Crawford & Company is the world's largest independent provider of claims management and related solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a global network of more than 700 locations in 63 countries, Crawford & Company's major service lines include:
• Property and Casualty Claims management
• Warrantee inspections
• Integrated claims and medical management for workers’ compensation
• Legal settlement administration, including class action and bankruptcy claims administration
• Risk management information services
The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRDA and CRDB.
Dr. Andries Willemse,Vice President: Global Strategy, Projects & Development Crawford & Company and Business School Netherlands International MBA & DBA Graduate shares his learning experiences with us:
• What impacts have BSN’s DBA study had on your career and life?
After completing BSN’s MBA program, I launched into the DBA program immediately. At the time I was the Managing Director for Crawford & Company South Africa, responsible for all of Sub-Saharan Africa, including also Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and Reunion. Soon after completing the DBA, I was promoted to a Regional Compliance position and relocated from South Africa to London, UK. A year later, I was promoted to my current position and relocated to our Global Home Office situated in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Successfully completing the MBA and DBA programs not only gave me a competitive advantage over other candidates competing for the same positions, but also, as a direct result, enabled me to be a better provider for my family. In these tough economic times there is not much more that one can ask for.
• What are your comments on the value and recognition of BSN and its education?
I found BSN’s faculty members to be leaders in their respective fields, the academic content of coursework of the highest standard, and the level of student support & guidance to be outstanding. Although BSN is generally not known in the USA, its solid reputation in Europe & Africa is easily established.
Some prospective students may view career advancement as one of the main goals in committing to a MBA or DBA program and by doing so often overlook the value of personal development and growth. Successful completion of the qualification is not what defines you as a person, but rather your ability to apply knowledge and experience gained during the education process. Both are parts of a maturity cycle if you’d like. I offer to prospects the following view – the proven principles of Action Learning as used in BSN’s programs will teach you to think “differently” about real-time challenges we face in business every day. It equips you with a combination of academic knowledge and real-time, practical experience. It will enable you to approach these challenges in a manner that will set you apart you from others, help you find solutions and make appropriate decisions. Obtaining the qualification however is a point in time only and as you will come to see, Action Learning is a life-long commitment to continuous education which improves your ability to deal successfully with the many challenges of business life.