Advertise on podcast: The Leadership in Insurance Podcast - Insurtech & Innovation

In the latest episode, Alex sits down with Josh Levine, founder and CEO of Cake and Arrow, a design and product innovation firm specializing in the insurance industry. They explore what's really broken in insurance user experience - and how the industry can fix it. Drawing on Cake and Arrow's own research into Gen Z attitudes, the conversation reveals critical insights for the industry's future. Key Takeaways: Gen Z sees insurance as out of sync with reality – They still want stability, but view traditional paths as broken, leading them to create workarounds like emergency funds and side hustles rather than using conventional insurance productsInternal UX is the new battleground – The focus has shifted from customer-facing platforms to redesigning critical internal tools like underwriting workbenches and agent portals, because better employee experience drives better customer outcomesInsurance has a perception problem with talent – Only 13% of Gen Z are in career roles within the industry, despite insurance offering faster career advancement than many realizeAI is creating an opportunity – As AI reshapes employee experience, there's a chance to make insurance work more engaging and attract the next generation of talent through flexibility, dynamic career paths, and clearer purposeA must-listen for anyone thinking about digital transformation, employee experience, or how to build products that meet people where they actually are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of The Leadership in Insurance podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Rob Lewis, CEO of INTX Insurance Software, to discuss why the insurance industry's fragmented software landscape is holding back its AI potential - and what it takes to fix it. Rob's journey from launching an online stockbroker in South Africa to acquiring an insurance carrier in Mozambique led him to build INTX: an integrated software solution designed to cover the entire policy lifecycle. Now, he's bringing that vision to the US market, where 55% of insurance professionals still rely on Excel as their primary system. Key highlights from the conversation: Why insurance is "perfectly suited to AI" but "least prepared for it"—and how legacy systems are the bottleneckThe case for incremental gains over revolution: how a 5% improvement in core ratios can transform carrier economicsUS vs. London market dynamics: the tension between data-driven underwriting and the irreplaceable value of underwriter intuitionThe Excel problem: why half the US insurance industry still operates on spreadsheets, and what it takes to transition them to modern platformsINTX's US expansion: from 5 clients signed in 2025 to an ambitious goal of 25 by the end of 2026, including a Tier 1 carrierRob makes a compelling case that the industry doesn't need revolutionary products—it needs solid operational foundations that can unlock the next wave of innovation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Max Bruner, CEO of Anzen Insurance, to explore how the company has evolved since its 2021 founding into a tech-enabled wholesale broker using AI to transform insurance distribution. Episode Highlights: From Hype to Reality - Max discusses how the industry has moved past chatbot buzz to focus on enterprise AI applications that genuinely enhance vertical software capabilitiesWorkflow Revolution - Anzen's AI-powered software is delivering significant time savings and improved resource utilization across the entire insurance process - from submit to renewBridge Building - Max emphasizes the importance of connecting technologists with insurance experts to create solutions that actually work$16M Funding Round - Max shares insights from Anzen's October raise, discussing the challenges of executing during a period when the market was less receptive to AI in insurance compared to other sectorsSoftware Success - The company is now selling its licensed software to agency partners and the broader industry, developed by their 'small but mighty' engineering teamCEO-Level Priority - Technology adoption is no longer just operational; it's fundamental to competitiveness, talent attraction, and customer service delivery2026 Vision - Optimistic growth plans ahead, particularly around partnerships in the financial infrastructure spaceMax's journey from direct broker to wholesale broker, while developing licensed software that's now being sold to agency partners, demonstrates what's possible when innovation meets deep industry expertise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're thrilled to launch the new year with an incredible episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast featuring host Alex Bond in conversation with Tiago Prado, founder of BRZ Insurance (acquired by Troop Gordier in 2025) and current CEO of Altoia. From High School Dropout to Insurance Innovator Tiago's journey is nothing short of remarkable. From accidentally landing in insurance to building and successfully exiting BRZ Insurance, his story is packed with valuable lessons about persistence, strategic thinking, and understanding what truly drives business growth. What You'll Discover in This Episode: Building for Exit - How Tiago transformed his approach from running an agency to creating a sellable business with recurring revenue The Infrastructure Gap - Why recruiting, training, retention, and financial management remain the biggest challenges for P&C insurance agencies The Birth of Altoia - How growing BRZ by 500% during COVID revealed systemic inefficiencies that inspired his next venture AI's Real Impact - Tiago's perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping success in insurance: "Your role won't be replaced with AI; it will be enhanced by it" 2026 Vision - His ambitious plans to provide clarity, capital, and control to insurance agencies through better financial infrastructure The Bottom Line Tiago believes that accurate financial data and KPIs aren't just nice-to-haves—they're essential for accessing growth capital and making informed decisions. His work with Altoia aims to solve the problems that banks and traditional systems have failed to address in underwriting insurance agencies. Ready to start the year with fresh insights? This episode is essential listening for agency owners, insurance leaders, and anyone looking to understand where the industry is headed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Leadership Insurance Podcast features Matt Connolly, founder and CEO of Sonr, making his third appearance on the show as part of host Alex Bond's end-of-year review series. Key takeaways from this episode: 🔄 Innovation is Decentralizing Matt talks about seeing a fundamental shift across Sonr's global carrier clients, moving from central innovation teams to operational functions like claims owning their transformation. 📈 2025: The Comeback Year After some tough years, capital is flowing back into InsurTech, IPOs are re-emerging, and the market is maturing with a more pragmatic approach to tech adoption. Sonr’s Record growth in 2025 Matt thinks it’s down to market appetite for understanding the tech and innovation landscape. 🎯 Horizon One Focus Matt’s take on 2025 as being mostly about "horizon one":  applying technology to level up core business operations AI innovation AI is enabling previously unprofitable micro-insurance and niche products to become commercially viable and changing what's possible. 🌍 Global Learning Matters From micro-insurance in Africa to climate resilience solutions, there's incredible value in looking beyond domestic borders and industries for innovation insights. 🚀 Looking Ahead to 2026 As Sonr approaches its 10-year anniversary, it’s refreshing to hear Matt share his honest reflections on building in insurance, describing Sonr as a "10-year overnight success" that's been "like pushing water up a hill" - a reality many founders will recognize. Also, exciting to hear Matt talk about Sonr’s version 2.0 launch in January - an AI-powered platform democratizing market intelligence across the insurance ecosystem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance podcast, host Alex Bond sat down with Joe Zuk, Operating Partner at Altamont Capital Partners, for an insightful year-in-review discussion that captures the key moments in 2025. Key themes explored: Market Transitions and 2025 Dynamics The conversation examines 2025 as a transitional year marked by shifts from hard to soft market conditions, the impact of the California wildfires, degradation in pricing following quiet catastrophe years, and a slowdown in private equity multiples. Technology Reshaping Business Models Joe and Alex explore how AI and technology are enabling lean, efficient operations: from small teams managing large businesses to the emergence of one-person MGA models and modular, bespoke insurance solutions. The discussion highlights technology not as human versus machine, but as a tool allowing individuals and businesses to accomplish more. The Relationship vs. Automation Debate A thought-provoking examination of whether the future lies in self-service models or premium, high-touch experiences, and how the industry can maintain personalization and interpersonal connections as automation increases. Innovation and Regulatory Evolution The episode also explores opportunities for micro-insurance products, and the critical need for regulatory adaptation to support entrepreneurial innovation in the sector. Looking Ahead to 2026 Joe predicts a year of micro-cycles with pockets of hard and soft markets, increased Insurtech and FinTech involvement, and greater investment in technology for data capture and utilization—all while preserving the industry's core strength: human relationships. Listen now for essential insights on navigating the rapidly evolving Insurance landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't miss this insightful conversation between Alex Bond and Bryan Falchuk on The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, for the second in our series reflecting on 2025. With 25 years of industry experience, Bryan shares his optimistic outlook on where insurance is headed. Key Takeaways: 💰 Smarter Capital, Stronger Companies The shift from easy funding to disciplined investment is transforming the industry. Bryan points out that tighter funding conditions now promote better business practices and long-term sustainability. The result? More resilient companies built for the long haul. 🤖 AI as Expertise Amplifier Bryan emphasises AI isn't just about efficiency: it's about elevating capabilities. AI's true potential lies in enhancing expertise in risk selection, pricing, and claims management. He highlights innovative solutions like Cytora and Kyber, demonstrating that targeted tech implementations often outperform wholesale overhauls. 👥 The Human Element Remains Critical Despite technological advances, Bryan and Alex discuss that insurance remains fundamentally a high-touch business. Their biggest concern? Ensuring the industry doesn't lose the next generation of skilled professionals as AI handles routine tasks. Investment in training and reskilling isn't optional - it's essential. ☁️ Strategic Infrastructure Matters Bryan emphasises that the move to cloud isn't just a technical decision- t's a strategic imperative that requires creative leadership and empowered teams to drive real change. A crucial insight from Bryan: "When money is tighter, people learn discipline." This principle applies not just to funding, but to how the industry approaches every investment- in technology, people, and the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Episode Alert: Claims Tech Year in Review 🎙️ In this week’s episode of the Leadership and Insurance Podcast host Alex Bond caught up with Jonathon Valentine from I Love Claims with an end of year review before we head into 2026. I Love Claims (ILC) is a community focused on claims professionals sharing best practices, bringing together claims tech companies to pitch their products to insurers. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore some of the biggest shifts happening in the claims space including: 📊 AI Breaking Through the Data Barrier Jonathon explains how new technologies like LLMs are finally making complex, unstructured claims data accessible after years of being difficult to manage with outdated systems. 🤝 The Tech-Insurance Integration Challenge History has shown that technology teams coming into the insurance space face "a hard market to crack if you're not insurance first." Successful ventures often blend insurance and tech expertise, with examples like Grace Hansen from Elysium demonstrating how claims professionals can build modern TPAs. 💡 Smart Strategies for Market Entry Jonathon shares how one TPA successfully navigated IT procurement by positioning itself as a TPA rather than a claims platform, allowing them to compete based on rates rather than integration time. 🚀 Automation That Actually Works The key is using tech to improve the customer journey rather than completely redesigning existing processes, with Tesco's car claims process cited as an example of effective automation. ⚠️ The OpenAI Dependency Question Alex and Jonathon express concerns about over-reliance on OpenAI and the potential for pricing changes to impact businesses that wrap their services around AI technology. Looking Ahead to 2026 Jonathon announces exciting changes to the next I Love Claims tech event. For the first time, it will feature semi-finals online in April followed by a final hosted by Kennedys in London in June, giving a platform and exposure to a greater number of companies in the claims space. Whether you're in claims, Insurtech, or just curious about where the industry is heading, this conversation offers valuable insights on navigating the intersection of technology and traditional insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miles Thorson joins us for a deep dive into what it actually takes to innovate in insurance. This one's fascinating because Miles isn't your typical InsurTech founder: he's third-generation insurance expert, with experience across the industry, including brokerage services, specialty MGA, program management, and tech-enabled ventures. Now he's using all his knowledge to build something genuinely different in pet insurance with @Odie Pet Insurance. What we get into: 🐾 Why they spun off pet insurance entirely — new entity, new systems, outside capital (and why that mattered) 💰 The B2B distribution pivot — how budget constraints forced them away from competing with Trupanion and into partnerships that actually work better 📊 The Many Pets US acquisition — how their strategic decision to focus on European operations created a smart opportunity for portfolio growth 🏗️ Navigating legacy knowledge — Miles gets real about using three generations of insurance expertise as foundation while staying open to new approaches 📈 Sustainable growth over vanity metrics — building reserves, managing loss ratios, and why profitability beats book size ⚡ Hard market opportunities — why right now is actually brilliant for innovators (despite higher rates) The bit that really stood out for me: Miles talks about how working across the entire insurance stack — underwriting, reinsurance, claims, tech — means he can solve problems others can't even see. That's the advantage of actually understanding this industry rather than trying to "disrupt" it from the outside. Also, the humanisation of pets as the real driver of demand (not just pandemic puppies) is spot on. People are spending serious money on their pets now, and the insurance products haven't caught up. Episode link in comments 👇 If you're in pet insurance, thinking about M&A, or just want to hear someone who actually gets both the legacy and innovation sides of this industry, give it a listen. Thoughts? Are we finally seeing pet insurance distribution models that actually work? #PetInsurance #InsurTech #Insurance #MandA #Podcast #Innovation #Legacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🚀 AI Talent Reskilling for CEOs Alex discusses how Finpro helps innovative insurance and InsurTech firms adapt to AI-driven change.His recent CEO presentation explored how leaders can embrace AI-augmented talent and prepare for workforce transformation over the next five years.🤖 AI’s Impact on the Insurance Workforce The insurance industry is facing a major shift in talent needs.Upskilling is vital for agility, engagement, and transformation success.AI has become a key factor influencing job seekers’ employer choices.🌍 AI’s Impact on Business Talent New AI-specific roles are emerging across technical, ethical, creative, and operational areas.Talent is the cornerstone of innovation — adaptability and creative leadership define success.AI expands the “art of the possible”, demanding curiosity and bold thinking from leaders.💪 Innovative Leadership in Uncertain Times Leaders must be catalysts for innovation, not just planners.Qualities like curiosity, bravery, conviction, and emotional engagement are critical.Mistakes are inevitable — bold, decisive action matters most.Soft skills are now strategic assets for modern leadership.🧠 Enhancing Candidate Assessment Methods Structured and competency-based interviews outperform unstructured chats.References and personality insights reveal true motivations and behavior under pressure.Assessments should be seen as tools for understanding, not pass-or-fail tests.📈 AI Reskilling Strategies for Organizations Inspired by Allianz’s AI transformation — leadership must drive change top-down.Encourage curiosity and experimentation with accessible tools (like LinkedIn Learning).Avoid relying solely on new graduates or single data roles — build an AI-ready culture.🤝 Middle Managers: The Unsung Heroes of AI Adoption Middle managers bridge strategic vision and day-to-day execution.Provide time, support, and development to ensure AI initiatives succeed.Weak middle management can undermine even the strongest executive strategies.🌟 Attracting AI Talent to Insurance Tell specific, human-centered stories — not broad industry narratives.Treat candidates like customers: make hiring clear, fast, and engaging.Keep “humanity in the loop” alongside AI recruitment tools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In this week’s episode, I caught up with Dave Connors, CEO and Founder of distriBind, who's on a mission to transform how the insurance industry handles data. Dave shared the story of how distriBind is eliminating spreadsheet chaos in delegated authority processes—a problem even the largest insurers struggle with. The AI Reality Check: One of the most refreshing parts of our conversation? Dave's perspective on AI. While everyone's rushing to apply AI to every problem, Dave explained why data ingestion and transformation doesn't need AI—traditional methods can be more efficient and cost-effective. Where AI does add value is in the analytics layer: but you need to solve the foundational data problem first. Other Key Insights: Why enforcing a single data standard across the industry misses the point—distriBind's approach transforms and enriches data to meet each receiver's needsTheir dual product strategy: distriBind as the digital workbench for post-bind data exchange and processing, and their newer product Sunapto, focused on the due diligence and onboarding phaseThe importance of having patience and developing long-term client relationships—building trust from the early days when clients believed in their vision to now processing over $1 billion in premium annuallyHow they've grown ARR by 50-60% this year through expansion with existing clients - like Allianz where they started small and are now expanding into US operationsTheir expansion strategy into the US market and the global delegated authority spaceWhy having deep industry expertise is crucial to solving this problem—it's not just a tech challenge, it's an insurance industry challengeDave's journey from 2019 to today offers valuable lessons on building in a complex space, choosing the right technology for the job, and why sometimes the best innovation is making the fundamentals work properly before adding bells and whistles. If you're interested in insurance innovation, practical vs. hyped technology, or building sustainable client relationships in complex markets, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Dr Magda Ramada, Global InsurTech Innovation Leader at Willis Towers Watson (WTW). With over 20 years’ experience at WTW, for the past 12 years she has been solely focused on innovation, especially around digital transformation, advanced analytics, blockchain, emerging risks and Insurtech. In this episode, we discuss actionable data insights and practical applications of AI in insurance, with Magda emphasising the unique potential of generative and agentic AI to transform operating models and software development. Key Takeaways: 🔄 The AI Evolution We've moved beyond traditional prediction models. Generative AI and transformer architectures are offering unprecedented opportunities through zero-shot learning and text generation. However, Magda was refreshingly candid about the limitations—AI agents aren't yet ready to handle complex pricing and claims independently. 👥 Change Management is Everything Magda's insight really resonated: "If you don't manage change, then change doesn't happen." Her analogy of integrating AI like onboarding new interns is brilliant—it needs training, time, and patience. Employees must learn to accept machine errors as part of the process. 🤝 Human + AI, Not Human vs AI Despite automation advances, Magda emphasised that complex judgements and human empathy will always require people in the loop. The future isn't about replacement—it's about augmentation. 🛠️ Building AI-Ready Systems The focus should be on modularisation, API integration, and robust governance frameworks. Insurance carriers need to invest in testing AI tools tailored for specific tasks like data cleaning and claims processing. 📚 The Unlearning Challenge Perhaps the most striking point: we all need to unlearn and relearn, even those approaching retirement. This isn't just about work—AI will affect every area of our lives, and it's our personal responsibility to adapt. I found this a thought-provoking conversation that balances optimism with pragmatism about AI's role in insurance now and in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest Leadership in Insurance Podcast episode, I sat down with the Finpro team for a debrief on ITC Vegas. This time I handed the mic over to Dan, who put Sophie and I through our paces on the key insights from the conference. What we covered: 🚀 Innovation Across Regions Sophie noted the vibrant startup ecosystem in Vegas, with particular interest in companies like Anthea exploring psychedelics in healthcare—a topic underexplored in UK markets. 💰 InsurTech Investment is Back After years of risk-averse, efficiency-focused investment, I spoke about the fact that we’re seeing larger rounds and renewed appetite for innovative products, new distribution methods, and AI technologies. The market is embracing risk again. 🧠 The Talent Attraction Challenge As ever, Talent was a hot topic with a key focus on how AI is affecting recruitment. It’s a challenge, but I think attracting AI talent to our industry requires better storytelling. Instead of "Do you want to work in insurance?" try "Do you want to help solve climate change?" Frame the impact, not just the industry. 🤝 Making Conferences Better Dan's first ITC Vegas was a success—meeting our placements in person was a highlight as was seeing the buzz about the industry in the room. But we identified room for improvement: ·      More impromptu meetings can be better than packing the diary before you go ·      Better representation of talent/recruitment perspectives on stage (especially from smaller companies who face different challenges), ·      More diversity among speakers representing different demographics to avoid the "same voices" phenomenon It was fun to unpack ITC Vegas together—three different perspectives, one shared experience, and plenty of debate about what it all means for InsurTech's future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.