The Leadership in Insurance Podcast (The LIIP)

This week's episode features Dan Grimwood-Bird, Head of Insurance at Nauto, an AI company at the forefront of commercial auto safety technology. This conversation covers everything from cutting-edge AI to the deeply human side of our industry.Dan shares how Nauto's AI-powered device is transforming fleet safety by tackling the root cause of the problem: with 70% of collisions caused by driver distraction or inattention, Nauto's windscreen-mounted system identifies risks in real time, alerts drivers, and provides critical video evidence for claims. The results? Significantly lower collision rates across commercial fleets.The conversation goes much deeper than technology. Dan and host Alex explore:

This week's episode features a fascinating conversation with Melissa Collett, CEO of Insurtech UK — the only trade association dedicated to representing the UK's thriving Insurtech sector.Since starting in 2018, Insurtech UK has grown from 30 to over 150 member companies, working alongside 50 partners and insurers to advocate for and connect the entire insurance value chain. Melissa brings a deep understanding of where the sector has come from, and where it's heading.In this episode, Alex and Melissa explore:

The latest edition of The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, features Alex Bond in conversation with Tony Lew, co-founder of Insurtech New York, in an insightful conversation about the future of insurance technology and the critical role of human engagement in an AI-driven industry.Key highlights from this episode:

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.

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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 InnovatorTiago'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 revenueThe Infrastructure Gap - Why recruiting, training, retention, and financial management remain the biggest challenges for P&C insurance agenciesThe Birth of Altoia - How growing BRZ by 500% during COVID revealed systemic inefficiencies that inspired his next ventureAI'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 infrastructureThe Bottom LineTiago 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.

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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:

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:

New Episode Alert: Claims Tech Year in Review

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:

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:

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:

In our latest Leadership in Insurance Podcast episode, I sat down with Garrett Droege (SVP, Director of Innovation & Digital Risk Practice Leader at IMA Financial) for a fascinating discussion on InsurTech with some thought-provoking insights that challenge conventional thinking about insurance technology.With 20 years exclusively on the brokerage side, Garrett brings a unique perspective as a former startup founder and self-taught software developer. As both Innovation Lead and Digital Risk Practice Leader at IMA, his role sounds incredibly broad, but as Garrett says, both sides serve each other—you need wide ranging touchpoints across tech ecosystems to stay ahead in both innovation and risk.In this episode, we cover: Build vs. Buy Decision Framework: Garrett's approach is clear: build customer-facing proprietary solutions that differentiate your business and serve your customers, but make sure it works with existing technology. The POC Framework That Actually Works: Forget 12-month POCs that drag on and lose momentum. Garrett advocates for highly targeted, 45-60 day maximum POCs with clear KPIs and the right team selection upfront. His advice to founders? "You think you want a 12-month contract. You don't. Let's prove your platform works fast and furiously, or let's wait until you're ready."The Bold Take: Garrett's view on how the industry has gone about InsurTech all wrong and allowed it to become a series of Band-Aids for the real problem: antiquated core systems from the 1980s and 90s that were built before APIs even existed. The result? Frankenstein workflows requiring 7-15 platforms to complete a single task, with 80% of users still working around the technology the same way they did 20 years ago.The AI Wake-Up Call: Despite AI being "transformational unlike anything we've ever seen" (and Garrett argues it's under-hyped), its promise is severely limited without access to core data systems. Garrett stated "You could build a fully agentic AI brokerage much easier than you could reverse engineer and retrofit an existing brokerage."The Investment Landscape: With 80% of recent Y Combinator and Broker Tech Ventures companies being AI-focused InsurTech solutions, the momentum is undeniable. The dot-com parallels are real—there will be winners and losers, and consolidation is coming.What Technology Can't Replace: Despite all the transformation, some challenges remain timeless: renewal management, client communication, trust-building. As Garrett notes, these require human expertise that AI augments rather than replaces.This conversation is essential listening for anyone in insurance, InsurTech, or risk management. The future of insurance isn't just about innovation—it's about getting the foundation right first. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, I sat down with James Fairgrieve, Head of Innovation at Aventum to explore how their Innovation Lab has designed award winning technology to fit their unique business requirements.From James' 25 years' experience in technology, all the way from Y2K testing to UK FinTech innovator of the year 2025, this episode dives deep into the formula for creating an innovation space that delivers.In this episode, we cover:

This week on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Ibrahim Sarwar, Co-founder & COO of Artio, to talk about how they're building the world's first early-stage carbon credit insurance business — and why the timing has never been better.Artio was founded to address one of the biggest barriers in climate finance: risk. By insuring carbon projects from the very beginning, they're enabling capital to flow into reforestation and nature-based solutions with greater confidence. Backed by data, science, and insurance expertise, Artio is helping to unlock the scalability the carbon market desperately needs.✨ Highlights from the conversation:

This week on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Wardah Inam, CEO of Overjet, to discuss the dental industry challenges she aims to solve.In 2018, a team of dentists and scientists from MIT and Harvard came together to revolutionise dentistry. Overjet was born to help the dental industry provide better care, using AI to reduce administrative overheads with precision, consistency, and speed. From clinical to operations, Overjet focuses on the patient journey end-to-end, improving systems and allowing dental workers to focus on what they do best.Overjet is now a world-leader in dental AI, raising more than $130m in funding and lauded as a top AI startup by the likes of Forbes and LinkedIn.In this episode, we covered:How one bad experience switching dentists led to building the #1 dental AI company.Different ways AI is applied to improve the patient-carer experience.Real-life examples of how data processing impacts scale.The main reasons Overjet has become the ‘no-brainer' choice in dentistry.This episode is an inspiring story that highlights how keen problem-solvers turn experiences into entrepreneurship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Tarun Mathur, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer of Policybazaar.com, to explore their journey from pioneering digital insurance in India to building out an ambitious global reinsurance strategy.Founded in 2008, PolicyBazaar has grown into India's largest insurance broker, managing $3B in annual premiums across life and general insurance. Built on a unique digital + human model, their mission has always been clear: protecting India's middle class through affordable, accessible insurance.In this episode, Tarun shares the story behind their growth, their push into reinsurance and surety bonds, and their vision to expand into Europe, the US, and beyond.✨ Highlights from the conversation:

On this week's episode of The Leadership In Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Samuel Broomer, President of NormanMax Insurance Solutions, to explore how parametric insurance is reshaping the industry and what it means for carriers, agents, and customers alike.From its early applications in Sub-Saharan Africa to its role today in addressing protection gaps across the U.S., this episode dives deep into how parametric solutions are transforming the insurance landscape.

Distribution, Digitized: How Foxquilt is Reshaping Small Business InsuranceIn this week's podcast, I sat down with Josh Reznick, Foxquilt's Chief Distribution Officer, to unpack how the insurtech is redefining distribution in commercial insurance.Foxquilt is a digital MGA focused on serving underserved small business markets across North America. By leveraging its proprietary technology platform, Foxden, the company has streamlined what was once a heavily manual process at traditional carriers — delivering a faster, more efficient quote-to-bind experience.But Fox Quilt's real differentiator is its multi-channel distribution model. By balancing wholesale and enterprise partnerships, they have built a scalable approach that expands reach without losing control of the customer relationship. Josh brings over a decade of carrier experience from Aviva to Fox Quilt, applying partnership-driven strategies in a modern digital context.Here are some of the key insights from our conversation:

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This week on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast podcast, I had a brilliant conversation with Rohit Mittal, all about just that. We covered why he chose to buy and operate an insurance tech company and how he's helping agents reclaim their time and boost productivity through AI.Here's a few highlights from what we covered...⚙️ “From 45 minutes to 5 minutes” – Solving the data bottleneck with AI Rohit explained how InsurGrid uses AI to extract declaration pages and policy data by connecting directly to carrier websites.

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This week I was joined by Grace Hanson, CEO of Elysian, who's on a mission to fix one of the most overlooked parts of insurance: claims handling.“People underestimate how much profit lives in the claims department — and how much value is wasted when it's not run well,”Grace calls Elysian an AI-native outsourced claims service — but what that really means is her team uses their own technology to handle commercial claims better than traditional models allow. Faster answers. Better data. Fewer inconsistencies. All designed by people who've actually sat in the adjuster's chair.Some highlights from our chat...

I was joined this week by Murtaza Ali, CEO & Co-Founder of Symphony (YC F24), for a conversation about how he's tackling some of the biggest challenges in the insurance industry with cutting-edge voice AI — without losing sight of the human touch.A bit of context: Murtaza's journey insurtech journey started at McKinsey before joining Tractable to build out their platform. He's seen firsthand how AI can transform industries — but also where it can fall short without humanity in the loop. That insight became the driving force behind Symphony AI.What we covered in this episode:

I'm excited to share this week's conversation on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast with no other than JP Fabri, CEO of myUbuntu all about transforming agricultural insurance in Africa

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Tune into our latest episode of The Leadership In Insurance Podcast Podcast, where I was joined Rory Pyke at Insurtech Insights, to unpack the real state of innovation in insurance.

Good morning and welcome to the latest episode of The Leadership In Insurance Podcast where where this week we are joined by Jared Kaplan, CEO of Indigo Insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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As a first in a webinar series, GTM lead, Connor Berry invites senior sales leaders from the InsurTech industry to discuss what is actually driving sales in 2025 and what's just noise. The panel discuss AI, Social selling, Cold calling & how to attract and build a successful sales team.Also, if you enjoy these conversations, make sure to follow The Leadership in Insurance Podcast—we're talking to the people leading real change in the industry every week.Would love to hear your thoughts on this "Finpro Presents ... InsurTech Sales: What's driving deals in 2025 (and what's not)" Let's chat in the comments.#LeadershipInInsurance #Podcast #Insurtech #AI #InsuranceInnovation #CommercialInsurance #FutureOfInsurance #Fairmatic #RiskManagement #AutoInsurance #InsuranceTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've had plenty of conversations about how insurance should work, but this one really got me thinking.This week on The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Jonathan Matus, CEO of Fairmatic, to talk about something that's been a huge challenge in our industry—fairness in commercial auto insurance. The way risk is priced right now often feels outdated. Businesses that invest in safer driving and better fleet management don't always see that reflected in their premiums, and that's a problem.Fairmatic is trying to change that. They're using AI and behavioural data to create a pricing model that actually rewards good driving instead of just relying on broad, traditional metrics. We talked about why the current system often gets it wrong, how better data could make roads safer, and what it really takes to scale an insurtech in an industry that isn't exactly known for embracing change.This was such an insightful conversation, and if you're in insurance, insurtech, or just curious about how AI is shaking up the industry, you won't want to miss it.Also, if you enjoy these conversations, make sure to follow The Leadership in Insurance Podcast—we're talking to the people leading real change in the industry every week.Would love to hear your thoughts on this"Rewriting the Rules of Auto Insurance with AI – A Conversation with Jonathan Mates, CEO of Fairmatic—do you think AI can actually fix insurance? Let's chat in the comments.#LeadershipInInsurance #Podcast #Insurtech #AI #InsuranceInnovation #CommercialInsurance #FutureOfInsurance #Fairmatic #RiskManagement #AutoInsurance #InsuranceTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to build a speciality insurance business from the ground up? This week on The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, we're joined by Gerard Van Loon, CEO of Alta Signa, to talk about his journey in launching and scaling a speciality insurer, the challenges of underwriting unique risks, and what the future of speciality insurance looks like.In this episode, Gerard shares:✨ How he went from idea to execution in building Alta Signa✨ The biggest challenges of starting a speciality insurance business – and how to overcome them✨ Why culture and team-building matter just as much as strategy✨ How the speciality risk landscape is evolving and where the opportunities areWhether you're an entrepreneur, a leader in the insurance space, or just someone who loves hearing the stories behind successful businesses, this episode is packed with insights, lessons, and a behind-the-scenes look at the speciality insurance world.Enjoy the episode? Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated with the latest conversations from leaders shaping the insurance industry! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Insurance has poured billions into growth and distribution, yet claims—the biggest cost in the industry—hasn't seen the same level of innovation. Why is that? And what happens when experienced founders decide to tackle it differently?In today's episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Alex Pezold, CEO & Co-Founder of Agentech, about what needs to change in claims and how Agentech is approaching it differently.

Revisiting One of Our Most-Viewed and Favorite Episodes of the Year