NAIC International Internship Program Growing

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) this week welcomed nine interns from Egypt, Serbia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia to the NAIC Executive Headquarters for its spring 2008 International Internship Program.

The seven-week program — which is conducted twice a year — includes a week in Kansas City for orientation and five weeks in a host state for more specialized training. Host states for the spring program include Alabama, California, Colorado, Nebraska, New York and Washington. The program concludes with attendance at the NAIC Summer National Meeting in San Francisco, May 31 - June 2, followed by closing ceremonies in Washington, D.C., June 4 - 6.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the interns to learn about the U.S. system of insurance regulation and our numerous efforts to harmonize our system,” said NAIC Executive Vice President and CEO Catherine Weatherford. “With the globalization of financial services, it is extremely valuable for insurance regulators to maintain a consistent dialogue and learn new supervisory methods from one another.”

The NAIC developed the International Internship Program in 2004 to advance working relations with foreign markets, emphasizing the exchange of regulatory techniques and technology. To date, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas have hosted international regulators as part of the NAIC’s intern program.