A megatrend is not a prediction but a certainty, an event with global ramifications that is already unfolding and affecting people. And although the more massive of these megatrends can be intimidating, they present more opportunities for creative thinkers who can rise to the challenge of solving them.

Learning to surf the wave of megatrends was the topic of "Trailblazing: Frontiers of the Future," a presentation at the IICF Women in Insurance Regional Forum, held last week in Chicago. The event was part of IICF's four-city (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Dallas) event, designed to accommodate more attendees than last year's inaugural event in Manhattan.

In "Trailblazing: Frontiers of the Future," Tim Ryan, vice chairman, markets, strategy and stakeholders leader, and Kelley Buchanan, managing director, insurance advisory, PwC, examined how global megatrends will impact all of us, and how businesses can benefit by addressing them full on.