The collectors’ edition D&O Diary mugs that we have sent to interested readers have proven to be both ceremonial and functional, as reflected in the latest round of readers’ pictures. And the mugs have once again proven to be well-travelled, as well.

 

Readers will recall that in a recent post, I offered to send out to anyone who requested one a D&O Diary coffee mug – for free – but only if the mug recipient agreed to send me back a picture of the mug and a description of the circumstances in which the picture was taken. In prior posts (here and here), I published the first two rounds of readers’ pictures. The pictures have continued to arrive and I have published the latest round below.

 

The first picture underscores just how global the D&O insurance industry is, as well as the international reach of The D&O Diary.  Anita Panditaa of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited in New Delhi, India sent in this picture of the company’s Financial Lines division underwriting and claims team. The team is headed by Bhavesh Patel, who is holding the mug. Anita is standing directly behind him. Anita reports that everyone on her team reads The D&O Diary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The D&O Diary mug also fits in at home as well as overseas, and also helps to  celebrate diversity. Dr. Harold Barnett of the Roosevelt University Heller College of Business sent in this picture, about which Barnett wrote: “I had a hard time choosing a Chicago background for my D&O Diary mug. But with the recent Supreme Court rulings on DOMA and the Illinois House of Representative just refusing to vote on same sex marriage, I thought the Pride Parade was the place to be.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Coleman of AON Risk Services, Global Broking Division, in London sent in this picture taken (with the mug, of course) at the Southern 100 International Road Race. John’s explanation of the picture is reproduced in the indented text below the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been racing motorcycles for 9 years and at the age of 47 I must say I’m starting to feel like I’m getting a bit old for mixing it with twenty years olds on 600cc race bikes. I started riding in 1996 when my father bought a Harley Davidson on a bit of a whim, in his usual generous style he said I could ride it whenever I liked if I did my motorcycle test, which I duly did. After riding it for a few years I purchased my own Japanese commuter bike which I soon traded in for a Supersport 600, shortly after that I did a track day and it all seemed to snowball from there. Within three years I’d got myself a race license and a year later I was EMRA’s 600cc Roadstock Championship runner-up. I continued to race around the country successfully but never managed to repeat my achievements in my first year, starting racing at 38 was probably a bit too late, most of the professionals retire at that age.

 

As well as racing on the majority of the circuits in the UK including Brands Hatch, Donington and Silverstone I have also raced the roads of the Isle of Man including three years on the famous 37 ¾ mile TT Mountain Course and most recently for my second visit to the Billown course (on the outskirts of Castletown, IoM) for the Southern 100 International Road Races. Unlike the fast, open and flowing roads of the TT course, the Billown course is 4 ¼ miles of narrow country lanes but you are still hitting speeds of up to 150mph which makes for a more intense experience. This year’s event was blessed with amazing weather, unusual for a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea, but unfortunately marred by three deaths in three separate incidents. Everyone involved is aware of the risks in the sport and accepts the dangers, it’s partly why we do it. It often gets commented to me that it’s strange that a person who works in a risk assessing industry would do anything so dangerous for a pastime. Like anyone else in insurance, I have assessed the risks and come to the conclusions that the reward out ways the risk.

 

Finally, Iris Chu sent in this picture taken in her Shanghai office of Marsh (Beijing) International Brokers Co. She reports that she was happy to receive her mug, but sadly, as the picture reflects, the mug was damaged when it arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Even worse, by the time I learned of this calamity, I had already given away all of the mugs, so I was unable to replace the damaged one Iris received. The shipping mishap with Iris’s mug and the many requests I have continued to received since I ran out of mugs have helped me to decide to just go ahead and order another round of mugs.

 

My order of  a second round  of mugs not only means that I can now replace Iris’s damaged mug but also means that I can fulfill the many mug requests I received after I depleted my original stock. It also means that if there are others out there who want a mug but who had not previously requested one, well, you can just let me know and I will send you one, too. But remember – if you request a mug, you are agreeing to send a picture of the mug back to me. Those awaiting or requesting mugs will have to be a little patient. Owing to upcoming work and travel schedules, it likely will be late August or early September before I can ship the next round.

 

Many thanks to the readers for their great pictures. I look forward to publishing many more pictures I the very near future.