The theme of this year’s Property Casualty Insurers Association of America’s annual conference — “Leading in an Age of Disruptive Transformation” — comes at a time when the insurance industry, the nation and the economy face a period of accelerating change.

“Uncertainty has manifested itself full-blown into an era of disruptive transformation,” PCI President David Sampson said. “We don’t develop these conference themes in a vacuum.”

“To have a conference that talks about transformation and recognizes that we have to be part of it, or maybe ahead of it, is a useful theme,” incoming PCI Chairman Terry W. Cavanaugh said.

“Obviously, we’re (the insurance industry) a big part of the economy,” said Mr. Cavanaugh, who is also president and CEO of Erie, Pennsylvania-based Erie Insurance Group.

“Clearly we have to respond to the consumer behavior we see, the technology and innovation that’s going on and we’ve got to be part of that,” Mr. Cavanaugh said.

Mr. Sampson said that each year’s conference theme is chosen by a group of executives of PCI’s member insurance companies.

“The disruptive transformation we’re seeing is occurring on many fronts,” Mr. Sampson said. These include regulation, technology and demographics.

Demographics must be confronted in two ways, he said.

“There is a changing demographic of consumers as well as a changing demographic of the workforce,” Mr. Sampson said. Companies need to know how to adapt to both of those, he said.

In addition, “our member executives are going to have to navigate a state, federal and international regulatory environment that is rapidly changing,” Mr. Sampson said.

At the same time, they are also trying to anticipate and innovate business models.

For example, technology is disrupting business models a lot of the time, he said, adding that technology is “evolving at a lightning pace.”

The emergence of the sharing economy, with ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft being used by consumers via mobile phone applications, is one example of how technology is disrupting business models.

This presents both threats and opportunities, Mr. Sampson said. For insurance executives, the key questions are “How do they need to think in this age?” and “What kind of questions do they need to ask?”

Organizations need to be prepared to recognize the economic opportunities that exist in a period of disruptive transformation, the PCI president said.

“What are the implications for new business models” of such developments as the sharing economy, driverless cars and greater use of telematics? “How will they affect underwriting practices and pricing practices going forward?” he asked.

Mr. Sampson said the conference’s featured speakers will address the issue from different vantage points.

Former Secretary of Defense, CIA Director and Texas A&M University President Robert Gates today will address the disruptive transformation going on internationally and how it is fundamentally unsettling the global economy.

In his presentation, Mr. Gates will examine the threats this transformation presents to U.S. national security. He’ll also speak about his leadership approach in helping large organizations adapt during a period of disruptive transformation.

Other conference speakers include Luke Williams, professor of innovation and executive director of the Berkley Entrepreneurship Center at New York University’s Stern School of Business; Larry Sabato, election analyst and founder of the University of Virginia Center for Politics; and demographer Neil Howe.

A lineup of timely panel discussions is also scheduled.