September 15, 2026

The Story of PLUS D&O University: Building the Next Generation of D&O Professionals

D&O liability sits at the intersection of corporate governance, securities law, regulatory enforcement, and emerging risk. It’s one of the most complex and fast-moving lines in the industry. And for a long time, there wasn’t a clear educational pathway for professionals trying to build a real foundation in it.

All that changed in 2023.

Built by the Industry, for the Industry
Before the first cohort ever convened, PLUS assembled the D&O University Task Force, a group comprised of respected practitioners representing underwriting, broking, claims, and legal disciplines. Over several months, they worked together to answer one straightforward question:
What does every D&O professional need to know to build a successful career?

The task force included:
• Janet Dreifuss
• Ron Goldstein
• Justin Kudler
• Kevin LaCroix
• Sandra Lagana
• Kim Melvin
• Marissa Streckfus
• Rebecca Tickaram

Their answer became the five foundational sessions that still anchor the program today:
• Fundamentals of D&O Liability Insurance and Indemnification
• Sources of D&O Liability
• D&O Liability Insurance
• D&O Claims Management
• D&O Roundtable: Trends, Risks, and Emerging Issues

The inaugural live D&O University launched in February 2023, and it hasn’t looked back.

What You’ll Walk Away With
D&O University is designed for professionals with five years or less of D&O experience, as well as those expanding into executive liability. Sessions are led by some of the industry’s most respected practitioners — underwriters, brokers, attorneys, and claims professionals who bring real-world context to every topic.

Here’s what that looks like across different roles:

• Claims professionals gain insight into the legal, financial, and governance issues that drive coverage determinations, investigations, and claim resolution.
• Underwriters develop a stronger command of D&O exposures, policy structure, and the emerging risks that shape coverage decisions.
• Brokers sharpen their ability to advise clients, explain coverage, and recommend solutions that keep pace with evolving corporate risks.
• Attorneys deepen their understanding of the insurance marketplace and the legal and regulatory issues that fuel D&O claims and coverage disputes.
Risk managers gain practical knowledge to evaluate organizational exposures, strengthen governance practices, and work more effectively with insurers and brokers.

A Credential That Compounds
Completing D&O University isn’t just a professional development milestone. It’s a meaningful step toward your designations. Participants receive a waiver for Module 8: Directors and Officers Liability Insurance Introduction — a required module for the RPLU designation — and the program counts toward the ExecPLP designation as well. The investment you make here keeps paying forward.

Why It Matters Right Now
The D&O landscape isn’t getting simpler. Shareholder activism, cybersecurity concerns, artificial intelligence, ESG developments, and an increasingly complex litigation environment are all reshaping what professionals in this space need to know. Understanding D&O insurance has never required more depth or more nuance.

D&O University gives you the foundation to meet that complexity with confidence — not just how D&O insurance works, but why it matters and how it connects to the business environment your clients and insureds operate in.

The program is offered live on October 13-14 and is also available on demand whenever it fits your schedule.

This is the program built by the people who know this line best. Designed to develop the next generation of D&O professionals and strengthen the professional liability community for the long term.