, July 15 at noon at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements Worldwide Honors Outstanding U.S. Foreign Service Officer

2011-06-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

Clements will award the M. Juanita Guess Award to Mike Vining of the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia during the 2011 American Foreign Service Awards on June 24.

The M. Juanita Guess Award is presented to a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. This award was established in memory of M. Juanita Guess, former president of Clements Worldwide, and is one of several presented annually by the American Foreign Service Association(AFSA).

Vining is being honored for his energetic and passionate involvement in his local Foreign Service community. He went beyond the call of duty as a Community Liaison Officer to revive and publish a weekly community newsletter, and organized the Fourth of July Picnic, the largest American event of the year in Mongolia. He also secured funding to renovate the community center into a fun, popular space for children and embassy employees, in addition to coordinating special events for embassy families.

“On behalf of Clements Worldwide, we are truly honored to award Mike Vining the 2011 M. Juanita Guess Award,” said Sergio Sanchez, director of marketing for Clements Worldwide. “We have a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Foreign Service and this award demonstrates our strong support for their community. Mr. Vining has made an undeniably significant contribution to his community and a difference in the lives of others, so today we honor him.”

Clements International Officially Becomes Clements Worldwide

2011-06-10T11:50:00.003-04:00

On May 23, 2011, Clements International announced the completion of a six month rebranding effort to become Clements Worldwide. This change unifies the company’s Washington, DC and London offices under one brand, and positions it for future regional expansion.

“This is a critical time in our company’s history and we recognized the need for a more unified identity that reflects who Clements is today and will be in the future: an organization with a worldwide presence, serving the needs of our customers across continents and time zones,” said Sergio Sanchez, director of marketing for Clements Worldwide. “Our core service values are at the center of the new brand, which reflects the company’s commitment to what really matters – our customers. Our staff is very excited to share this change with our clients as we continue delivering innovative insurance solutions with superior customer service.”

The rebranding initiative includes a bright, new logo and corporate icon, which will be visible across all online and print platforms. Additionally, Clements debuts a new, user-friendly website and a cross-industry advertising campaign developed around the tagline: “Never Leave Anything to Chance – Take Clements With You.”

Click here to read the official press release.

Meet the 2011 EYS Judges: Alan Paul

2011-04-20T11:43:00.002-04:00

Alan Paul is the author of Big in China, to be released by Harper Collins in March 2011. It is a memoir of living in China as a male accompanying spouse, raising three American children in Beijing and the unlikely success of his Chinese blues band, Woodie Alan. The book explores many issues of central concern and interest to expat families, including: raising Third Culture Kids; the challenges and joys of being an accompanying spouse; and the difficulties of being part of a very transitory community.

Paul wrote "The Expat Life" column for WSJ.com from 2005, when he moved to China, until June 2009, shortly after he moved back to the United States. Paul's columns normalized the expat experience and earned a wide following. The National Society of Newspaper Columnists named him 2008 Columnist of the Year. He also reported from Beijing for NBC, Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. Paul has been a senior writer for Slam magazine since 1999 and for Guitar World magazine since 1991. His writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, People, ESPN.com, Rolling Stone.com, SI.com and many other publications and websites. He has contributed to The Rolling Stone Jazz and Blues Guide, The Insider's Guide to Beijing, and several other books. Alan, his wife Rebecca, and their three children reside in Maplewood, NJ.

You can learn more and hear Woodie Alan's music at alanpaul.net. Follow Alan on Twitter: @AlPaul

Clements Director Featured in Article Series on PropertyCasualty360.com

2011-04-15T17:27:00.007-04:00

Laura Mazzuca Toops, editor of American Agent & Broker, just published an interesting series of articles on the booming foreign market and how insurance agents can work with multinational clients. Dante Disparte, Clements International’s director of partner solutions, weighed in with his professional insight and observations.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the articles:

“…There is a market for anything we could conceive of as a risk; everything can be insured. But many agents neglect clear opportunities in their existing books of business to tap into this market, whether it’s from a lack of knowledge of where to place coverage or the traditional product portfolio model,” said Dante A. Disparte, director of partner solutions for Clements International. “Meanwhile, from the customer’s vantage point, they are not getting the comprehensive service they need and are forced to develop multiple broker relationships to meet their international needs. This gap puts the rest of that agent’s business at risk.”

Click below to view the articles on PropertyCasualty360.com:

Multinational: A Booming Market

How Agents Can Work With Multinational Clients

Potential Pitfalls of Multinational Marketing

Going Global: One Broker’s Story

Clements to Host Lawmakers on Capitol Hill for Overseas Americans Week

2011-04-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Clements International, a leading global insurance provider and long-term proponent of the expatriate community, will sponsor a reception Tuesday, April 12 during Overseas Americans Week. From April 11 – April 15, 2011, overseas Americans will descend on the nation’s capital to voice their needs and concerns to key lawmakers.

Representatives from Clements, along with members of Congress and three major overseas citizen advocacy groups, will be in attendance Tuesday night to support the efforts of the Overseas Americans Week (OAW) Delegation.

“We are honored to be involved in Overseas Americans Week again this year,” said Sergio Sanchez, director of marketing at Clements International. “The expatriate community faces many unique challenges and this week provides a critical forum for them to communicate with decision makers. We are proud to support them in these efforts.”

Click here to read the official press release.

Meet the 2011 EYS Judges: Bernadette Hale

2011-04-06T15:40:00.003-04:00

Bernadette Hale is currently the executive director of the Foreign Service Youth Foundation. She is a veteran of the diplomatic service in both the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the US Department of State (DOS). While at the FCO, she served as a management and consular affairs officer on substantive tours in Lisbon, Jakarta and Kinshasa. Additionally, she was assigned as a "Diplomatic Rover" for two years, deployed to support Embassies, High Commissions, and Consulates in countries spanning the globe, including Romania, Egypt, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guyana, the Dominican Republic and China. During periods assigned to the FCO in London, Hale worked on issues involving consular, management, administration and overseas family/children affairs.

More recently, Hale accompanied her husband to Indonesia, and served as an Eligible Family Member (EFM) in the U.S. Embassy Economic Section. During this assignment, Hale learned about the challenges faced by Foreign Service families and issues involving preschools, schools, community/family oriented activities, and children's organizations and opportunities. Hale's husband is currently serving in Afghanistan and her nine-year-old daughter Libby, who has attended three schools on three continents in the past five years, is currently thriving in Northern Virginia.

Learn more about FSYF at www.fsyf.org!

Clements Europe Launches Personal Property Cover for VSO Volunteers

2011-03-31T04:00:00.001-04:00

Clements Europe announced today an exclusive Personal Property Cover program for the Volunteer Service Organization (VSO), the world’s leading independent international development organisation fighting poverty in developing countries. Clements Europe is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clements International, which has provided similar cover to the United States Peace Corps for over 10 years.

Clements provides affordable and reliable cover for volunteers’ items during transfer to overseas posts and throughout their journey. VSO volunteers can get a free quote and purchase Personal Property Cover at http://www.clementseurope.com/.

Click here to read the official press release.

Meet the 2011 EYS Judges: Brian Gorg

2011-03-23T16:49:00.003-04:00

Brian Gorg is the Executive Director of Families in Global Transition (FIGT), a non-profit organization focusing on cross cultural education and training to support the entire expat family. FIGT hosts an annual conference bringing together those involved with the unique world of global transition. This year, the conference will be held March 17-19 in Washington, DC. Gorg is also CEO of the Collie Gorg Group, a firm providing management solutions to associations, societies and other non-profit organizations.

Learn more about FIGT at www.figt.org and follow them on Twitter @crossingculture!

Clements Names New Director of Partner Solutions

2011-03-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Clements International, a leading provider of global insurance solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dante Disparte as director of partner solutions. In this role, Mr. Disparte will be responsible for managing and developing the company’s global broker and partner network, in addition to identifying new sales channels, customer segments and markets. His experience in corporate strategy, general management and international insurance for multinational organizations make him well-suited to lead the growing wholesale division. He also previously worked for Clements International as a licensed insurance broker.

“We are happy to welcome Dante back to the Clements team in a new and very important role,” said Dan Tuman, vice president of sales for Clements International. “There is high growth potential for our wholesale division and we are confident that we will achieve it with Dante’s leadership and expertise.”

To read the official press release, click here.

Meet the 2011 EYS Judges: Lara Dunston

2011-03-09T10:22:00.003-05:00

Travel writer Lara Dunston has authored, contributed to and updated some 50+ guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Dorling Kindersley, Footprint, AA Guides, Fodors, Insight, Thomas Cook and Hedonist's Guides, and published travel articles in magazines, newspapers and websites around the globe, from Wanderlust to Get Lost. A perpetual globetrotter, Dunston has experienced over 60 countries since she and her photographer husband started travelling together in the late 1980s. Based out of the Middle East since 1998, the couple have literally lived out of their suitcases since 2006. From 2010 to 2011, they circled the globe on a contemporary grand tour, a personal experiment in slow and sustainable travel, local travel, and experiential travel that they called Grantourismo. They chronicle about those adventures on their blog grantourismotravels.com.

Learn more about the 2011 EYS at expatyouthscholarship.com. The deadline to enter is Friday, May 13!

Clements VP to Present at Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit

2011-02-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Clements International’s Vice President Tarun Chopra will present at the IE Group’s Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit on February 24-25, 2011 in San Diego, CA. This program brings the intelligence, innovation, and leadership of the industry together to focus on the solutions offered by innovative financial planning and business forecasting. The Summit is known for its interactive format, encouraging audience interaction and participation. Other confirmed speakers include financial executives representing global companies, such as Nokia, Adobe Systems, Microsoft, Comcast and Nike.

Click here for more information about the IE Group’s Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit.

Expat Author, Travel Writer and Community Leaders to Help Decide 2011 Expat Youth Scholarship Recipients

2011-02-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

A diverse panel of expatriates will judge the 2011 Expat Youth Scholarship and help award a total of $10,000 to six students. Sponsored by Clements International, this scholarship program is designed specifically for expat students who acquire unique life experiences growing up abroad.

2011 Judges Panel

Lara Dunston,
Travel Writer & Expat

Brian Gorg
Executive Director - Families in Global Transition (FIGT)

Bernadette Hale,
Executive Director – Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF)

Alan Paul,
Author of forthcoming Big in China & Expat writer

Click here to read the official press release and learn more about our judges!

*Reminder: The scholarship entry deadline is Friday, May 13, 2011.*

Showing Some Love to Expat Youth: Clements Announces Its 3rd Annual Expat Youth Scholarship This Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

Clements International’s Expat Youth Scholarship is a unique contest exclusively for expat students who spend their childhoods moving between different countries and cultures. This year’s theme asks participants to create a video explaining their favorite thing about their host country and its culture. Clements will award a total of $10,000 to students ages 12-18 of any nationality who have resided in a foreign country for at least two consecutive years.

“We’re so excited to offer the Expat Youth Scholarship again this year with a new twist,” said President Chris Beck. “Incorporating online video and Facebook voting will really make this scholarship contest an interactive experience for everyone involved, including participants, expats, supporters and viewers around the world.”

The scholarship entry deadline is Friday, May 13, 2011. For more information about the scholarship and to submit entries, visit www.expatyouthscholarship.com.

Click here to view the official press release.

Clements International Names New Director of Marketing

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Clements International is pleased to announce the appointment of Sergio Sanchez as director of marketing. In this role, Mr. Sanchez will be responsible for leading global marketing and branding efforts for Clements International as it continues to expand into key markets. He brings a wealth of experience in global marketing, branding and business development with large financial service providers, including Capital One, MasterCard and The American Express Company.

“We are very excited to have Sergio on our team to oversee a new global marketing strategy for our offices in Washington, DC and London,” said Chris Beck, president of Clements International. “His knowledge and experience working with successful, international companies make him a valuable asset as we look to the future and continue to build the Clements brand.”

For more information, click here to read the official press release.

Ricky Downs Joins Clements Europe

2010-10-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

Clements Europe, a member of the Clements International group of companies, have hired Ricky Downs to serve as business development manager in their London office.

“Ricky’s experience and knowledge of the European insurance market make him an important asset to our business in London,” said Dan Francis, director of Clements Europe. “Through our recent acquisition, we hope to build a strong customer base in Europe and Ricky will be instrumental in that process.”

Downs previously worked for Lockton and Price Forbes & Partners in business development roles. His hiring follows the recent acquisition of the International Vehicle Risk Management (IVRM) division from Lockton where Downs previously managed and developed the business.

With over 10 years of experience in the insurance industry, Downs will be responsible for developing Clements Europe’s Global Broker Network and expanding their European footprint.

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements Acquires International Car Insurance Business from Lockton, Inc.

2010-10-14T10:39:00.010-04:00

Clements Europe, a member of the Clements International group of companies, has acquired the International Vehicle Risk Management (IVRM) business from independent insurance broker Lockton, Inc. Clements International is the leading provider of insurance solutions for expatriates and international organizations.

“As a trusted insurance provider to international diplomats, with a longstanding relationship to the U.S. Foreign Service, Clements is uniquely positioned and well qualified to meet the needs of IVRM’s expatriate customers,” said Chris Beck, president of Clements International. “With the support of our new London office, this acquisition is an opportunity to establish our brand among expatriates living in the U.K. and the larger European market.”

IVRM policyholders’ existing coverage will not be affected and will continue to be offered through Clements International. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements Included In IIABA’s Best Practices Study

2010-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Global insurance provider Clements International is part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best Practices” Study Group.

Each year since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year.

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements Receives 2010 Communicator Award for Interactive Excellence

2010-09-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Clements International was honored with a 2010 Communicator Award for Interactive Excellence for the website dedicated to its 2009 Expat Youth Scholarship program. The website garnered the award in the Interactive category titled, “Websites – Social Responsibility.”

“We are very proud of this award because it is a testament to the exceptional work and dedication that the Marketing team put forth to showcase the Expat Youth Scholarship, which was a huge success in its own right,” said President Chris Beck. “This award has set a new bar for our team that will serve as motivation for continued innovation and creativity in future communications projects.”

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements Shortlisted for Award Recognizing Excellence in Global Mobility

2010-09-14T12:53:00.002-04:00

Clements International has been shortlisted for the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs), sponsored by The Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM). These awards recognize industry leaders, business successes and rising stars in global mobility. Clements is being considered for International Benefits Provider of the Year, along with Aetna Global Benefits, Mercer and NET EXPAT.

The winners will be determined by a panel of judges representing different areas of the global mobility industry around the world. FEM will be awarding the EMMAs at a ceremony in New York this October and in a second ceremony in London this November.

To learn more about Clements International’s EMMA Award nomination, visit emmas.totallyexpat.com.

Click here to read the official press release.

Announcing the 2010 Expat Youth Scholarship Finalists!

2010-09-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to announce the winners of Clements International’s 2010 Expat Youth Scholarship! We received 500 entries and awarded a total of $10,000 to six outstanding students.

This year’s scholarship contest asked expat students to answer the question, “Where would you go in your flying house?” Participants drew on their experiences living in a foreign country to imagine where their journey might take them next through an essay and creative image/photograph incorporating the contest’s flying house illustration. Three winners in two age categories were selected by a distinguished panel of judges from the expatriate community.

Scholarship Winners:

Age 12-15

First Place ($3,000):
Courtney van Ballegooie, 15
Canadian Expat in the U.S. and Switzerland

Second Place ($1,500):
Madeleine Han, 14
Canadian Expat in South Korea and the U.S.

Third Place ($500):
Elisa Rudolph, 14
American Expat in Japan and England

Age 16-18

First Place ($3,000):
Sophia Jenkins, 17
American Expat in Rwanda and Uganda

Second Place ($1,500):
Morgan Mayes, 16
American Expat in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia

Third Place ($500):
Vo Ram Yoon, 16
Bolivian Expat in South Korea

Click here to read the official press release.

To view the winning entries and learn more about the scholarship, visit www.expatyouthscholarship.com!

Clements VP to Present at Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit

2010-09-08T14:28:00.000-04:00

Clements International’s Vice President Tarun Chopra will present at the IE Group’s Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit on September 9-10, 2010 in Boston, MA. This program brings the intelligence, innovation, and leadership of the industry together to focus on the solutions offered by innovative financial planning and business forecasting. The Summit is known for its interactive format, encouraging audience interaction and participation. Other confirmed speakers include financial executives representing global companies, such as AT&T, Adobe Systems, Logitech, Avon and Citigroup.

Click here for more information about the IE Group’s Financial Forecasting & Planning Summit.

Clements International Names New Vice President of Finance

2010-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Clements International, the leading provider of global insurance solutions, has named Tarun Chopra as vice president of finance. Mr. Chopra brings over 17 years of experience in finance, accounting, strategy, and M&A leadership with global companies, including Fannie Mae, Whirlpool Corporation, Boston Consulting Group, and Ernst & Young.

“Tarun has demonstrated exceptional skill and expertise throughout his career at large, international companies,” said Chris Beck, president of Clements International. “He is a critical addition to our team and we are confident in his ability to guide our company’s continued financial growth and stability.”

Mr. Chopra has leadership experience in managing financial operations and global strategic projects in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and Africa. As vice president of finance, he is responsible for leadership, strategic and oversight accountability of Clements International’s Finance division, in addition to corporate compliance, among other responsibilities. He has a Chartered Accountancy and earned his MBA from the University of Melbourne.

Click here to view the official press release.

Clements to Host Speaker Panel on Expat Life at The Expat Forum 2010

2010-08-25T09:00:00.001-04:00

This October, Clements will host a panel discussion about contemporary expat life, and the unique challenges and advantages of being an expat in 2010 and beyond. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the company welcomes local expats and international benefit providers to attend the event on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010 at the U.S. Navy Heritage Center from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Registration is free, and open to expats and international benefits providers. Complimentary breakfast will be served.

The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 4.

Learn more about The Expat Forum 2010 and register at expatforum.clements.com.

Click here to read the official press release.

Clements International Nominated for Award Recognizing Excellence in Global Mobility

2010-08-17T09:00:00.003-04:00

The Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) recently announced Clements International’s nomination for the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs). These awards recognize industry leaders, business successes and rising stars in global mobility. Clements is being considered forInternational Benefits Provider of the Year, along with Aetna Global Benefits, AXA PPP, Mercer, HSBC, NET EXPAT, CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits and Zurich International Life.

The winners will be determined by a panel of judges representing different areas of the global mobility industry around the world. FEM will be awarding the EMMAs at a ceremony in New York this October and in a second ceremony in London this November.

To learn more about Clements International’s EMMA Award nomination, visit emmas.totallyexpat.com.

Click here to read the official press release.