An Editor’s Q&A with Eliot Feldstein, vice president & general manager, insurance, at DriveCam Inc.

Eliot Feldstein recently joined DriveCam as a sector general manager for the insurance industry. Eliot spent some time this month with the editors of DriveCam’s e-newsletter about his new role and recent trip to RIMS 2007 in New Orleans, La.

Editor: Tell me about your background. What made you join the DriveCam team?

EF: I have a background in technology, and have been involved in nearly every aspect of it – hardware, networking, semiconductor, software and wireless – on behalf of commercial, consumer and industrial customers who required new applications to solve complex business problems. DriveCam combines cutting edge technology with service to provide a solution that has far reaching economic and societal benefits.

My initial interest in DriveCam was two-fold: a respect for the capabilities and successes of senior colleagues and management; and the prospect that I would be readily involved in changing the way that risk is managed on the roads, thereby helping to protect individual drivers, corporations and communities. The roads are the “last frontier” for a business, and working for a company that could extend a solution and mitigate risks on the street is something that resonated with me in a unique way.

Editor: You recently attended RIMS 2007, what major trends were discussed at the annual conference?

EF: In general, the issue of risk management is a growing concern. The risks that businesses have to contend with are ever-increasing, and range from catastrophic events to developing laws and statutes to terrorism. At the end of the day, the combination of these factors with normal business risks is leading companies to take a more advanced and proactive look at how they can manage risk.

The risk manager has a new seat in the boardroom, and is now, more than ever, called upon to provide counsel. This gives DriveCam a unique opportunity to address risk at the highest level.

It was apropos to hold RIMS 2007 in New Orleans, La.; the location brought home the point that risk is something that all business must be cognizant of.

Editor: Tell me about DriveCam's work with insurance partners. What makes a successful partnership?

EF: Our work with insurance partners revolves around the tenet that insurers share in the risk of their policyholders. By reducing the risk of fleets, DriveCam can have broad-based positive effects on risk. We have been fortunate to have insurance companies appreciate the value of our behavior-based risk mitigation solution.

A successful partnership involves collaboration. Companies that are customer-oriented and proactive managers of risk make for the best partners. At a tactical level, we have flexible program.

Editor: You have an MBA from Harvard University and lived and worked internationally. What do these experiences help you bring to the DriveCam team?

I have been fortunate to have opportunities in business and through my education that give me a variety of key learnings and resources to draw on when I encounter new things.

Harvard is full of extraordinarily bright, motivated and talented people and provides a great network for sharing ideas. I also spent six years living and working in Japan, immersed in the culture and environment. Both of these things helped me to establish the broad perspective essential in a culturally diverse business world.

Editor: Who is on your team and how do you all work together?

EF: The insurance business unit includes true professionals like Mike Cusick in Sales, Paul Jones and Kim Janssen in Managed Services, and Rick Walters in Operations, among others. Our goal is to wrap the customer – providing service through business development, deployment and ongoing program management and support. We have high qualified, talented people who truly deliver on the DriveCam experience.