Insurance Journal recently had the opportunity to speak with Arkansas Insurance Commissioner and former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens about the time he spent in Iraq earlier this year. Pickens was in Iraq from April through June 2004, working with a private contractor to the United States Agency for International Development, helping to develop insurance law as a first step toward rebuilding the country’s insurance system under an economic development initiative.
He described the Iraqi insurance industry and the obstacles involved in transforming it from a government-dominated system to a market driven one. Pickens also discussed the ongoing work on the reconstruction of Iraq, and explained how his experience in the country differed from the perception one often gets of the situation from the news media in the United States.
Excerpts from this interview may be found in the Nov. 22, 2004, issue of Insurance Journal-Texas/South Central. To comment on the interview, e-mail sjones@insurancejournal.com. Visit the Arkansas Insurance Department online at www.state.ar.us/insurance.
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