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Introducing PRMA Learning Tracks: Making Professional Development Easier (and More Enjoyable)

Samantha Hennessy | PRMA's Education and Marketing Director

Hear from PRMA's Education and Marketing Director, Samantha Hennessy, on the thinking behind Learning Tracks and how this new experience is designed to help members find the right content more easily, explore topics that match their goals, and make professional development feel more intuitive and engaging.

Over the past year, the PRMA education team has spent a lot of time thinking about one question:

How can we make it easier for PRMA members to access the educational content that will be most valuable to them, right when they want it?

Our Best Practices Library houses hundreds of entries. Webinars, white papers, job aids, and educational assets, covering everything from leadership and networking to advanced risk topics in the high-net-worth market. The content itself is incredibly valuable. We see that reflected consistently in webinar surveys and member feedback.

But even with all of that great material available, we kept coming back to the same challenge: It's not always easy to find the right content at the right moment.

And that led me down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to understand what the real issue actually was...

Was the library not organized enough?
Was it difficult to search?
Did we need better categories or tags?
Did it just need to look... prettier?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the issue wasn't reorganizing our archive into different folders or changing colors on a web page. It was about creating an intuitive, user-friendly system that takes the friction out of finding what you want to learn.
 
 

The “Wall of DVDs” Problem

Something many of us probably remember from before streaming existed: a shelf full of DVDs.

Imagine walking into a room where one entire wall is covered in DVDs. They're not disorganized. In fact, they might even be categorized. Action here, documentaries there, comedies in another section. But it's still a wall of options staring back at you.

And if you've ever stood in front of a shelf like that trying to decide what to watch, you know the feeling. There may be great movies on that shelf, but by the time you find something you're in the mood for, you barely even want to watch the movie anymore!

And that's exactly how a large educational library can feel.

PRMA has built an incredible archive of educational content over the years. The challenge isn't the quality of what's there, what folders (or shelves) they're in, or how color-coded the folders are. The challenge is helping members discover the right piece of content at the moment they're ready to learn. And that's where Netflix comes in.


The Netflix Effect

Streaming platforms didn't succeed because they had better movies than DVD collections.

They succeeded because they made discovering something to watch effortless.

Instead of staring at a wall of options, you can quickly explore curated categories, recommendations, and genres that match what you're interested in. The algorithm brings everything straight to you, optimized for you (well, most of the time… but let's keep going with the analogy). You sit down, open the app, and within seconds you've found something that fits your mood.

That's the experience we wanted to bring to PRMA's educational content. Because the goal isn't just to store great content, it's to help members discover it quickly and easily.

That's ultimately what led us to create PRMA Learning Tracks.


So What Exactly Are Learning Tracks?

At their core, Learning Tracks are curated pathways through PRMA's educational library.

If you finish a pathway, you earn a badge!

Instead of approaching the library as one large collection of resources, Learning Tracks organize content into focused journeys based on where you are in your career and what you're hoping to learn next.
 
Some members are new to the insurance industry and looking for foundational knowledge.

Others are experienced advisors who want to strengthen leadership skills, build stronger referral networks, or deepen their expertise in complex risk areas affecting high-net-worth clients.

Learning Tracks bring those resources together in a way that feels more intentional and easier to navigate.

Each track groups together related content — webinars, job aids, educational assets, and written resources — into sections that build on one another, allowing members to explore topics at their own pace.

And just like with movies and shows, there are different ways to experience it.
 
Sometimes you may only have time for one resource. A webinar, article, or job aid that answers a question you have right now. That's like sitting down to watch a movie.

Other times, you might decide you want to go deeper and work through an entire learning track over time. That's more like starting a great series that you keep coming back to.

Both experiences are part of the design.

The goal was simple: make it easy to sit down, find something that interests you, and start learning. 
 


Why I'm Personally Excited About This

This project has been a labor of love.

Learning Tracks have been something our team has been thinking about, designing, testing, revising, and building for a long time.

We spent countless hours reorganizing content, mapping out structures, and trying to imagine what the experience would feel like from a member's perspective.

Because at the end of the day, PRMA's education isn't just about delivering information. It's about helping professionals in our industry stay curious, grow their expertise, and better serve their clients.

We already had incredible content. What we wanted to build was a better way to experience it.

Something intuitive.
Something enjoyable.
Something that makes you think, “I have an hour... let me see what I can learn today.”

My hope is that Learning Tracks make it easier for members to discover topics they care about, explore areas they're curious about, and continue building the knowledge that makes our industry stronger.

And on behalf of the PRMA education team, I'm incredibly excited to finally share them with you.
 


Start Exploring Learning Tracks


Samantha Hennessy

Education & Marketing Director, PRMA

I believe strong education and strong marketing share the same foundation: clarity, trust, and purpose. I lead education and marketing at PRMA, shaping how professional learning, content, and communication come together for the private risk management community.

I began my career as an insurance broker at HUB International and later worked in design and marketing, where I developed a deep appreciation for visual communication and message discipline. That blended background informs how I approach education today, ensuring learning experiences are not only accurate and practical, but also well-structured and thoughtfully presented.

In my role, I oversee credentialed programs, events, and content initiatives that support professional growth and elevate industry standards. My work focuses on aligning educational strategy with clear messaging and cohesive design so members experience PRMA as both credible and intentional at every touchpoint.

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