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Travis Miller Named Inaugural Chairman of FSU Risk Management & Insurance Executive Council

Travis Miller has been named the first chairman of the Risk Management & Insurance Executive Council supporting the Risk Management & Insurance program of the Florida State University College of Business. The vision of the FSU program in Risk Management & Insurance is to be the preeminent program in the country. The program is consistently ranked among the top five or six programs in the nation and has a strong foundation to enhance its standing in the years ahead. The Executive Council will allow alumni and friends of the program to support the program’s goals by making greater resources and opportunities available to faculty and students.

Graduates of the program almost always find employment within the industry, which is a testament to the reputation the program has developed for producing high quality graduates. The program also continues to evolve to meet the needs of the market, introducing a double major in Professional Sales and Risk Management and Insurance to give students exposure to the principles of not only insurance and managing risk but also marketing and developing products.

Travis is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Business with degrees in accounting and finance. In 2009, he became involved with the Risk Management & Insurance program. At that time, the program was reactivating its Center for Insurance Research to support research initiatives. Travis and other friends of the program organized an advisory board to support the Center for Insurance Research and to advance the goals of the program. With the support of the dean of the College of Business and program faculty, this advisory board has now grown into the current Risk Management & Insurance Executive Council, which will support the program as a whole (which continues to include the Center for Insurance Research).

The evolution of the Executive Council comes at an exciting time for the Risk Management & Insurance Program, the College of Business, and Florida State University as a whole. The university has embarked on a path toward becoming one of the country’s top 25 public universities. As one facet of this process, the university has identified several themes— so-called “Big Ideas,” that serve as focal points for advancements of the university. These Big Ideas typically extend across academic disciplines and bring together resources from throughout the university community. One of these Big Ideas is the Risk Initiative in which the university seeks to take a comprehensive approach to helping individuals, businesses and government anticipate, prepare for and respond to risk. The university will strive to position itself as a world leader in the study of risk and to enhance our collectively ability to manage and mitigate risk. The Risk Management & Insurance program within the College of Business is an important component of the university’s interdisciplinary view of risk.

Individuals and companies interested in supporting the program have a range of opportunities to do so. For example, companies can host tours of their facilities for students, make internships available, and of course look to the program for their hiring needs. The Florida insurance market is diverse, with a growing presence of Florida-based insurers, regional operations of national insurers, a strong producer community, and many other niche segments of the industry. With a nationally-ranked Risk Management & Insurance program supporting research and education in these fields, the industry and the university can work together to ensure this state continues to attract and develop the talent necessary to serve this vibrant industry.