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Modern Insurance Magazine Issue 70

Insight: Modernising the Finance Function: Why Transformation is Non-Negotiable Interview: Sam White; Overcoming Challenges, Embracing Innovation, and Empowering Women In Discussion: The Excellence-Wellbeing Equation: Why You Can’t Sacrifice One for the Other Editorial Board: Find out what our editorial board panel of experts have to say in this edition of Modern Insurance Magazine. Associations Assemble: Modern Insurance's panel of resident associations outline the burning issues in insurance. The Fraud Board: Don’t miss our next instalment of The Fraud Board, where our growing collective of fraud experts convene to discuss the key factors affecting the fight against fraud in our industry today. I Love Claims: Business Growth in a Flatlining Economy Just a Thought with Eddie Longworth... Understanding the Limitations of Artificial Intelligence From Linear Chain to AI-Powered Network: The Future of Claims Management Repairing the Future: Driving Excellence in Repair Management Driving ADAS Growth Through Innovative Calibration Technology and Remote Services Europcar: Where Does Electric Fit Into Insurers’ Supply Chains? A Bright Future with The Building Repair Network Moving Forward at Copart 10 Minutes with… Ernesto Suarez, CEO, Gigasure Insurtech Insights: Megan Kuczynski, Senior Strategic Advisor, Insurtech Insights / Founder & CEO, ClimateTech Connect; Shimon Elkabetz, CEO and Co-Founder, Tomorrow.io; Francis Bouchard, Managing Director, Climate, Marsh McClennan; Nakita Devlin, Founder & CEO, Ric; Steven Bennet, Chief Science Officer, Demex; Pat Blandford, CEO, Green Shield Risk Solutions Insur.Tech.Talk Editorial Board: Experts from within the insurtech sector and beyond join us once more to share their unique insights!

Insight: Modernising the Finance Function: Why Transformation is Non-Negotiable
Interview: Sam White; Overcoming Challenges, Embracing Innovation, and Empowering Women
In Discussion: The Excellence-Wellbeing Equation: Why You Can’t Sacrifice One for the Other
Editorial Board: Find out what our editorial board panel of experts have to say in this edition of Modern Insurance Magazine.
Associations Assemble: Modern Insurance's panel of resident associations outline the burning issues in insurance.
The Fraud Board: Don’t miss our next instalment of The Fraud Board, where our growing collective of fraud experts convene to discuss the key factors affecting the fight against fraud in our industry today.
I Love Claims: Business Growth in a Flatlining Economy
Just a Thought with Eddie Longworth... Understanding the Limitations of Artificial Intelligence
From Linear Chain to AI-Powered Network: The Future of Claims Management
Repairing the Future: Driving Excellence in Repair Management
Driving ADAS Growth Through Innovative Calibration Technology and Remote Services
Europcar: Where Does Electric Fit Into Insurers’ Supply Chains?
A Bright Future with The Building Repair Network
Moving Forward at Copart
10 Minutes with… Ernesto Suarez, CEO, Gigasure
Insurtech Insights: Megan Kuczynski, Senior Strategic Advisor, Insurtech Insights / Founder & CEO, ClimateTech Connect; Shimon Elkabetz, CEO and Co-Founder, Tomorrow.io; Francis Bouchard, Managing Director, Climate, Marsh McClennan; Nakita Devlin, Founder & CEO, Ric; Steven Bennet, Chief Science Officer, Demex; Pat Blandford, CEO, Green Shield Risk Solutions
Insur.Tech.Talk Editorial Board: Experts from within the insurtech sector and beyond join us once more to share their unique insights!

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ISSUE

70

ISSN 2515-3803

STRIKING A

BALANCE

2025 Contributors

Media Partners



WELCOME

Hello readers,

In Issue 70 of Modern Insurance Magazine, we’re exploring the

delicate balance between streamlining and the risk of going too

far. In the pursuit of efficiency, is there a point where optimisation

becomes detrimental? How can finance within the insurance sector

strike the right balance? We also take a look at what’s ahead for our

contributors in 2025, from growth strategies to advancements in

technology shaping the industry’s future.

Amelia Barlow, Editor

To explore the intersection of finance, leadership, and innovation, we sit down

with Sam White, Founder of Stella Insurance, for this issue’s lead interview. From

navigating growth in a challenging economic climate to tackling gender diversity in

leadership, Sam offers her perspective on the evolving landscape of the insurance

industry. She shares her thoughts on the role of AI in financial services, the essential

qualities of a CFO, and the biggest lessons she’s learned from launching five global

businesses. Be sure to read our full conversation with Sam on p.12, where she also

reveals the financial advice she’d give her 24-year-old self as she embarked on her

entrepreneurial journey.

We also speak with Michael Storey, Finance Transformation Director at KPMG

UK, for our Insights section, where he discusses the modernisation of the finance

function and why transformation is essential. This issue is packed with engaging

features, including an insightful piece on workplace wellbeing from Simon Cusden,

Co-founder of Whole People Group, and a thought-provoking article by our regular

contributor, Eddie Longworth, exploring the limitations of artificial intelligence.

As always, our treasured Editorial Board members share their wealth of knowledge

from p.19 onwards - followed by that of our well-loved industry associations from

p.37, and our thriving panel of insurance fraud experts from p.45.

Rachael Pearson, Project Manager

Rachael Pearson

Project Manager

Modern Insurance Magazine

rachael.pearson@charltongrant.co.uk

It’s always a pleasure to work closely alongside the wonderful Megan Kuczynski,

supporting each other through the curation of another outstanding panel of

insurance technology experts for Insur.Tech.Talk (p.68-75). Situated in the second

half of the magazine, and catch up with our dedicated board of insurtech specialists

from p.77 onwards.

Amelia

Without further ado…

Amelia Day Barlow,

Editor,

Modern Insurance Magazine.

amelia@charltongrant.co.uk

Market-Leading Outsourced Claims Services

www.carpentersgroup.co.uk

ISSUE 70

ISSN 2515-3803

Editor

Amelia Barlow

Project Manager & Events Sales

Rachael Pearson

Modern Insurance Magazine

is published by Charlton Grant Ltd ©2025

All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly

forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated

from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the

author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication

was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any

liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether

such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

MODERN INSURANCE | 3


Contents

8

45

12

68

16

4 | MODERN INSURANCE


8

12

16

19

37

45

50

51

53

55

57

Insight

Modernising the Finance Function:

Why Transformation is Non-Negotiable

Interview

Sam White; Overcoming Challenges,

Embracing Innovation, and

Empowering Women

In Discussion

The Excellence-Wellbeing Equation:

Why You Can’t Sacrifice One for the

Other

Editorial Board

Find out what our editorial board panel

of industry experts have to say in this

edition of Modern Insurance Magazine.

Associations

Assemble

Modern Insurance’s panel of resident

associations outline the burning issues

from their unique area of the industry.

Fraud Board

Don’t miss our regular instalment of

The Fraud Board, where our collective

of fraud experts convene to discuss the

key factors affecting the fight against

fraud in today’s modern insurance

landscape.

Features

I Love Claims: Business Growth in

a Flatlining Economy

Just a Thought with Eddie Longworth:

Understanding the Limitations of

Artificial Intelligence

From Linear Chain to AI-Powered

Network: The Future of Claims

Management

Repairing the Future: Driving

Excellence in Repair Management

Driving ADAS Growth Through

Innovative Calibration Technology and

Remote Services

58

61

63

65

67

Europcar: Where Does Electric Fit Into

Insurers’ Supply Chains?

A Bright Future with The Building Repair

Network

Moving Forward at Copart

AIM BMS: Leading the Way in Insurance

Repair and Restoration Services

10 Minutes with...

10 Minutes with… Ernesto Suarez, CEO,

Gigasure

Insur.Tech.Talk

Interviews

68 Welcome

Megan Kuczynski, Senior Strategic

Advisor, Insurtech Insights, Founder

& CEO, ClimateTech Connect

70 Tomorrow.io

Shimon Elkabetz, CEO and

Co-Founder, Tomorrow.io

71

Marsh McClennan

Francis Bouchard, Managing Director,

Climate, Marsh McClennan

73 Ric

Nakita Devlin, Founder & CEO, Ric

74 Demex

Steven Bennet, Chief Science Officer,

Demex

75

77

Green Shield Risk Solutions

Pat Blandford, CEO, Green Shield Risk

Solutions

Insur.Tech.Talk

Editorial Board

Experts from the insurtech sector join us

once more to share their unique insights!

INSUR.TECH.TALK BOARD

Disclaimer: Our publications contain advertising material submitted by third parties. Each individual advertiser is solely responsible for the content of its advertising

material. We accept no responsibility for the content of advertising material, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. We do not endorse,

and are not responsible or liable for, any advertising or products in such advertising, nor for any any damage, loss or offence caused or alleged to be caused by, or in

connection with, the use of or reliance on any such advertising or products in such advertising.

MODERN INSURANCE | 5


21

Editorial Board19

CARPENTERS GROUP’S

2025 VISION FOR

EXCELLENCE

Donna Richards, CEO, Carpenters

Group

TARGETING GROWTH IN

SPECIALIST INSURANCE:

A STRATEGIC FOCUS

Will Prest, Product Manager,

ParaCode

THE NEXT PHASE OF

GROWTH

Lior Koskas, CEO, Digilog UK

STRIKE THE RIGHT

BALANCE

Andrew Chandler, Managing

Director, FMG

23 STREAMLINING

OPERATIONAL

PROCESSING:

IMPROVING PROFIT

MARGINS AND

FINANCIAL GOALS

Jason Brice, Managing Director,

CMG

25

THE LYONS DAVIDSON

JOURNEY: TECHNOLOGY,

DIVERSITY AND GROWTH

Mark Savill, Managing Director,

Lyons Davidson

FOLLOWING DONALD

TRUMP

Mark Savill, Managing Director,

Lyons Davidson

27

WHAT MAKES MODERN

BUSINESS THRIVE?

Chris McKie, Managing Director,

Vizion Network

STREAMLINING

OPERATIONS IN 2025:

MAXIMISING EFFICIENCY,

DRIVING GROWTH, AND

ACHIEVING STRATEGIC

SUCCESS

Chris Carlton, Head of Surveying

Services, QuestGates

29 STREAMLINING

PROCESSES FOR

TURBULENT TIMES

Mel Bebbington, Managing Director,

Auxillis

31

33

SPEED IS THE KEY

IN STOLEN VEHICLE

RECOVERY

Mick Jennings, Managing Director,

Nationwide Vehicle Assistance

(NWVA)

TRANSFORMING VEHICLE

RISK ASSESSMENT IN

THE MOBILITY-AS-A-

SERVICE ERA

Jonathan Hewett, Chief Executive,

Thatcham Research

6 | MODERN INSURANCE


35

LOOKING BEYOND

CAPACITY: FUTURE-

PROOFING INSURERS’

REPAIR STRATEGIES

Adrian Furness, Managing Director,

Motor Repair Network (an Activate

Group company)

STREAMLINING

PROCESSES AND

SUSTAINABILITY

AT NATIONAL

WINDSCREENS

James Reynolds,

Head of Surveying Services,

QuestGates

The Fraud Board

47

CHARLES TAYLOR

Efficiency: At What Cost?

Bobby Gracey, Global Head of Counter

Fraud, Charles Taylor

WHITELK

V is for ‘Value’, not ‘Vanity’

Matt Gilham, Director, Whitelk

49 FRISS

A More Accurate View of Portfolio Risk

Martyn Griffiths, Sales Manager UK&I,

FRISS RGI Solutions

LV=

Are We Productive, or Are We Just

Busy?

Ben Fletcher, Head of Financial Crime,

LV= General Insurance

39 MASS

Enabling Co-Operation in the

Motor Sector

Sue Brown, Chair, Motor Accident

Solicitors Society (MASS)

41

MGAA

Prioritising Mental Health Training

in the MGA Sector

Mike Keating, CEO, Managing General

Agents’ Association (MGAA)

BIBA

Launching the 2025 BIBA Manifesto

Julie Comer, Head of Compliance,

British Insurance Brokers’

Association (BIBA)

FOIL

The London Insurance Market in 2025:

A Year of Balance and Adaptation

Howard Dean, President, Forum of

Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) and Partner,

Keoghs

43 CHO

Managing Risk in Credit Hire

Anthony Hughes, Chair & CEO, Credit

Hire Organisation (CHO)

IAEA

Hard Restart

David Punter, President, Institute of

Automotive Engineer Assessors (IAEA)

44 APIL

Making Use of the Serious Injury Guide

Mike Benner, Chief Executive,

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

(APIL)

MODERN INSURANCE | 7


WHY TRANSFORMATION

IS NON-NEGOTIABLE

Organisations are navigating a digital future

that is more connected than ever before. As

insurers move into new areas and develop

new business models, the urgency of

modernising finance is clear.

8 | MODERN INSURANCE


INSIGHT

Strategic leaders rely on the finance function for

insight and guidance on creating and protecting

value across the entire value chain, while also

expecting it to serve as a dependable

facilitator of regulatory change and

compliance. For insurers weighed down

by time-consuming legacy processes and

systems, responding to business needs can

be challenging. To stay competitive with both

peers and new market entrants, the question is

no longer if, but when to transform.

Identifying Routes to Action and Conditions for

Success

In recent years, regulatory changes (e.g. IFRS

17 and Solvency II) have acted as catalysts for

transformation, driving investment in finance. Initially,

time and budget were focused on understanding

requirements and developing solutions, but for many

organisations, achieving significant value beyond

compliance has not always materialised. A common

reason for this is the lack of a clear vision for change,

one that defines business goals and identifies key

areas requiring transformation, validated by key

stakeholders. Without a clear target, expectations

remain uncertain, leaving teams with an insufficient

understanding of the process and the changes

needed for a successful transformation.

Addressing the Ongoing Cost

Challenge

Cost-cutting is at the

forefront of discussion

for many companies.

All functions are under

pressure to reduce

their cost base,

whilst maintaining

and improving

business-as-usual

operations.

Finance plays two roles here; the finance leadership’s

self-reflection on whether the finance function is lean and

efficient, along with being a business partner to identify

opportunity areas to reduce costs in other functions.

Departmental and functional leaders are rightly

concerned about reducing their cost base. Increased

risk, reduction of quality, loss of talent and morale are

several examples of where such initiatives can go wrong.

Short-medium-and long-term cost savings should be

baked into the transformation business case. Most

importantly, that business case should not be regarded

as a funding approval mechanism, but as the foundation

of the transformation that gets reviewed and measured

regularly.

The Evolving Opportunities Enabled by Technology

and Data

Discussions on finance transformation will rarely take

place today without mentioning artificial intelligence, and

its practical application across business functions.

The digital capabilities available across the finance

landscape are changing rapidly, heavily driven by

advancements within the SaaS enterprise resource

planning (ERP) platforms and the surrounding analytical

and AI tooling.

MODERN INSURANCE | 9


INVESTIGATION WITH

REAL INSIGHT

It’s not by chance that RGI Solutions

has grown to become one of the UK’s

leading independent insurance

investigation specialists. When we set

out in business back in 1990, our

mantra was simple: ‘to provide

integrity, reliability, insight, value

and quality in everything we do’.

TAILORED SOLUTIONS

AT YOUR SERVICE

About Us

Today, with leading insurance

companies, solicitors, self-insurers

and claims handling companies

among our clients, our founding

principles remain just as important to

us as they did all those years ago.

Proud of our heritage, clear fixedprice

services and outstanding fraud

savings rate, we deliver exceptional

value.

Believing that being ‘good’ really

isn’t good enough, we view the

service level agreement we establish

with each client as the absolute

minimum standard we must achieve.

0161 486 0100

Our portfolio of services is regularly

reviewed to ensure we provide

comprehensive, up-to-date and

effective investigation solutions. Most

importantly, each service is tailored to

clients’ specific needs and fully

compliant with the jurisdiction in

which we operate.

THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE

With highly experienced, qualified and

licensed investigators, sophisticated

information databases and a

management team made up of leading

counter-fraud specialists, we offer

true insight, capability and expertise.

Understanding that speed is always of

the essence, we offer a rapid

response.

The Intelligent Choice

Integrity, reliability, insight, value and quality

Address : The Chambers, 44 Station Road,

Cheadle Hulme, SK8 7AB

Mailbox : sales@rgisolutions.co.uk


Use cases spanning automation,

controls, forecasting, compliance

reporting and intuitive self-service

querying are just a few examples

offered by many evolving SaaS

providers. Finance functions

that challenge the status quo

and take the time to understand

these capabilities when setting

the vision, rather than during the

transformation, have a higher

success rate in maximising these

opportunities.

The Resurgence of the Finance

Data Platform

Finance functions have long

recognised the value of their

organisation’s data but have often

struggled to identify strategic use

cases and design the necessary

technology capabilities to deliver

tangible and timely insights, while

also ensuring the data is accurate.

For years, implementing large

enterprise data warehouses in

finance was seen as a risky and

costly endeavour. The failure of data

warehouse projects in the 2000s,

followed by the limited success

of data lakes, left many leaders

hesitant to invest in large-scale data

initiatives.

However, a new era of data

management has emerged, driven

by the adoption of cloud-based

data platforms. These platforms

offer a more agile and cost-effective

approach to data management,

enabling finance teams to unlock the

full potential of their data.

Unlike traditional data warehouses,

these platforms are:

Cloud-native: Built on cloud

infrastructure, offering rapid

deployment, scalability, and cost

optimisation.

Agile: Designed for rapid

development and iteration, allowing

finance teams to quickly build and

deploy new data solutions.

Business-focused: Enabling finance

functions to identify tangible

business outcomes faster, such as

improved financial forecasting, risk

management, and customer insights.

Organisations that have completed

their cloud transformations for

finance are developing and refining

sustainable delivery operating

models around these platforms.

This includes establishing demand

management processes and agile

delivery capabilities that can

quickly adapt to evolving business

requirements.

The resurgence of the finance data

platform represents a significant

opportunity for the industry to

leverage data more effectively and

drive better business outcomes. As

these platforms continue to evolve,

we can expect to see even greater

innovation and impact in the years to

come.

Giving Communication the Respect

it Deserves

There is often a tendency to

focus on the technology and

functional components of what

needs to be delivered as part of a

transformation programme. Often,

the communication and change

elements are not given sufficient

attention or investment.

A key determining factor of success

is the ability to influence and bring

senior stakeholders, alongside the

wider workforce, on board. Executive

support and buy-in will be critical

to securing budget, resources, and

collaboration from the business. The

more engaged finance professionals

are in the project, the greater the

long-term value the organisation will

gain from the investment. Engaging

internal finance stakeholders in

discussions about their future

expectations for the finance function

and involving them in defining the

desired outcome will help shape the

vision.

Fostering an Environment for

Developing and Retaining Talent

Transformation starts with people,

and insurers should look at bringing

teams and technology together to

develop a cohesive, enterprise-wide

digital solution that can innovate and

adapt to business needs.

Whilst large finance programmes

have clear start and end dates,

transformation should be seen as

a state of continuous improvement

that fosters an environment for

developing and retaining talent.

Aside from the traditional

accountancy skillsets, a core part of

a high-performing finance function

relates to the data and systems skills.

The finance function of the future

will likely be characterised as a

cross-functional team that draws on

their collective accounting, actuarial,

IT and data expertise to answer key

questions.

Historically, finance systems

specialists understood and

maintained ERP systems with a

financial understanding of how to

get the required information from

them. A transformation journey

requires a broader collective skillset,

that continues to develop with the

technology advancements. Insurers

must create a modern workplace

that attracts and retains individuals

with these skills and have an

operating model that facilitates the

relationship between enterprise data,

technology and finance. Investing in

training and development programs

to help their employees acquire

the skills they need to succeed in a

data-driven environment has been

highly successful for those willing to

embrace it.

The journey to finance

transformation can be complex, but

platforms and tools are available

to help drive success. Having a

clear vision, segmenting this into

achievable tasks and having the right

people, underpinned by technology,

can help insurers overcome some

of the challenges along the way.

Michael Storey,

Finance Transformation

Director, KPMG UK

MODERN INSURANCE | 11



INTERVIEWS

Self-awareness and

accountability.

Those two traits

allow people to work through

anything.

Sam White is not your typical

insurance CEO. As the founder and

CEO of Stella Insurance, a femalecentric

motor insurance company

unapologetically led by women and

designed for women, she has made it

her mission to shake up an industry

that has long been dominated by

men. She is also the founder and

Chair of Freedom Services, further

cementing her reputation as a

trailblazer in the financial sector.

In this interview, Sam shares

how she has driven Stella’s rapid

growth, why female leadership in

insurance is still lagging, and how

AI is reshaping financial services.

She discusses the challenges women

face in reaching senior roles, the

importance of self-awareness in

leadership, and the biggest financial

lessons she has learned from

building global businesses.

QStella Insurance Has Experienced

Impressive Growth Despite Economic

Challenges. How Have You Managed

This Expansion While Many in The Industry

Opted for Short-Term Cost-Cutting

Strategies?

AGrowth is always challenging,

particularly in the UK insurance market.

However, Stella has a genuine point

of differentiation. I initially launched it in

Australia, where the environment is slightly

different, but as an entrepreneur, I’ve learned

to take insights from one market and apply

them internationally. That adaptability

helps navigate economic challenges. The

key is finding what makes your business

unique. Stella focuses on women and their

needs, a focus that shouldn’t be unique but

unfortunately often is.

Q

With 20 Years of Success, What

Qualities Do You Look for In A CFO

Beyond Financial Expertise?

ASelf-awareness and accountability.

Those two traits allow people to work

through anything. Unfortunately, they

are rarer than they should be.

MODERN INSURANCE | 13


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INTERVIEWS

Even If A Woman Overcomes Societal

Conditioning, Finds A Supportive Partner And

Rises Through The Ranks, She Still Faces

A Leadership Landscape That Doesn’t

Always See Her.

Q

AI Is Revolutionising Financial

Services, Streamlining Processes and

Improving Efficiency. But Will This

Come at The Cost of Genuine Customer

Empathy and Job Opportunities?

A

AI’s potential for enhancing customer

experience is undeniable. In some

cases, it could provide more empathy

than undertrained, underpaid call centre staff

who lack engagement. So, from a customer

perspective, AI-driven service could be a

huge improvement.

The real concern is societal. We are not

adequately preparing for the jobs that will be

lost due to automation. That is where the real

challenge lies, not in AI’s impact on customer

service but in its impact on employment and

economic structures.

QDespite Efforts to Balance Gender

Representation in Insurance, Female

Leadership in CEO And CFO Roles

Still Lags Behind. Research Shows Gender

Diversity in Leadership Improves Financial

Performance. Why Do You Think Progress

Has Stalled, And What Will Drive Change?

A

There are three key factors at play.

First, societal conditioning. From

a young age, girls aren’t encouraged to

be confident. I’ve spoken at insurance

conferences and asked, Who here wants to

be a CEO? In a room full of men, every hand

goes up. Among women, hesitation prevails.

Society undermines their confidence, making

them question their capabilities.

Second, the disproportionate burden of

unpaid work. Women still take on the

majority of childcare responsibilities. I have

two children and my wife Jennie does an

incredible job. If I’m being honest, I probably

experience parenting more like a man

because I have strong support which enables

my career. But when I’m solely responsible

for the kids while working, it’s nearly

impossible. That constant juggling act holds

women back professionally.

Finally, inherent bias. The financial services

sector remains dominated by white middleclass

men. When a group is overwhelmingly

one demographic, it tends to believe that is

the “right” demographic. So even if a woman

overcomes societal conditioning, finds a

supportive partner and rises through the

ranks, she still faces a leadership landscape

that doesn’t always see her.

Q

If You Could Give Your 24-Year-Old

Self One Piece of Financial Advice as

You Launched Your First Business,

What Would It Be?

A

I’ve never been great at exiting

businesses; I tend to hold onto them

rather than sell and move on. My

advice would be to build the business, sell it

and then start something new. Trying to keep

them all is like trying to keep all your children

at home, expensive, exhausting and at least

one is always causing problems!

Sam White,

Founder and Global CEO at Stella Insurance

and Founder and Chair of Freedom Services

Group

MODERN INSURANCE | 15


The

Excellence-Wellbeing

Equation:

Why You Can’t Sacrifice

One for the Other

For too long, high performance has been defined by sacrifice. We’ve glorified

relentless work, sleepless nights, and pushing through exhaustion as the price of

excellence. The result? Burnout, disengagement, and, in too many cases, personal

crises that derail both careers and lives.

The solution isn’t to swing to the

opposite extreme of pure comfort

and self-care at the expense of

ambition. The real answer lies in

integration, where well-being isn’t

an afterthought or a trade-off but

the foundation of sustained high

performance. We cannot afford

to separate well-being from

excellence. One without the other

is unsustainable. If we want to

build thriving individuals, teams,

and organisations, we need to

rethink the very definition of

success.

The Myth of Sacrificial

Excellence

There’s an outdated idea that to

achieve greatness, something has

to break. We see it in corporate

culture, professional sports, and

entrepreneurship: the belief that

real success demands personal

suffering.

• 40% of executives report

feeling burnt out, with stress

levels significantly higher than a

decade ago (Harvard Business

Review, 2023).

• Employee disengagement costs

companies globally over $8.8

trillion per year—a direct result

of exhausted, overworked teams

(Gallup, 2023).

• The World Health Organization

has now classified burnout as

an occupational phenomenon,

acknowledging its severe impact

on global productivity.

The numbers don’t lie. Sacrificial

excellence isn’t just outdated, it’s

actively harming individuals and

organisations.

The Other Extreme: The

Trap of Comfort Culture

In reaction to burnout, we’re

seeing another trend emerge,

the overcorrection, a culture

that swings too far towards

self-preservation at the expense

of resilience and performance.

Self-care, when misinterpreted,

becomes an excuse to avoid

discomfort altogether. Growth and

excellence require effort, setbacks,

and moments of discomfort. The

key is learning how to navigate

them without self-destruction.

We don’t need a world where

people work themselves into the

ground. But we also don’t need a

world where resilience, grit, and

ambition are seen as negative. The

challenge is finding the balance.

The Middle Path: Well-being as a

Performance Multiplier

At Whole People, we work with leaders, high

performers, and organisations who are ready to

integrate well-being into their definition of success.

Not as a ‘perk’ or a ‘nice to have,’ but as a performance

strategy.

The best leaders aren’t the ones who work the longest

hours or demand the most from their teams without

regard for their health. The best leaders understand that

a well-supported, resilient individual performs better,

longer, and with greater impact.

• A study by Oxford University found that happy

employees are 13% more productive.

• Companies that prioritise well-being see lower

turnover rates and higher levels of creativity and

innovation.

• High-performing athletes and CEOs alike report that

mental and physical health directly impact their ability

to sustain long-term success.

The message is clear: when well-being is prioritised,

performance follows. Not just in the short term, but in a

way that is sustainable and scalable.

16 | MODERN INSURANCE


1

2

3

4

How Do We Achieve This Balance?

So, what does it look like in practice? How do we

move beyond buzzwords and create real, lasting

change in the way we approach high performance?

Reframe Well-being as a Leadership Responsibility

This isn’t HR’s job. It’s a strategic imperative.

Leaders must role-model balance, not by working

24/7 and then promoting mindfulness apps, but

by actively integrating well-being into business

decisions. This means designing workloads that

allow for sustainable effort, fostering a culture of

psychological safety, and challenging outdated

expectations around ‘hustle’ and overwork.

Develop Resilient High Performers, Not Fragile Ones

Resilience isn’t built in comfort; it’s built in challenge,

but only when individuals have the resources and

support to navigate those challenges. Instead

of rewarding exhaustion, we need to cultivate

adaptability, self-awareness, and recovery strategies.

This means equipping teams with the tools to

manage stress, develop emotional intelligence, and

balance drive with well-being.

Recognise That Excellence is Multi-Dimensional

True high performance isn’t just about KPIs, revenue,

or titles. It’s about sustainable impact. The best

performers, whether in business, sports, or the

arts, know that success is holistic. They don’t just

train their skills; they train their minds, bodies, and

emotional well-being.

Ask yourself:

• Are you as intentional about your recovery as you

are about your work?

• Do you measure success by output alone, or by the

sustainability of your impact?

• Are you building an organisation that people want

to thrive in for the long term?

Replace Burnout Culture with Whole Performance

At Whole People, we believe in what we call

Whole Performance, an approach that doesn’t

force a choice between well-being and success

but integrates them into one model.

This means:

• Recognising when intensity needs to be paired

with recovery.

• Training leaders to develop emotional and

psychological resilience.

• Shaping organisations that don’t just survive

market pressures but thrive within them.

It’s not about working less. It’s about working

smarter, in a way that makes peak performance

sustainable over time.

The Future of High Performance

We are at a turning point. The companies and

individuals who continue to ignore well-being will

struggle, not just in retaining talent, but in sustaining

real performance. Those who embrace a balanced,

whole approach will not only excel but redefine

success for the next generation. The question isn’t

whether well-being matters. That debate is over.

The question is: Are you building a culture of shortterm

wins and long-term damage, or are you creating

a foundation where both excellence and well-being

can thrive together? Because the future of high

performance isn’t about choosing between success

and health. It’s about understanding that one cannot

exist without the other.

About Simon Cusden

I’m Simon Cusden, co-founder of Whole People

Group, and my mission is to make wellbeing the

foundation of excellence in both individuals and

organisations.

Drawing from my personal journey through

addiction, PTSD, and depression, as well as my

experience as a former professional athlete, I

help high-performing individuals and senior

leadership teams achieve sustainable resilience

and success in highpressure environments.

Whole People operate through three core

pillars; consultancy, foundation, and retreats,

offering wisdom-based crisis management and

support. Our work is grounded in real-world

experience, not just theory.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working

with a diverse range of global clients, including

Clyde & Co, Clifford Chance, EY, BBC, Virgin, The

Army, and more. Through coaching, speaking

engagements, and workshops, I’ve seen

firsthand what happens when organisations shift

from outdated high-performance models to

integrated, sustainable success strategies.

The results are undeniable.

If we want to create cultures of excellence

that last, we must stop treating well-being as

separate from performance. Instead, we must

recognise it as the very thing that makes true

excellence possible

Simon Cusden,

Co-founder of Whole People Group

MODERN INSURANCE | 17


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Insurance and Legal Claims Services


EDITORIAL BOARD

Carpenters Group’s 2025

Vision for Excellence

As we forge ahead in 2025, Carpenters Group remains

steadfast in its commitment to excellence, ensuring we

consistently deliver exceptional value to our customers,

colleagues, and stakeholders.

We’re not just keeping up with the times – we’re leading the way.

By harnessing cutting-edge technologies, enhancing the customer

journey, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, we’re

poised to navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape

with confidence and a touch of excitement.

Enhancing Customer Experience

The customer experience remains a top priority for Carpenters Group.

We’re not just about meeting customer expectations; we’re about

exceeding them. Our dedication to customer excellence not only

improves outcomes for our clients, but also ensures we remain leaders

in the industry.

We are committed to providing seamless and convenient service

through a variety of channels, including online claim tracking, mobile

document uploads, and 24/7 support. Our dedication to colleague

development, in partnership with the Institute of Customer Service,

ensures our teams are equipped and motivated to deliver outstanding

service to our customers.

Embracing Digital Transformation

At the heart of our strategy is a robust digital transformation agenda.

We’ve invested significantly in state-of-the-art technologies, such as

Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our in-house development team is actively

exploring how AI can streamline processes for our claims handlers and

elevate the customer experience. We’re not just adopting AI; we’re

doing it responsibly. We are proud signatories of the Claims AI Code

of Conduct, a voluntary framework for the ethical use of AI within

claims.

Integrating AI ethically, to assist our colleagues rather than replace

them, is key. We’re focused on empowering our colleagues with

innovative tools that enhance their productivity and job satisfaction.

For example, AI assists our legal professionals with routine tasks,

freeing them up to provide more personalised advice and build

stronger client relationships. It’s about giving our people the tools to

shine.

Fostering a Culture of Innovation

Innovation is embedded within our corporate DNA. We encourage

our colleagues to embrace new ideas and actively contribute to

our continuous improvement journey. Our people are passionate

about providing the highest quality service to our clients, and we are

committed to fostering an environment where their creativity and

expertise can flourish.

The launch of our Future Leaders Programme marks a significant

step in nurturing the next generation of talent within Carpenters

Group. This initiative will equip our emerging leaders with the skills

and knowledge necessary to drive our business forward and ensure

the long-term success of Carpenters Group. We’re investing in the

future, and we’re excited to see what these talented individuals will

achieve.

By focusing on our customers, embracing technology, and investing

in our people, we are well-placed to achieve continued success in

2025 and beyond. At Carpenters Group, we’re not just a company;

we’re a community of passionate individuals striving for excellence.

Donna Richards,

CEO, Carpenters Group

Targeting Growth in Specialist

Insurance: A Strategic Focus

At ParaCode, our focus for growth is clear: specialist

MGAs, insurance brokers, and insurance companies. These

businesses operate outside the standard insurance markets

of home and motor insurance, focusing instead on unique

and complex risks. This specialisation requires flexibility,

efficiency, and adaptability—qualities often lacking in

legacy insurance platforms.

Why Specialist Insurance?

The traditional insurance industry is dominated by large-scale platforms

designed to cater to high-volume, standardised policies. While this

works well for mass-market insurance products, it leaves specialist

insurers underserved. Businesses focusing on niche areas—such as cyber

liability, marine insurance, equine cover, or warranty programs—often

find that traditional software is rigid, cumbersome, and ill-suited to their

unique underwriting requirements.

ParaCode bridges this gap by providing a configurable, scalable,

and efficient platform tailored to the needs of specialist insurers. We

empower MGAs and brokers to define and distribute their products

effectively, while also managing claims, reporting, and financial

processes without unnecessary complexity or manual workarounds.

The Growth Opportunity

As insurance markets evolve, the demand for specialist cover is

increasing. New and emerging risks—such as climate-related perils, gig

economy insurance, and parametric solutions—require agile platforms

that can support rapid product development and distribution. Traditional

systems struggle to keep pace, giving specialist insurers a competitive

advantage if they adopt modern technology solutions like ParaCode.

Our target areas for growth align with these trends:

Niche MGAs. These businesses need the ability to launch new products

quickly and manage their portfolios with efficiency. ParaCode

provides them with the tools to do so without the burden of heavy IT

infrastructure or costly development cycles.

Specialist Brokers. Brokers operating in complex risk markets require

agile distribution tools. ParaCode’s capabilities allow for seamless

integration with third-party systems, ensuring that brokers can provide

a smooth experience for their customers.

Specialist Insurers. Whether developing bespoke policies or innovating

in emerging risk areas, specialist insurers require flexibility. Our

platform enables them to design, launch, and refine products at speed,

maintaining a competitive edge.

Looking Ahead. Our commitment to specialist insurers stems from

our belief that insurance technology should empower, not constrain.

By focusing on the underserved specialist market, we are positioning

ParaCode as the go-to platform for businesses that demand agility,

customisation, and scalability. As the insurance landscape continues

to shift, our growth strategy will remain centred on enabling these

businesses to thrive—because when specialist insurers succeed, the

industry as a whole becomes stronger, more innovative, and more

responsive to the risks of tomorrow.

Will Prest,

Product Manager, ParaCode

MODERN INSURANCE | 19


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EDITORIAL BOARD

The Next Phase

of Growth

As CEO of Digilog UK, I am proud to share our

vision for the next phase of growth with a strategy

that builds upon our longstanding success in the

insurance industry, all the while embracing new

markets and technological innovations.

Traditionally, our focus has been on providing real-time information

validation for financial services organisations, especially within

insurance. These days, however, we are expanding our scope to

industries where instant, accurate data is just as critical. By leveraging

our technological capabilities alongside human expertise, we aim to

enhance and broaden our service offerings.

One of our key target areas is pre-employment screening and

security. In these sectors, the need for rapid and reliable information

is paramount, and we see tremendous value in adapting our robust

systems to meet these challenges. Our approach is always to ensure

that any expansion is underpinned by the same high standards and

trust that our clients expect.

Growth is not just about diversifying vertically; it is also about

broadening our geographical footprint. We have recently inked

distribution agreements in pivotal territories such as South Africa

and the US. These partnerships allow us to replicate the successful

model we developed in South America, leveraging local expertise and

established infrastructures to deliver tailored solutions and superior

training to end users. This international strategy reinforces our

commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality service no matter

where our clients are based.

Innovation is at the heart of our growth strategy. We are actively

incorporating client feedback into our development cycle, with

current priorities focused on automation and artificial intelligence.

While AI in financial services is still in its infancy, we are dedicating

extensive research to identifying best practices for its deployment in

information validation. Our challenge is to harness AI’s power while

rigorously upholding GDPR and data protection standards, ensuring

that our solutions remain both cutting-edge and compliant.

At Digilog, our strategic growth model is built upon close

collaboration with carefully chosen partners and introducers around

the globe. By aligning ourselves with organisations that share our

commitment to excellence, we not only extend our reach but also

enhance the value we deliver. It’s an exciting time for us, as we

continue to push the boundaries of what real-time information

validation can achieve across industries and borders.

Lior Koskas,

CEO, Digilog UK

Strike the Right Balance

Rapid advances in automation and Artificial

Intelligence continue to reshape the world around us,

weaving their way into our lives and our businesses

where they change processes, eliminate tasks, and

mimic our human consciousness.

In the insurance world, these powerful new technologies have changed

consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions; handing deeper levels

of power to customers who now come armed with a greater depth of

knowledge, information, and plenty of choice. They’ve come to expect

customisation, responsiveness, convenience and engagement from their

insurer, and we’re all playing our part in shaping this new customercentric

landscape.

Here at FMG, we’ve invested heavily in developing carefully planned

digital innovations that embrace emerging technologies, self-serve

solutions, robotics and analytics to create the endgame of customer

choice. they are driving cost efficiencies and performance gains behind

the scenes, whilst providing greater insight and transparency around the

progress of claims and claims data.

Where they really create an advantage, however, is the way they bring

customer centricity to life, making the claims management process as

simple as possible for policyholders. These digital solutions present

customers with a choice in how they interact with us at any stage of

their claim, with the option of a fully digital experience or to speak with

a real person.

Report claims online

Using FMG ENOL, policyholders can report motor claims anytime,

anywhere, and from any device. FMG ENOL is our self-serve mobile

platform that makes reporting a claim easier and faster than ever; a

service that ensures every claim is accurately triaged and expertlystreamlined

through the correct workflows, regardless of electronic or

traditional telephone notification.

Keeping policyholders informed

Enabling policyholders to track progress at every step of the repair

process is now even easier, too. FMG Connect, our self-serve app, gives

policyholders access to our efficient claims management services, with

the options to add details to their claim, schedule their own vehicle

repair, arrange a hire vehicle, and monitor the progress of their vehicle

repair.

Customer connectivity

By integrating directly into insurer’s and third-party management

systems, we’ve increased the speed, accuracy and efficiency of claims

notification, repair allocation, management of hire vehicles and data

sharing. Better still, these integrations reduce exposure, operating

costs and cost leakage. The mutual result is a more seamless customer

journey.

Intelligent robotics

Intelligent robotics has automated repetitive processes within our

claims management system, increasing productivity, lean efficiency

and accuracy. These automations allow for higher quality customer

interactions by reallocating claims experts to areas where they can

genuinely add value, like empathising, asking policyholders the right

questions, and negotiating on their behalf. The result is a positive effect

on colleague engagement and retention.

New tech trends are reshaping the insurance industry and transforming

the way we interact with policyholders. We’ll continue to carefully strike

the right balance between streamlining operations behind the scenes to

create a simpler, smoother, seamless customer experience.

Andrew Chandler,

Managing Director, FMG

MODERN INSURANCE | 21



EDITORIAL BOARD

Streamlining Operational Processing:

Improving Profit Margins

and Financial Goals

Where to start?! 2024 was another unusual year

at CMG, and it seems that since the pandemic, no

two years align anymore. We have seen shrinkage

in some sectors where we forecast for growth, and

growth in areas that we thought would stay flat.

Profitability and operational margins are too closely aligned, and

with fluctuation in work rate consistency, efficiency isn’t guaranteed.

This creates the environment we find ourselves currently faced with,

one which is extremely difficult to operate within. The high price

of increasing service levels, the operational cost of adherence to

compliance and staffing measures, combined with unusual weather

across Europe and the wider world, has generated less repatriation

work.

Meanwhile, key phrases such as ‘Streamlining Processes with

Process Workflow Optimisation,’ ‘Automating Repetitive Tasks’ or

‘Embracing Continuous Improvement’ are great, and have certainly

been embraced. Whilst CMG are probably one of the most compliant

companies in the sector in respect of both regulatory and legislative

compliance, adherence to ‘continuous improvement, working

practices and work flow processes’ lies at the very heart of our team.

The ability to automate processes is extremely difficult, however, as

dealing with emergencies and individual requirements varies from

supplier to supplier, as well as each general member of the public we

interact with in respect of their accident or breakdown circumstances.

In previous articles, we have addressed the cost of investment in the

vast array of equipment required, space needed and training involved,

all of which can be linked with vehicle movements (particularly in

respect of high-value vehicles). This is also the case when blue chip

companies want to interact with a reputable representative in that

sector, which brings me full circle on the message that profitability

and operational margins are too closely aligned!

There is little to be gained from investing in ten-car transporters if

you are only moving an average of six cars. Therefore, balancing

customer service delivery with operational costs and profitability

when work volumes consistently fluctuate creates risk. Volumes

increase, and you’ll need that 10-car transporter to reduce cost for

your customers! Volumes decrease, and the equipment becomes

redundant.

As a result, business data enhancement - and ensuring in-house

technology is reviewed and considered continually by the operations

team - is all of paramount importance to the forward development of

CMG’s good standing within the industry.

Jason Brice,

Managing Director, CMG

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EDITORIAL BOARD

The Lyons Davidson Journey:

Technology, Diversity and Growth

Without a doubt, the last few years have been

transformative for Lyons Davidson as we have

navigated the path from the impact of Covid to

a return to an EBITDA profit in FY24. This has

required considerable effort from our management

team and our people, with a strong focus on

service delivery and a drive toward greater

efficiencies.

The LDL forecasts show further growth and profit over the next

three-year cycle, with the potential for a significant increase in profit

from property initiatives that have real potential to reduce the excess

property footprint we are currently carrying. These initiatives have

accelerated over the last couple of months, and if successful, would

directly impact the bottom line of the business.

LDL has emerged leaner but also healthier, with a more diverse

business that has developed market-leading solutions across a range

of insurance services. While we continue to deliver solutions for the

motor sector, our growth has been in home and commercial legal

expenses fulfillment, where our technology and digital customer

journey remain key differentiators. The focus on Consumer Duty has

only emphasised the importance of evidencing value in this sector.

We are also exploring the opportunities that Artificial Intelligence

presents, partnering with the University of the West of England

to develop valuation tools and chatbot services that enhance our

processes. Additionally, we are working with Copilot on projects

aimed at reducing effort in document management, and the

application of AI agents within our processes is progressing well.

However, technology is not the only solution. We are now starting

to see returns from our investment in proactive settlement projects.

Pilots in OIC are showing encouraging results, with improved data

sharing leading to settlement rates as high as 90% in some cases,

with minimal touchpoints and within a short lifecycle. A commitment

to escalation and ADR processes should help sustain these benefits.

The key to all of this is partnership. We can only develop more

efficient ways of working and build the best service and journey for

customers by collaborating with insurers—both our business partners

and our opponents. So far, this approach has been highly effective.

We are eager to explore further opportunities for collaboration and

see what other changes we can drive forward.

Mark Savill,

Managing Director, Lyons Davidson

A key driver of our progress has been Lyons Davidson’s technology,

delivered through our development business, File Dynamics, which

has significantly improved lifecycles and driven efficiencies. This has

been particularly effective in our Motor Recoveries Division, where we

have achieved marked reductions in the time to issue proceedings, as

well as secured new business relationships based on the results we

have demonstrated.

Following

Donald Trump

At the time of writing, there is something of a

revolution in the world’s diplomatic markets, as

President Donald Trump embarks on previously

unheard-of initiatives. The ‘shock and awe’ approach

is certainly generating headlines, and maybe even

some results.

Without commenting on the merit of the new policies and practices

of the USA, we can recognise the value in such a profound shake-up

of existing norms. It is a scenario that we seek to emulate in spirit, if

not in detail. Our sector needs a new approach to client relationships,

Consumer Duty, the role of technology, AI, and the legitimate financial

returns earned by insurers and suppliers alike.

To achieve all this, here at e2e, we are embarking on a new phase of

substantive technology investment that we believe is the equivalent of

‘Donald Trump’. In other words, we do not want to merely incrementally

improve on what already exists – instead, we are aiming for new

dimensions of best practice that will establish our business as the

intelligent partner of choice for insurers, claims managers, and the fleet

market.

Massive Leaders in Technology Integration

For example, by fully integrating our new claims management system,

NexGen, with our fully automated PartsMarket platform, we can

massively automate the determination of total loss status with the

identification, sourcing, and supply of recycled parts, all done in the blink

of an eye and untouched by human hand.

This means that new profit models can be built by our members, who

will instantly know about the best options for parts, auction, and added

value service margins, whilst insurers will have early sight of the returns

they can expect. A new and highly sophisticated analytics platform will

give us and our clients fresh insight into opportunities for legitimate

gains and will also enable our clients to better manage third-party

claims.

All of this is to be achieved in a remarkably short space of time, a matter

of weeks, and at a pace of change rarely seen in established businesses

such as e2e. We are already loved by our clients for our speed and

agility of change, and that will only get better as our new technologies

unfold.

Having recently adopted the marketing strapline of ‘Delivering

Excellence. Differently’, we might have also added ‘At Speed’. The

market is continuing to place fresh demands on suppliers such as e2e,

and we are ready for those challenges. The internal launch of the new

Technology and Innovation team is geared to achieving early success in

this field, and their results in the claims management sector are already

impressive.

In a world where Donald Trump is driving real pace at real speed, we

expect our journey to be similar, if a little less earth-shattering!!

Eddie Longworth,

CEO e2e Total Loss Solutions

MODERN INSURANCE | 25


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paracode.net


EDITORIAL BOARD

What Makes Modern

Business Thrive?

Constant innovation is core to our philosophy,

and remaining ahead of the need is key to success.

Vizion Network make significant use of machine

learning driven efficiencies in our operations, as

well as those of our clients and partners. Big data

analytics allows us to scale quickly and remove low

value tasks, reducing the restraints of inefficient

processes whilst allowing faster strategical

engagement with financial opportunities.

Horizon scanning is essential - and understanding the reactive

components of change in not only our sector, but associated sectors

and global markets, remains critical. It matters to learn about the

effects of new technologies, energy and materials; likewise, it is

crucially important to feed this experience into financial profiles,

constantly testing theory against outcome if we are to ensure correct

trajectory and optimise product lines.

At Vizion Network, we constantly invest in our people, systems and

growth, and 2025 will be no exception. We continue to experience

significant momentum here and in Europe, with increased profitability

through new products alongside diversification in our SaaS and

Fintech services.

Communication is key to success, the avoidance of operational silos

critical. The development of processes and systems in a vacuum is

extremely dangerous, so structured reviews across departmental

teams to consider performance expectations and strategic blueprints

remains essential to development and course correction.

Ensuring we partner with financially stable companies who employ

a strong approach to compliance and security is also essential to

reduce risk. Capital employed can be damaging to cash flow and

cripple investment capability, so as a business, we pay quickly and

on time as we strive to work with alike thinking companies to drive

mutual profitability.

We are expecting growth in all product lines this year, but here in

the UK and other markets, we are experiencing significant growth

in our Fintech and SaaS product lines in particular. Owning our own

systems makes B2B connectivity and automation of financial services

a significant benefit, as sometimes, third-party systems are not easily

connected due to age or availability of resources.

Data science is an essential department, particularly because

measuring the effect of positive and negative change (and

recognising both of these quickly) is an extremely important element

of success. Discovering problems over a duration of weeks or months

is no good in a modern business, and the days of hoping it comes out

in the averages are long gone. The application of data analytics and

the ability to change quickly remains key.

We are constantly evolving our capabilities to monitor not only every

aspect of our physical, virtual and financial performance, but also an

increasing array of external factors too. It’s also important to focus

on our experts; machine learning can be an amazing tool, but it still

requires expert tuition and human interpretation to make it work

successfully.

Chris McKie,

Managing Director, Vizion Network

Streamlining Operations in 2025:

Maximising Efficiency, Driving Growth,

and Achieving Strategic Success

As the UK’s largest owner-managed claims

solutions group, QuestGates provides high

quality technical loss adjusting and claims related

services using market leading technology, helping

to put the customer first in all we do.

We work tirelessly to maintain our reputation for delivering claims-related

services to the highest standard, including our growing demand for surveying

services. One of the fastest growing areas within the QuestGates group is our

rapidly expanding Building Consultancy division, which includes our in-house

surveying team, Glasgow-based Ramsay McMichael Consulting and two

engineering businesses, Structural Surveys & Design and BTA.

We are at the start of a journey to bring these subsidiaries closer together

under the Building Consultancy umbrella. The challenges a policyholder faces

following a building loss can be complex, and being able to offer a wider

range of claims-related services further enhances our overall offering.

The professional construction market continues to face challenges in finding

and retaining skilled building professionals. Through ongoing reviews with our

colleagues, we appreciate the value a well-structured Building Consultancy

brings, not only in strengthening our capabilities but also in supporting the

career development of our team.

Our core growth market remains the insurance sector, and by offering a wider

range of services from investigation to design and full project management

of building repairs, we help speed up the overall claims process. With wholly

owned engineering and surveying practices, our resourcing, experience and

skillsets are of the highest calibre, enabling us to quickly respond to clients

across the UK and Ireland.

We can rapidly scale up our resources during peak events such as storms or

floods. Our flexible model allows us to deploy the right expertise to the right

location at the right time, ensuring policyholders and their properties receive

expert guidance.

We also operate a flexible business model, with non-core insurance work

providing a portion of our business-as-usual volume. This allows us to adapt

to varying demand across different markets, including those less affected by

seasonal spikes.

Alongside growth, we are continually improving our in-house IT systems,

carbon footprint and efficiencies. Technology is driving improvements, with

our engineers using iPads and specialist reporting software to produce

professional reports within 24 hours, sometimes on the same day.

Clients are also seeking better visibility of the carbon impact of building

repairs. Our in-house scheduling tool calculates this impact and

identifies portfolio-wide trends, enabling surveyors to recommend more

environmentally friendly repair options.

Ultimately, our Building Consultancy aims to inspect, design and repair

properties impacted by disaster in the most technically efficient, caring and

cost-conscious way possible, with technology playing a key role in this.

However, our people remain our greatest asset. Delivering exceptional

service depends on attracting and retaining individuals with strong technical

expertise and a commitment to outstanding customer service. We are

committed to recruiting the next generation of talent in the loss adjusting and

claims sector, so keep an eye on our latest career opportunities at questgates.

co.uk/careers.

Chris Carlton,

Head of Surveying Services, QuestGates

MODERN INSURANCE | 27


Driving towards

safe, secure,

and sustainable

motoring

thatcham.org


EDITORIAL BOARD

Streamlining Processes

for Turbulent Times

2025 looks set to be another year

of significant challenges, with rising

employment costs, inflation and supply

chain pressures topping the list of

concerns for most businesses. We

have already seen the consequences

of this in our own sector, and the

economic landscape remains widely

uncertain. Therefore, streamlining

operations and business processes

to maximise efficiency and achieve

growth has never been more

important.

For several years now, Auxillis has run a

continuous improvement program - analysing

existing business processes, identifying

areas for improvement, and developing and

implementing strategies to drive workflow

efficiency. In 2025, its focus is to heavily

leverage advanced automation technologies,

data analytics and AI-powered decisionmaking

to identify and eliminate bottlenecks,

optimise workflows, and automate repetitive

tasks.

Of course, there’s much to consider when

adopting new and emerging technologies.

Most importantly of all, we have to navigate

the delicate balance between leveraging

automated technologies and preserving the

value of customer interaction.

We know we must consistently provide

customers with outstanding experiences to

boost their satisfaction and loyalty to our

partners’ brands. So, whilst streamlining

operations is a key strategic objective in 2025

- and it must deliver commercial advantage

to remain ahead of rising costs - it has to be

focused on key deliverables; such as freeing

up colleagues to undertake complicated

tasks, allowing our people to focus on

their ability to make real connections with

customers, reducing customer wait times,

increasing the accuracy of responses, and

improving overall customer satisfaction.

Of course, change of this nature is not simple

or easy to implement. It can only succeed if

it is embraced and supported by colleagues,

and that requires a culture of continuous

learning and change. I am particularly proud

of how this mindset has been fostered within

Auxillis.

2025 may well have its challenges, but it will

also present significant opportunities for

innovation, improved customer experiences,

and growth. We will be ready!

Mel Bebbington,

Managing Director, Auxillis

At Auxillis, customer experience lies at the

heart of everything we do, and we’re certain

that it’s this aspect of our operations which

truly sets us apart. Therefore, any drive to

streamline processes or maximise efficiency

must first pass our acid test of ‘does it

enhance the experience for our customer?’

MODERN INSURANCE | 29


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EDITORIAL BOARD

Speed is the Key in Stolen

Vehicle Recovery

After several successful years of supporting Police

Forces across the country in the recovery of stolen

vehicles, Nationwide Vehicle Assistance (NWVA)

has now introduced a dedicated Stolen Vehicle

Recovery (SVR) division to support the everincreasing

demand on officers.

Heading up this newly formed unit is Paul Gerrish; bringing 23 years’

experience with Essex Police, he has spent the last nine years working

within their Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU), driving an area

of work that encompasses stolen vehicle examination, tracking and

recovery.

The SVIU within Essex Police is one of the most successful vehicle

crime units in the UK, working closely alongside LJ Transportation

Division (part of the NWVA Group) in a bid to tackle the recovery or

identification of over £40million worth of assets in the last 2 years

alone.

Paul said, “We have had some very positive results working with the

support of the company – recovering millions of pounds worth of

vehicles within Essex and the home counties.”

He continues, “We know areas in the UK are faced with far higher

volumes of vehicle theft than Essex. Over 110,000 vehicles were stolen

nationally in 2024 alone, resulting in a recovery rate of just under

40%. We can see how insurance companies are losing millions of

pounds in unrecovered assets, so with changes to how vehicle crime is

addressed, this new NWVA service is much needed.”

Today, the majority of vehicles stolen as a result of electronic

compromise (often referred to as keyless theft) will be cloned onto

false identities for re-sale or export, broken down for parts or used in

further crime, never to be seen again. “Vehicle theft is often referred

to as a victimless crime,” Paul adds. “But it’s not – it costs everyone;

financially, physically or personally.”

NWVA operate a 24hr service. Once notified of a theft, they will look

to secure the vehicle within an hour, with recovery following shortly

thereafter. This rapid interception helps to halt criminal ‘activity’,

whilst vehicles are recovered to reduce the overall risk of loss and

claims. On a more personal note, we seek to secure any possessions

that may lie within a stolen vehicle, returning them to owners in

an expeditious manner to improve social perception and public

expectation.

NWVA continue to look at innovative ways to support this, utilising

skills harnessed over many years to deliver unrivaled response and

customer service. In turn, this provision will reduce demand on local

Police Forces, enabling them to manage their limited resources more

effectively.

“Speed is the key,” concludes Paul, “and at NWVA – with our national

reach, as well as our international connections – we really can provide

a service to benefit all parties.”

Mick Jennings,

Managing Director, Nationwide Vehicle Assistance (NWVA)

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Transforming Vehicle Risk Assessment

in the Mobility-as-a-Service Era

In recent years, car leasing has gained prominence

within the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) sector, as

more drivers choose leasing options over outright

purchases. This trend allows consumers to enjoy

the advantages of vehicle use without the longterm

commitment associated with ownership.

During the lease period, insurance, maintenance,

and repairs are generally handled by the broker or

manufacturer, providing drivers with reassurance.

This approach simplifies car use and aligns with

evolving consumer demands for flexibility and

convenience in transportation.

The growth of MaaS is closely tied to the need for advanced

vehicle risk assessment methodologies. This highlights the

necessity for a comprehensive analysis of engineering and

economic factors. Thatcham Research’s Vehicle Risk Rating

(VRR) framework, which transforms the assessment of vehicle

risk within insurance and operational dynamics, plays a key

role.

The VRR framework emphasises vehicle longevity, aligning

with mobility service providers’ goals of maximising

fleet utilisation while minimising maintenance costs. This

encourages manufacturers to design vehicles that support

cost-effective repairs and reduce disruptions.

Within MaaS, the repair pillar evaluates accessibility and cost

efficiency, vital for fleet operators where downtime and repair

costs are significant. The VRR’s assessment helps optimise

fleet composition and maintenance protocols. The integration

of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) presents

challenges in balancing safety benefits with repair costs and

complexity. The VRR’s multi-pillar assessment helps MaaS

operators optimise fleet purchasing strategies.

The security pillar evaluates both physical and digital

protection systems, particularly impacting shared mobility

platforms. This analysis influences insurance risk profiles and

subscription pricing models.

Economically, vehicles with lower risk ratings across the VRR

pillars are more attractive in MaaS fleets due to reduced

operational costs and favourable insurance profiles. This

underscores the link between vehicle engineering choices and

their success in the mobility landscape.

The VRR system, implemented in September 2024, is

expected to drive innovation in vehicle design and mobility

service business models, leading to more efficient and

cost-effective transportation solutions.

Jonathan Hewett,

Chief Executive, Thatcham Research

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Looking Beyond Capacity:

Future-Proofing Insurers’ Repair Strategies

In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, the

unprecedented strain on repair capacity meant insurers

had to prioritise securing availability to keep up with

customer demand. Now, with capacity on the rebound,

they have the opportunity to build future-proofed

networks that go beyond the essentials, and deliver a

more efficient, informative, technologically advanced

claims journey.

As an accident management specialist, Activate Group delivers repair,

engineering, parts supply, and end-to-end claims management for

some of the UK’s best-known insurers. In this article, I want to explore

how some insurers are optimising their repair networks for the future.

Gaining more control over repair costs & efficiency

With motor claims costs continuing to rise, insurers are prioritising

repair networks that can provide stability, transparency, and financial

control. Many are seeking more partnerships with repairers that

demonstrate robust cost control processes, helping manage pricing

volatility while ensuring service quality.

Alongside this, real-time performance reporting and regular data

sharing is becoming a growing expectation in repairer contracts,

giving insurers greater visibility over what inflates costs and

repair turnaround whilst allowing for smarter, strategic network

management.

Achieving network-wide EV and ADAS readiness

As EV and ADAS technology become more commonplace, insurers

need confidence that their repair networks are prepared for higher

consumer demand. Insurers are increasingly looking for repairers who

can cater for the most modern vehicles safely in-house, minimising

cost and turnaround, and reducing the need for manufacturer or thirdparty

input.

Leveraging repair data to fuel predictive claims strategies

Insurers are placing greater emphasis on securing real-time repair

data from their partners to refine insurability decisions and claims

strategies. Many are looking for more granular insights into real-terms

costs, turnaround times, and process exceptions to drive predictive

models, and help them forecast repair trends ahead of time on a

make and model basis.

Unifying service and sustainability goals

The FCA’s Consumer Duty Framework, and the increasing focus

on the sustainability credentials of large businesses, are beginning

to play a significant role in network strategies. Many insurers are

elevating expectations, tracking customer satisfaction metrics, and

pushing suppliers to adopt greener repair practices.

As both consumer and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, insurers are

seeking greater transparency and action from repairers to align with

their own customer service and sustainability goals.

By adopting these strategies, insurers are building repair networks

that are more resilient, efficient, and equipped to navigate the

challenges ahead. As vehicle technology advances, and claims

become more complex, collaboration between insurers and repairers

will be essential for maintaining service quality, controlling costs, and

delivering the best possible outcomes for policyholders.

Adrian Furness,

Managing Director, Motor Repair Network

(an Activate Group company)

Streamlining Processes and

Sustainability at National Windscreens

There is an absolute focus on our core operations at

National Windscreens, which is providing the customer

with a speedy, high-quality repair and replacement service.

We are achieving this by continuing to streamline our glass

delivery, developing career pathways for our team, and

providing robust communication with both our insurance

partners and the policyholder.

Our new logistics and glass distribution system has redefined the

efficiency and accuracy of glass delivery to our locations across

the UK. Increased glass stockholding at our expanded facilities in

Nottinghamshire has been a key factor in generating significant

improvement in our time-to-serve performance and boosting customer

satisfaction. This has helped National Windscreens to achieve a Net

Promoter Score (NPS) that is rated as ‘excellent’, alongside a marketleading

score on Trustpilot.

For the year ahead, we intend to prioritise the development of our

network, our digital journey, and our team. Our fitting and ADAS

calibration centre underwent significant development in 2024, and

we have 16 centres currently being optimised for customer comfort

and efficiency. The upgrades improve the customer reception and

parking facilities; vehicle charging; and additional fitting bays to meet

the increased demand for windscreen replacement and calibration in

workshop conditions.

As well as our bricks and mortar infrastructure, we are intent on

ensuring the digital experience continues to lead the market. This means

providing a simple and frictionless booking process for the customer,

where they can conveniently book an appointment in one simple

interaction. The omnichannel options provide the policyholder with the

method of communication that suits them best.

We understand that technology has a vital role to play in automotive

glass, but we will continue to empower our excellent employees across

all areas to elevate the customer experience. To show our appreciation

for our staff, we recently hosted the inaugural ‘Above and Beyond’

Awards, which celebrated the outstanding contributions of our team

across the organisation.

We also continue to focus on embedding sustainability within our

operations. Our award-winning ESG programme continues to drive

innovation with targeted emission reduction in three key areas:

procurement, transport and energy. Our most recent sustainability

report outlines the detailed emission reporting and our ambitious

decarbonisation strategy that is setting the standard in the market.

Within this programme, we are proud to be the market leader

for measuring Scope 3 emissions, carefully evaluating the most

environmentally conscious partners and suppliers to support our

business. This year, I have challenged Sustainability and Compliance

Manager, Craig Gibson, to drive our environmental programme, with

the hope of reaching even greater heights when the next sustainability

report is released in the summer.

James Reynolds,

Director of Commercial and Finance, National Windscreens

MODERN INSURANCE | 35



ASSOCIATIONS ASSEMBLE

ASSOCIATIONS

ASSEMBLE

Welcome to Associations Assemble!

Modern Insurance Magazine is delighted to be joined by some of the leading

names from our industry associations, organisations and institutes!

This issue voices the thoughts of:

Sue Brown

Chair, Motor Accident

Solicitors Society (MASS)

Mike Keating

CEO, Managing General Agents’

Association (MGAA)

Julie Comer

Head of Compliance, British Insurance

Brokers’ Association (BIBA)

Howard Dean

President, Forum of Insurance Lawyers

(FOIL) and Partner, Keoghs

Anthony Hughes

Chair & CEO, Credit Hire Organisation

(CHO)

David Punter

President, Institute of Automotive

Engineer Assessors (IAEA)

MODERN INSURANCE | 37


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ASSOCIATIONS ASSEMBLE

Sue Brown

Title: Chair

Association: Motor Accident Solicitors Society

(MASS)

Enabling Co-Operation in

the Motor Sector

The relationship between claimant and defendant

representatives has always been a complicated

one. Often combative, not least on behalf of their

respective clients, the relationship may sometimes

feel condemned to endless conflict.

The reality, however, is somewhat different. On the

ground, many claimant and defendant lawyers work

productively together to get the best and fairest

outcome for those that they represent.

This is also true at a policy level. Historically, much has

been achieved through co-operation in determining the

regulatory framework that will operate most efficiently

and effectively. Of course, the path of dialogue and

collaboration is rarely an easy one. History has shown

that there have been initiatives that would not have

happened without an honest dialogue and discussion

to produce some practical solutions to the problems

that we all face.

It is a great shame that, so far, the claimant sector has

been excluded from participating in the Department for

Transport and HM Treasury’s Motor Insurance Taskforce

when considering the issues around the high costs

of car insurance and its impact upon consumers. Our

perspectives may be different, and we would certainly

disagree on some matters, but the claimant sector

could play a valuable role in finding some solutions to

the problem of high motor insurance premiums; issues

such as uninsured driving, claims costs and fraud.

The Taskforce is a welcome initiative brought together

to consider an important issue that impacts millions

of motorists. However, it would greatly benefit from

having the active participation of all those involved

in the sector, giving its work credibility and ensuring

buy-in from all sides of the claims sector. Injured motor

accident victims are, after all, premium payers too.

Mike Keating

Title: CEO

Association: Managing General Agents’

Association (MGAA)

Prioritising Mental Health

Training in the MGA Sector

The fast-paced and entrepreneurial nature of

Managing General Agents (MGAs) makes them

a vibrant and innovative part of the insurance

ecosystem. But this same dynamism can also

pose unique challenges for those working in

the sector. Burnout is not just a buzzword;

it’s a reality faced by many in high-pressure

environments, and if MGAs are to thrive, they

must prioritise the wellbeing of their teams

above all else.

Breaking Down the Taboo

Mental health training is a key step in breaking down the

stigma and taboo that has long surrounded workplace

wellbeing, and today’s organisations must recognise the

inextricable link between mental and physical health. The

MGAA is committed to helping MGAs lead the charge by

embracing a holistic approach to workplace health—one

that is both proactive and reactive. Proactive measures

aim to prevent issues before they arise, such as fostering

a supportive work culture and offering tools to manage

stress. Reactive measures ensure that employees and

managers are equipped to address challenges as they

emerge, with empathy and practical solutions. Together,

these approaches form a ‘one body’ strategy that treats

mental and physical wellbeing as two sides of the same

coin.

Building a Supportive Workplace

Mental health training should be aimed at both

employees and managers, helping to build a workplace

culture that prioritises wellbeing and communication.

Such training highlights the importance of mental

health, the stressors that can affect it, and the strategies

that empower individuals to create positive change.

A supportive workplace culture doesn’t happen by

accident; it requires deliberate actions and initiatives

such as mentorship programmes, access to counselling

services, flexible working arrangements, and regular

mental health check-ins. Small changes—such as

promoting open conversations about mental health

or ensuring workloads are manageable—can have a

significant impact on employee morale and productivity.

The MGAA is here to help MGAs

implement mental health

training and foster healthier

workplaces. We invite you

to contact us to find out

more about how our

training programmes

can benefit your

organisation.

MODERN INSURANCE | 39


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ASSOCIATIONS ASSEMBLE

Julie Comer

Title: Head of Compliance

Association: British Insurance Brokers’

Association

Launching the 2025

BIBA Manifesto

Our 2025 Manifesto has been launched, and the

theme is Partnering to Deliver Value.

The Government has put growth at the heart of its

agenda, and the insurance broking sector can help

the Chancellor deliver on her ambition. The UK leads

the world when it comes to insurance broking, with

brokers placing over £105billion in premiums into the

UK insurance market. Meanwhile, the London market

is larger than those of Singapore, Bermuda and

Switzerland combined. But we need help if we are to

continue to thrive.

Our Manifesto makes six crucial calls on the Financial

Conduct Authority (FCA) to help create a stable,

proportionate regulatory environment so they can

focus on providing innovative insurance solutions to

technological change and emerging risks, notably

those stemming from rapid climate change. These are:

the removal of unnecessary FCA rules; the reform of

product value/fair value assessment regime; reducing

the scope of the Consumer Duty; streamlining

reporting requirements; speeding up authorisations;

and improved performance metrics for the regulator.

Over the past year, BIBA has enjoyed constructive

engagement with the FCA, and the regulator has

listened closely to our members’ views. Our Manifesto

‘asks’ also align closely with the FCA’s secondary

objective to facilitate the international competitiveness

of the UK economy and its medium to long-term

growth.

The importance of this is evidenced in the number of

insurance brokers operating in the UK, which fell from

over 8,000 in 2006 to just under 4,000 last year. We

need to reverse this trend for the sector to continue to

prosper and contribute to the Government’s growth

target. The regulator has a key role to play here.

There is another ‘ask’ in our Manifesto that is worth

flagging. Insurance brokers employ over 100,000

people across the UK in highly skilled professional jobs.

However, there is a future skills gap within the broking

sector. We urge the Government and Skills England

to include these within the training

accessible through the Growth

and Skills Levy. We also seek

support for the upskilling and

reskilling of existing workers,

alongside skills for young

workers within the broking

sector.

Dr Howard Matthew Dean Connell

Title: Director Presidentof Policy and Public Affairs

Association: Chartered Forum of Insurance Lawyers Institute (FOIL) (CII)

and Partner, Keoghs

The London Insurance

Market in 2025: A Year of

Balance and Adaptation

As we enter 2025, the London insurance

market faces a critical year, shaped by evolving

regulation, economic pressures, and rapid

technological advancements. Insurers, brokers

and law firms must navigate these shifts while

maintaining market stability, consumer trust, and

global competitiveness.

Regulation remains a central issue. The UK’s framework

is a global strength, but the new Government may seek

to ease perceived burdens on businesses. Business

Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has already suggested

that Consumer Duty may need rebalancing to support

economic growth. However, a full return to deregulation

is unlikely. Instead, we are likely to see a shift toward

balanced regulation—one that continues to protect

consumers while fostering innovation, investment, and

business confidence.

Consumer protection will remain a priority. The FCA

and PRA will maintain scrutiny over claims handling,

particularly in cases involving vulnerable customers.

With AI and machine learning increasingly integrated

into claims processes, insurers must ensure fairness,

transparency, and ethical engagement. Regulatory

oversight will likely expand to address how automated

systems impact decision-making and consumer rights.

Economic pressures will also shape the market. Inflation,

rising interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis may

strain both policyholders and insurers. This could drive

demand for more flexible, tailored products—particularly

in cyber risk, climate-related insurance and alternative

risk transfer mechanisms. As economic uncertainty

continues, insurers must balance affordability with

profitability while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Technology will be another major force. The rise of

insurtech and data analytics will continue transforming

underwriting, claims, and operations. However,

regulators will likely increase scrutiny on AI-driven

decision-making and data privacy, ensuring ethical and

responsible implementation.

Ultimately, 2025 will be a year

of adaptation. A flexible

yet robust regulatory

framework, economic

resilience and responsible

innovation will be key

to ensuring the London

insurance market remains

strong and future-ready.

MODERN INSURANCE | 41


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highly successful live events, who’s fundemental aim is to

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ASSOCIATIONS ASSEMBLE

Anthony Hughes

Title: Chair & CEO

Association: The Credit Hire Organisation

Credit Hire: Financial

Priorities for the Year

Ahead

In a volatile claims environment where change is

a constant, assessing priorities is a tricky task. The

credit hire landscape is no different; our members

are operating in a market where the impact of

government reform and the inflationary spiral in

motor claims is still playing out. At a macro level, the

EY motor report expects motor insurers to go back

into the red this year, following a profitable year in

2024.

These days, most credit hire claims are managed

on behalf of insurers, and the major players in the

industry have contractual relationships with their

insurer partners, making them an integral part of

the supply chain.

Of course, we all have to make a living, and our

members will have considered their financial

expectations for 2025 like any other business.

But the industry has also to be mindful of the

regulator’s insistence on improved customer

metrics in claims, and how to deliver a great

experience for customers is also set to remain

high on our members’ agenda.

The Consumer Duty has focused attention on the

claims journey, including mobility provision, and

our member companies will be keen to ensure

that customers have access to a vehicle quickly,

easily and seamlessly while theirs is off the road.

If you are a subscriber, as I am, to the maxim:

‘happy customers equals happy shareholders,’

then you will agree that consistent provision

of a high-quality service which meets or beats

customer expectations is good for your bottom

line.

David Punter

Title: President

Association: Institute of Automotive Engineer

Assessors (IAEA)

Hard Restart

Over the last two decades, we have seen

the rise of automation from various areas.

Whilst this was initially a good move to

drive standardisation, this has stifled quite

a bit of innovation with the decision makers

over time, with workflow being driven down

a narrowly routed outcome as the process

becomes legacy and cannot be amended.

Sadly, on all sides, a number of stakeholders are bound

by a defined outcome. While this was fit for the market

a decade ago, in some cases it has nursed a decision to

be made for ease, rather than efficiency, and indeed a

conducive customer journey.

We need to take a step back, identify the stakeholders

clearly, and collectively decide if the systems and

solutions that have controlled the market for the

last decade are really what the market needs today.

Considering the next logical phase is Artificial

Intelligence and further automation, surely nobody

needs an automated decision-making process that was

not right to start with?

Broken down, we need to look at the overall

requirements and focus on the three P’s: People, Process

and Plant. Empower people and stakeholders to enable a

skill based, verified outcome to better deal with a claim.

Understand what new processes would need to be

created to enable this in terms of viable technology, not

something that slightly improves what we already have.

And finally, identify what plant machinery would be used

to drive core improvement in the market, and endorse

its use.

Yes, this may be a factory restart, but lets review what

could be achieved if we innovate, use great core skills

from relevantly qualified stakeholders, and drive much

better cost control. Rounding things down year-on-year

just reduces the performance, protection and viability,

which is costing time, effort and funds to operate overall.

As insurers come under pressure to build in

improvements to claims, mobility

providers will be judged by

their commitment to great

service; if they live up

to that commitment,

their year-end numbers

will duly reflect that

achievement.

MODERN INSURANCE | 43


ASSOCIATIONS ASSEMBLE

Mike Benner

Title: Chief Executive

Association: Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

(APIL)

Making Use of the Serious

Injury Guide

To quote Henry Ford, “working together is success”. In the world

of personal injury, the epitome of collaborative working between

claimants and insurers is the Serious Injury Guide.

This year marks 10 years since the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)

and the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) created the best practice guide to

dealing with catastrophic injury cases where damages are more than £250,000,

excluding clinical negligence and asbestos-related disease claims.

The Guide advocates for parties to work together to progress claims to the mutual

benefit of all involved, by putting injured people at the heart of the process. It

encourages building relationships and developing trust between the parties. Its

success demonstrates how it is possible to resolve cases efficiently and effectively

through collaboration between both sides.

Keeping the lines of communication open is the cornerstone of the Serious Injury

Guide’s approach. An emphasis is placed on taking stock of any issues, parking

any areas of disagreement, and moving forward in areas of common ground. This

benefits both parties.

It encourages regular updates between the parties to agree a way forward,

agreeing timeframes and discussion at the earliest opportunity to consider

effective rehabilitation. This might include securing early and continuing interim

payments. Early treatment is essential to the recovery of injured people.

Where appropriate, cases are resolved without the need to go to court, which can

be costly and time consuming, leaving injured people waiting

too long for their cases to settle.

The Serious Injury Guide is regularly reviewed to

ensure that it reflects best practice, making it an

essential tool for handling personal injury cases.

Working in an environment of transparency and

mutual trust is best for all parties, particularly

injured people. We hope more practitioners

make use of the Serious Injury Guide, so its

collaborative approach continues to help secure

successful and timely outcomes for victims of

negligence.

44 | MODERN INSURANCE


THE

FRAUD

BOARD

MODERN INSURANCE | 45


www.globalinsurtechawards.com


THE FRAUD BOARD

EFFICIENCY:

AT WHAT COST?

It’s essential to remember that fraud impacts the premiums

paid by every policyholder in the country because it’s a cost

that carriers pass on to their customers. The latest figures

from the Association of British Insurers show that the

industry identified 72,600 dishonest claims in 2022, with a

combined value of £1.1bn; that’s more than £3m every day in

the UK alone. Moreover, beyond this staggering figure, how

many fraudulent claims aren’t being discovered at all?

No discussion about finance, efficiency and performance is complete

if it doesn’t include a detailed look at how fraud can be minimised

in terms of both its financial and operational impact. Insurers are

transitioning their business models towards straight through decision

making when underwriting policies at the front end, but also at the

back end when evaluating and settling claims.

must also consider its efficacy in the round. Fraud detection tools are

increasingly sophisticated, but their application demands considered

implementation. If, for example, a new screening system flags up too

many false positives, it will add to a claims team’s workload without

uncovering more fraud. This increases operational costs, reduces the

time and resource available to investigate actual fraud cases, and

results in a net financial loss to the business.

It’s therefore essential to question how targeted technology will be in

generating results. For example, Charles Taylor uses an AI-powered

system to scan electronic documents and images that are submitted

to support a claim, and identifies those that have been edited from

their original state. Whilst this would be exceptionally difficult and

time-consuming to do in person due to the volume of work involved,

the technology can do it in fractions of a second.

The challenge at the front end is to validate policyholder and risk

data effectively while not turning away genuine customers and

reducing underwriting volumes. But if the approach is too lax and

isn’t sufficiently robust, this opens the door to fraudsters who are

quick to identify such corporate weaknesses.

A similar balance must be struck at the back end, where there’s huge

commercial value to be gained from settling genuine claims quickly

and efficiently. This kind of service buys loyalty in a market where

customers are primed to shop around, and improved retention rates

are a top priority for any CFO.

As carriers implement more fraud detection technology in a bid to

uncover fake claims and expedite payment for genuine ones, they

The result is a yes/no decision on whether a file has been tampered

with, identifying many that would otherwise have slipped through

the net. Fake documents are a strong indicator of fraud, and so the

associated number of false positives is low. The result is an improved

ability to direct human investigators to cases that are likely to be

fraudulent, and a positive return on the cost of the technology.

In 2025, our focus is on making sure we fully leverage the efficiency

offered by technology, balanced with the expertise of experienced

human investigators to ensure we optimise the way we help fight the

increasing prevalence of fraud in the insurance market.

Bobby Gracey,

Global Head of Counter Fraud,

Charles Taylor

V IS FOR ‘VALUE’,

NOT ‘VANITY’

Why do we need to be better at defining success?

The Search for Savings

We’ve all been there. As the end of the year approaches, inboxes fill

with requests from senior leadership teams seeking updates on the

fraud savings recorded in the past year, as well as predicted savings for

the year ahead.

The super-savers among us find their feedback featuring in company

year-end reports, analyst presentations, and the occasional press

release. But while savings are, and always will be, outcome measures

valuable for assessment of investment return, I wonder if this is truly

the best measure of success in fraud. Reporting increased savings

while simultaneously experiencing spiralling losses is an entirely

possible scenario in our line of work. So, is measuring savings in

isolation a measure of vanity, rather than value?

Exploring the Total Cost of Fraud

I sometimes look at peers working in financial services such as banking,

envious of their ability to report on fraud more holistically. In these

arenas, fraud metrics tend to extend beyond fraud prevention savings

enabled by a greater visibility of materialised losses.

Surely, a combination of savings and losses provides a more rounded

view of fraud exposure? The aggregation of losses - together with the

operational expense of running fraud teams, systems and controls -

provides a powerful measure of overall effectiveness. Behold, the total

cost of fraud!

The total cost of fraud, or rather changes in this cost over time, simply

feels like a more insightful metric for effectiveness. If we invest poorly,

fraud loss remains unchanged, with no offset or return against the

expenditure. Invest wisely, and overall cost exponentially falls as the

investment is returned many times over though fraud loss reduction.

But, as attractive as this metric appears, it remains fraught with

challenges in insurance. First of all, we lack transparency in direct

claims fraud loss. While ‘missed opportunity audits’ and ‘leakage

assessments’ may highlight the overlooked fraud case, unlike banking,

we struggle to really know the full extent of financial loss.

Assessing the indirect cost is also complex. With so many moving

parts in indemnity control, it’s difficult to verify the full knock-on costs

of getting fraud intervention wrong, involving (but not limited to)

missed capture opportunities, or credit hire left to accumulate. It’s also

challenging to understand the fraud loss arising from policy fraud, or

undetected, sleeping, corporate fraud.

Bonfire of the Vanities

These challenges should not deter insurers from pursing improved

ways to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of counter fraud.

Savings will remain a priority metric, but changes in the total cost of

fraud must increasingly form part of a more balanced way of judging

success, and ultimately bottom-line value.

It’s time to burn convention to deliver measures that assess what

matters most. Truly, a bonfire of the vanities.

Matt Gilham,

Director, Whitelk

MODERN INSURANCE | 47


ILC

Built for claims professionals,

by claims professionals

Upcoming events

To find out more about ILC's

activity calendar for 2025 contact

rachael@iloveclaims.com

iloveclaims.com


THE FRAUD BOARD

A MORE ACCURATE

VIEW OF PORTFOLIO

RISK

I love the old insurance adage about the

insurance salesperson, the underwriter

and the actuary sat in a car. Sales has

their foot on the accelerator trying to

go faster, the underwriter has their foot

on the brake trying to control the speed,

and the actuary is looking out the back

window telling them which way to turn.

New technology and data availability has enabled the

actuary and underwriter to access more information, more

contemporaneously than ever before. However, the view of

historic data and trends remains invaluable.

It is now a hygiene factor to use credit data in the

assessment of risk in both personal and commercial lines.

Beyond creditworthiness and the ability to pay, the data is

seen as a proxy for the probability of claim. However, by

it’s very nature, a credit score is only a snapshot of a point

in time; great during a transaction, but not necessarily

remaining true.

The economy has been through some tough shocks, and

growth appears to be slowing once again, with the dreaded

‘R word’ mooted as a distinct possibility. Such times

mean that more people will be having to consider their

financial circumstances as money gets scarcer, and as we

all know, financial pressure is one side of the fraud triangle.

As pressure ramps up, it becomes easier to rationalise

opportunistic types of insurance fraud.

In a previous role, I worked with insurers who used

commercial credit data to predict claims propensity. I know,

because we proved, that the most predictive factor of claims

was a score that indicated significant financial distress,

based on a deteriorating outlook for the business. It was the

downward trend that told the story. If you are only using

an infrequent, static score, you are missing the trend that

predicts a claim or potential fraud.

For this reason, insurers should consider more frequent

reviews of their portfolio, updating credit and fraud scores

across the board at portfolio level instead of just relying

on event-driven checks, such as those at renewal or claim.

This would provide a more up to date view of the risk in

the portfolio, allow tracking of performance over time, and

enable an improvement to the metrics used when making

those event-driven decisions. It also encourages them to

understand the triggers that could predict a claim or fraud,

and build interventions to prevent these events.

Thinking back to the car scenario then, the actuaries will get

a more contemporaneous view of the risk, and maybe start

looking out of the side windows at what’s going on now,

instead of relying on that glance

in the rear-view mirror. A more

accurate view of the portfolio

risk enables the finance team

to adjust their provisions and

capital modelling, subsequently

building their models with a

greater degree of certainty.

ARE WE PRODUCTIVE,

OR ARE WE JUST

BUSY?

The latest trends, technologies and tools

are often the hot topics when we talk

about tackling fraud. Creating that multilayered

set of controls is an aspiration

for many businesses, and we can often be

tempted to look for a ‘silver bullet’ that is

going to change our world. However, do

we really understand the ecosystem we

are operating in, the dependencies that

we have and the consequences that we

can create?

Implementing a new process or tool normally comes with

good governance and control. This starts with the potential,

the cost and the impact, before arriving at the benefit. Once

the business case is agreed, we are then into the delivery

and implementation stages, all of which will be tested and

measured. Work completed. On to the next.

However, how confident are we that the monitoring and

management of our BAU processes and tools carries the

same rigour as that initial implementation field? Do we really

monitor and understand the impacts of new products and

services, including data impact? What about other people

and process changes within the wider business? Have we

considered wider changes in the market within our supply

and distribution channels? What about deterioration in our

models, or the impact of attrition within our teams and the

wider business?

I’m a Formula 1 fan, but the logic applies to any sport. The

team that end up ‘winning’ in the grand scheme of things

isn’t always the team that wins the first F1 race of the season.

It’s the team that continues to find those ‘marginal gains’ in

the long-run that finds the most success. That same logic

applies in our world; the implementation of any capability is

only the start.

The challenge for us all lies in how we strike that balance

between introducing new capabilities to ensure that we have

the right set of foundational resources that we need, against

the need to ensure that we are continually monitoring,

adapting and evolving all of our BAU models at the same

time.

We need to ensure that instead of just creating lots of fraud

referrals, we remain focused on the outcomes that we are

creating. We need to do that in the most productive way

we can - ensuring that we disrupt as few honest customer

journeys as possible, and remain set on doing our bit to help

expedite the genuine customer journey.

Martyn Griffiths,

Sales Manager UK&I, FRISS

Ben Fletcher,

Head of Financial Crime, LV= General

Insurance

MODERN INSURANCE | 49


BUSINESS GROWTH IN A

In the current climate,

looking at ways to increase

profit margins and

accelerate growth could be

seen as ambitious. The Bank

of England has recently

halved its economic growth

predictions for 2025 from an

already modest 1.5% to just

0.75%, while UK businesses

are now bracing themselves

for tax hikes announced in

the Autumn Budget, to take

effect from April.

However, regardless of the challenges

both in the UK and internationally, savvy

business managers can still find ways to

increase revenue streams and maximise

profits.

Bigger isn’t better

Speaking at ARC360’s Future Vehicle

Technology themed conference last

year, Robert Snook, CEO of Business

Success Global, urged businesses

to make the most of what they had

instead of thinking that getting bigger

automatically meant higher profits.

He said, “Business growth is something

we get suckered into, and we think to

achieve it we have to get bigger. But

there is growth around what you do

now and you should look at that first. It’s

around vision, intent, and culture. They

are the sources of the revenue stream

and that is where growth and tomorrow’s

profit will come from.”

Robert said that capability, functionality

and capacity were the keys to unlocking

a company’s potential – but insisted

the first step was understanding the

business, identifying the areas where it

can be a world beater, and developing a

clear plan to do more of that.

“It’s not about doing more work,” he said,

“but ensuring you are gaining the most

profit from the work you already do. All

work revenue streams are available, you

just have to decide which one to target.

You need to know who your customer

is and, more importantly, who your

customer is not. If you target a customer

that your business is not set up to serve,

you will always play second fiddle, so

stopping is more important than starting.

Don’t just do more work. Understand

what you need to stop doing so you can

focus more energy on what you can be

the best at.”

Technology

Of course, innovation and technology

have opened up new opportunities for

businesses across all industries, enabling

them to develop new products, target

new customers, and introduce new,

efficient work processes.

AI is having the most significant impact

on all areas of insurance, from risk

assessment, claims handling and fraud

detection. Focusing on just one area

where it is transforming the sector, Tim

Goodman, Managing Director, ICAB,

revealed how AI and predictive analytics

are enabling home and property insurers

to pre-empt surge events and identify

high-risk areas by overlaying weather

data with policyholder information.

Speaking at ILC’s Home & Property

Claims Conference in November, he said:

“We’re moving from reactive response

to predictive intervention. AI allows us

to warn customers, prepare suppliers,

and make data-backed decisions that

reduce overall claims impact. And AI is a

learning tool, so every event helps refine

predictions, improving accuracy and

readiness for the next surge.”

Human touch

However, faced with such obvious

benefits, the temptation is to put too

much faith in technology and pin

all growth hopes on new solutions.

Ultimately though, it is the people

working within a company that will

determine its future trajectory – and this

is especially true in an emotive industry

such an insurance, where understanding

the customer’s needs and offering an

individual response is invaluable.

Gavin Rowell, Director of Loss Adjusting

& TPA Services at Innovation Group, said:

“Claims adjusters are now expected to

be surveyors, investigators, customer

service representatives, and even

guidance counsellors. AI can handle data

processing, but it can’t replicate the

nuanced decision-making and emotional

intelligence required in high-stakes

claims.”

Robert agreed, and urged businesses

to remember the pivotal role managers

have on their teams. He insisted that

investing in people is where the real

return on investment is found.

He concluded: “If you want to grow as an

organisation, grow the people and they

will grow the business for you.”

50 | MODERN INSURANCE


Artificial

Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant

strides in recent years, transforming industries,

improving efficiency, and enabling new technological

advancements. From self-driving cars to intelligent

personal assistants, AI has demonstrated remarkable

capabilities. However, one fundamental limitation that

persists is AI’s inability to have its own opinions. This

limitation stems from the very nature of AI, its design,

and its reliance on data and programming rather than

personal experience or subjective reasoning.

Did that first paragraph make sense to you, the reader?

If it did, then we must congratulate ChatGPT, which I asked to write an

article about the limitations of AI. This was the unedited version of the first

paragraph of its response.

So, I guess the good news is that if you are an opinionated legend in my

own lunchtime such as I, then you are safe for a while… until such time as

AI learns how to really think original thoughts.

I’ve often seen marketing hype surrounding AI that gravitates towards a

belief in their own publicity. AI is fed a gazillion pieces of information

from across the web, your own databases, historical experiences

and so on, before being asked to pass judgement on the merits

(or otherwise) of a claim. AI makes the subjective become

supposedly objective in the sense that ‘opinions’ no

longer matter and, instead, outcomes are predetermined

by the old but still valid dictum that if you

put rubbish in, then you ‘get rubbish out’.

Nowadays, we can expect there to be a huge degree of conformity in

decision making that will relieve hard-pressed claims departments of the

drudgery and difficulties presented by the demand from customers who

nearly always expect positive decisions and prompt settlement.

But woe betide the set of circumstances that is very nearly the same as

any other. Or is so close as to be indiscernible except, perhaps, that the

policyholders are very different and need different treatment. Or maybe

the final outcomes need subjective decision making by the claimant (cash

settlement or repair?) but are subtly encouraged by the AI to go down

the preferred route as dictated by the insurer. Or perhaps the customer is

naturally suspicious of AI driven decisions. Or maybe the AI finds it difficult

to put itself in the emotional shoes of the policyholder facing yet another

flood in their property…

Final Thoughts

As AI continues to evolve, it is essential to acknowledge and address its

limitations. The inability to form opinions may be seen as a drawback, but it

also underscores the importance of human-AI collaboration. By leveraging

AI's analytical capabilities while relying on human judgement and values,

we can create a more balanced and ethical approach to technology. The

future of AI lies in its ability to augment human potential, not in mimicking

human traits such as opinion formation.

(By the way – in case you hadn’t realised – the last paragraph was

written by ChatGPT. Do I sense the beginnings of an opinion

being formed here?)

AI Rules OK

This newfound objectivity is not necessarily a bad

thing. Indeed, it is the very inconsistency of

human judgement when presented with

the same, or similar, facts that forms

part of the AI attraction.

Eddie Longworth,

Director, JEL Consulting

Claims and Supply Chain

Development

MODERN INSURANCE | 51


REVOLUTIONISE CLAIMS AND

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Optimise. Automate. Excel.

The Laird Formula for FNOL Success

CHATBOT & IMAGE CAPTURE

CONSUMER DUTY

Ensures rapid response from

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informed.

SEAMLESS INSTRUCTION

SMART TRIAGE

Instantly instruct Laird via API or

AI email processing. Quickly

directs vehicles to a repairer or

salvage facility.

laird-assessors.com

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

CLIENT PORTAL

Delivers precise reports, shared

directly with clients, provides

access to cases instantly.


THE FUTURE OF CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

For many years the claims process has relied on a straightforward path of services;

the supply chain. Much like a single-file procession, each link in the chain depended on

the next to keep the claim process moving from FNOL to invoice. However, advances

in artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics have reshaped this traditional

model. Instead of a chain, we now operate a three-dimensional hub; a dynamic,

interconnected network that offers unprecedented agility, visibility, and control.

At Laird, our expertise has traditionally been centered

on engineering assessments. However, we are currently

undergoing a digital transformation. Our work now involves

close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders,

including insurers, claims management companies (CMCs),

bodyshops, hire car companies, salvage agents, and, most

importantly, car owners.

From Linear Chain to Multi-Directional Flow

In the old supply chain model, each participant performed

their function before passing the “baton” to the next,

with communication flowing in a linear, often limited

manner—typically restricted to fulfilment and status

updates. This lack of real-time visibility frequently led

to delays and inefficiencies.

At Laird, we use Swiftcase, an AI-powered platform,

offering real-time data sharing across all nodes, with the

policyholder at the centre. This means, for example, that

the hire team can be alerted to an unroadworthy vehicle,

the bodyshop instructed, and the driver kept informed—all

without waiting for the CMC to process the engineer’s

report. Instead of one link at a time, all stakeholders

connect simultaneously, creating a robust “hub” of activity

with multiple, constantly shifting pathways.

This multi-directional data flow improves our ability to

quickly source and deliver vital information on vehicle

damage, repair and hire times, roadworthiness, and repair

types—ensuring every stakeholder has access to what they

need, when they need it.

Meanwhile, automation streamlines repetitive tasks

such as data input, vehicle valuations, estimating, and

communications. By reducing manual workload, our teams

can focus on higher-value responsibilities and provide the

personal service that sets us apart.

Subheader: Collaboration in a Hyper-Connected Era

The shift from a traditional supply chain to a dynamic,

three-dimensional network fosters deeper collaboration

across the repair industry. Laird serves as a central hub,

seamlessly connecting engineers, bodyshops, hire car

providers, and insurers to create a real-time, data-driven

view of a vehicle’s repair needs—keeping the driver at the

heart of the process while aligning with key consumer duty

principles.

As AI and automation take on more routine tasks, human

expertise continues to evolve. At Laird, we invest in ongoing

development, equipping our engineers and teams with

enhanced digital skills, new software capabilities, and the

ability to work seamlessly within our expanding partner

network.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

While AI enables faster, more precise data analysis,

it cannot (yet) replace the nuanced judgment of an

experienced automotive engineer or claims specialist.

Several Visual Intelligence (VI) estimating systems exist,

but they currently offer only a two-dimensional view of

damage, often missing significant latent issues. While

effective for assessing scratches and dents, they fall short,

and can be dangerous, when evaluating serious collisions.

AI and automation have transformed our traditional supply

chain into a dynamic, interconnected network. This

three-dimensional model enhances efficiency, reduces costs

and key-to-key times, and provides real-time transparency.

The result is an improved experience for all stakeholders,

from hire companies and bodyshops to insurers and CMCs,

and, most importantly, for the driver.

We’re not just adapting to these sweeping changes; we’re

driving them forward. By combining human expertise with

AI-driven insights, we deliver faster, more precise solutions

without sacrificing the personal touch our clients rely on.

The focus is no longer just on moving a product through

a chain, it’s about navigating a living, evolving network of

possibilities.

Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a landmark year

for AI-driven solutions, particularly with the large-scale

implementation of GPT and Agentic models within

Swiftcase. These advanced language models will enable

near-instant analysis and interpretation of complex

documents, from third-party queries to highly detailed

engineering reports, while intelligent agents will actively

propel the system forward. In practical terms, GPTenhanced

tools will streamline communication across our

extended network, enabling rapid collaboration between

CMCs, bodyshops, hire car teams, and other service

providers supporting vehicle repairs.

Whether it’s automatically generating

comprehensive damage assessments

or creating swift, data-driven pricing

strategies, AI will unlock new

levels of efficiency and accuracy.

Ultimately, this intelligent

automation will keep Laird at the

forefront of the evolving supply

network, delivering real-time

insights and enabling faster, more

informed decisions on behalf of our

clients.

Nik Ellis,

Director, Laird Assessors

MODERN INSURANCE | 53


The UK’s Leading Repair

Management Network

Optimised repair solutions that keep your claims process moving.

550+ PAS10125-approved bodyshops and 780+

manufacturer-approved locations nationwide.

Industry-first Level 3 EV-certified repair

network ensuring safe, high-voltage

vehicle repairs.

Fully digital claims repair ecosystem

with AI-driven deployment and real-time

performance tracking.

Seamless insurer FNOL integration reducing

key-to-key times and optimising repair capacity.

Expert-led repair management with

strict compliance, ESG standards, and

quality assurance.

Specialist solutions for complex repairs,

ensuring high-quality vehicle restoration.

To find out more, call us on 0330 1000 270, email us at

info@national-arg.co.uk or visit www.national-arg.co.uk


REPAIRING THE FUTURE:

DRIVING EXCELLENCE IN REPAIR

MANAGEMENT

Since 2009, National Accident Repair Group

(NARG) has set the benchmark in accident

repair services, delivering nationwide

coverage with a network of over 550

PAS10125-approved bodyshops. Trusted

by major insurers and fleet operators, we

specialise in seamless repair management;

balancing efficiency, technical expertise, and

customer service to keep vehicles on the road

with minimal disruption.

With vehicles now demanding increasingly complex

repair needs, technical expertise in the procurement,

deployment, and management of repair capacity is

more critical than ever. Our network includes 750+

manufacturer approvals, ensuring repairs are completed

to the highest standards while meeting cost and efficiency

targets for all stakeholders. Recognising the rise in

electric vehicles, we have proactively partnered with

350+ repairers to achieve Level 3 EV repair certification;

updates to our in-house triage software further enhances

this by intelligently identifying EVs and deploying them to

qualified repairers, guaranteeing safety and compliance.

Evolving Repair Needs

In an evolving industry, resilience and adaptability define

success. Over the past three years, our carefully selected

network has not only endured industry challenges but

emerged stronger, thanks to strategic investments in

people, equipment, and process refinement. Our network

is built for performance, and we partner with forwardthinking

repairers committed to long-term excellence,

ensuring a network that consistently delivers quality

and efficiency. Repair management includes everything

from repair centre training, proactive repair progression

handling, and capacity assessment through to audit. We

pride ourselves on the stringency of our checks for quality,

safety, and customer satisfaction.

A Smarter 2025 Roadmap: Leading the Next

Era of Repair Management

2024 was a transformative year for NARG, defined by

strategic progress and focused innovation. The ongoing

expansion of our network has reinforced our position as

the leading specialist in accident repair management. Our

commitment to excellence ensures we remain a trusted

partner for insurers and fleet operators, offering industryleading

solutions tailored to the evolving automotive

landscape.

As we enter 2025, NARG is embracing a bold new era,

driven by technology, expert repair management, and realtime

performance insight that continuously informs and

improves our decision triaging. Our redefined approach

integrates specialist-led repair solutions with cutting-edge

software, whilst also ensuring ESG and compliance remain

at the core of our operations. By embedding automation,

AI-driven decision-making, and real-time performance

management, we continue to streamline processes,

enhance efficiency, and reduce key-to-key times for our

partners.

Our digital-first strategy is underpinned by a commitment

to continuous innovation. The expansion of our Level 3

EV-certified repairer network, alongside manufacturerapproved

repair partnerships, enables us to stay ahead

of the curve in complex vehicle repairs. Through our

advanced claims management ecosystem, we provide

seamless integration with insurers, optimising deployment

and ensuring every repair is handled with precision.

In 2025, NARG is not just evolving, we are redefining

what it means to be a leader in repair management. With

a renewed focus on innovation, efficiency, and expert-led

repair solutions, we are strengthening our network to meet

the demands of an ever-changing industry. Our constantly

developing and expanded EV-certified repairer network,

combined with data-driven decision making and client-led

systems and processes, ensures we remain at the forefront

of repair management and that each and every one of our

clients experiences a seamless repair journey as standard.

This is more than just progress; it’s a strategic

transformation. By harnessing the latest advancements

in AI, automation, and ESG-driven compliance, we are

creating a smarter, more resilient repair network. Our goal

is simple: to deliver repair excellence at scale, ensuring

every vehicle is repaired with precision, speed, and care for

our clients and their policyholders.

As we look ahead, NARG is preparing for an exciting new

chapter. Our vision for the future includes a refreshed

strategy, enhanced service offerings, and a brand evolution

that reflects our leadership in the industry.

Victoria Turner,

Chief Executive Officer of NARG

MODERN INSURANCE | 55



Driving ADAS Growth

Through Innovative Calibration

Technology and Remote Services

Phil Peace, Managing Director of Repairify International, outlines the company’s

achievements and highlights from 2024, discussing how its plans and developments

will assist repairers to grow their businesses through adopting ADAS solutions inhouse.

As the automotive industry rapidly evolves

with advanced driver-assistance systems

(ADAS) and cutting-edge diagnostics,

Repairify International continues to

lead the way with innovative calibration

technology and Remote Services,

having recently been awarded a patent

by the EU Patent Office for its Remote

Services technology. The past year has

been a period of unprecedented growth,

solidifying Repairify’s position as a global

leader in modern diagnostics, calibration,

and ADAS solutions.

Expansion and Growth in Europe

The international division of Repairify

Inc. is based out of the UK, with over

4,000 European workshops now using

Repairify Remote Services alongside some

140,000 remote events being successfully

completed by Repairify’s international

team. Benefitting from the global resources

of the Repairify business, we have been

able to establish efficient operations to

create a market-leading environment for

Remote Services across our patented

technology, with over 140 OE tools in our

European Datacentre and over 800 OE

tools globally.

Supporting this achievement, Repairify

has expanded further into Europe with

the opening of its office in Italy in January

2024, making it more convenient and

cost-effective for European customers to

access its advanced vehicle diagnostic and

calibration technology.

Spearheaded by Business Development

Director, Santiago Malbran, this expansion

reinforces Repairify’s commitment to

maximising growth opportunities and

identifying new revenue streams that will

benefit customers across Europe.

Repairify is forging ahead with its planned

expansion to establish a structure across

Europe that will drive continued growth.

This ensures our European customers

have a simple and efficient route to our

products and services. With a combination

of technology, local language and

multilingual staff in our European offices,

we can support customers more effectively

in resolving the challenges they face.

Investing in Future Talent: The Digital

Technician Apprenticeship Programme

To help address the sector’s acute skills

shortage, Repairify is launching the

industry’s first bespoke Digital Technician

Apprenticeship Programme in conjunction

with world-class training provider, QA.

This scheme will create exceptional

employment opportunities for young

technicians looking to embark on a modern

apprenticeship journey, providing them

with:

• Industry-leading training and hands-on

experience with cutting-edge tools

•Specialised expertise in diagnostics,

calibration, and vehicle software

programming

• Cloud-based management skills to

enhance efficiency and operational

excellence

As part of the programme, apprentices

will gain core IT skills, develop expertise in

fault resolution, and learn to troubleshoot

advanced vehicle systems, ensuring they

are prepared for the future of automotive

repair.

Commitment to Quality and Sustainability

Repairify UK Limited has been awarded

the ISO 9001 quality management

standard, demonstrating its continued

investment in scaling operations while

maintaining high-quality services. This

accreditation ensures the company

constantly monitors, manages, and

enhances the skills and quality of its

people, products, and services to meet

customer expectations and regulatory

requirements.

Additionally, following audits at its

Luton and Peterlee sites, Repairify

has successfully retained the ISO

14001 accreditation for environmental

management. This certification highlights

the company’s commitment to effective

carbon emission management; responsible

waste management practices; compliance

with environmental regulations; sustainable

energy usage and fire safety standards.

Continuous Professional Development

and Training

As part of its strategic focus on lifelong

learning and continuous improvement,

Repairify has made significant

investments in IMI ADAS and EV training

programmes for its employees and

technicians. This ensures that Repairify

remains at the forefront of ADAS

calibration services, giving repair shops

confidence in their capabilities while

unlocking new revenue opportunities.

All technical staff have achieved IMI ADAS

AOM230 certification, equipping them

with the skills to accurately interpret

vehicle-specific ADAS features and

determine the appropriate calibration

methods. Furthermore, Astech’s Master

Technicians have qualified in the IMI Level

3 Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (EV) training

programme.

Repairify’s strategic commitment to

continuous professional development

ensures our staff remain at the cutting

edge of technology. By keeping their

certifications up to date, our technicians

can confidently address EV-related

challenges and provide expert guidance.

This not only strengthens our customer

support but also opens up new revenue

opportunities for repair businesses working

with EVs and hybrid vehicles.

Looking Ahead

Whilst we’re still a little way from fully

autonomous vehicles being widespread

on our roads, the technology to facilitate

this is increasing, creating challenges for

our customers on a daily basis. It’s hard

for even the OE’s franchised dealers to

keep up with this pace of change, meaning

its really challenging for the aftermarket.

Therefore, we are focused on providing

support for customers in various guises

to ensure that we can return the vehicle

to the road quickly after repair. Safety is

paramount, forming a significant part of

our company vision.

We also have a clear plan for expansion,

and will build on the award of last year’s

patent to drive commercial benefits, all

while ensuring that our customers get

the benefit of our constantly evolving

technology.

With an industry-leading apprenticeship

programme and a strong commitment

to quality and sustainability, Repairify

International is poised to shape the future

of ADAS diagnostics and calibration

services across Europe. By combining

cutting-edge technology with skilled

expertise, the company is setting new

standards in Remote Services and vehicle

diagnostics, ensuring that workshops and

technicians can keep pace with the rapidly

evolving automotive landscape.

Phil Peace,

Managing Director,

Repairify International

MODERN INSURANCE | 57


Where does electric fit into

insurers’ supply chains?

Europcar is on a mission to be

the insurance sector’s most

sustainable vehicle replacement

provider. Sustainable mobility

is at the heart of all our

operational and customerfacing

objectives; not just

because it makes commercial

sense, but because it is the right

thing to do for the future of the

planet. People need to get from

A to B; it’s our job to make that

as sustainable as possible, and

the initiatives undertaken in

the last year have significantly

shifted the dial for Europcar, our

customers, and the insurers we

support.

Our strong partnership with OEMs ensures that

our BEV and PHEV fleet has grown significantly.

Now a wide choice of electric vehicles across

a range of models and use cases enable

us to meet insurers’ customer expectations,

from the Kia Niro EV, Skoda Enyaq and Jeep

Avenger to the Tesla Model 3, Mercedes-Benz

EQ models and Polestar 4. We have also

added several electric van models to the fleet,

supporting insurers’ underwriting businesses

and individuals running commercial vehicles.

Combined with our investment in training,

development and infrastructure, we are

confident that no other national rental provider

serving the insurance sector has made the

same scale of commitment to sustainability.

Indeed, our figures speak for themselves. Over

70% of our Deliver & Collection stations are

electrified, which is significantly greater than

any other national rental provider. And 14%

of our fleet is PHEV/BEV, with a significant

proportion suitable to deliver an EV like-for-like

experience for policyholders.

We have also reduced the environmental impact

of our own operations. The use of electric cars

and bikes for our delivery and collection service

in 2024 alone equated to 78,516Kg in CO2

savings. Increased recycling has reduced waste

going to landfill, water recycling is used for car

washes, and a switch to LED lighting and energy

efficient rated appliances has reduced kWH’s

consumed across our network.

A growing EV parc that needs to be

served

Europcar is ready for the electric revolution.

However, is the insurance sector also prepared?

Sales of new fully electric and plug in hybrid

cars reached nearly 550,000 in 2024. Fully

electric cars represented 19.6% market share

of all new cars registered. The used electric car

market saw a big boost too, with 188,382 fully

electric cars changing hands in 2024 – 57.4%

more than the year before. And new analysis

suggests that sales of battery electric vehicles

(BEVs) will increase to 440,000 in 2025. Whilst

the numbers are below targets, they still represent

a growing market that insurers need to be able

to service. However, several barriers seem to

present issues.

EV driver expectations

The biggest issue probably relates to the use of

EVs as replacement vehicles by the bodyshop

sector. We know that electric car owners want

and expect a like-for-like replacement if their

vehicle is off the road. Research conducted at

the start of 2025 found that 89% of electric

vehicle owners expect their insurer to provide a

like-for-like replacement. However, of those who

had required a replacement vehicle following an

accident, only 65% had received one.

To date, insurers unable to offer electric

replacements have found consumers are usually

content with an ICE replacement vehicle while

their EV is repaired, as long as the repair is quick,

and their premium remains low. However, as EV

ownership grows, customers will be less willing

to compromise when it comes to getting a ‘likefor-like’

EV. They made a conscious decision

over their vehicle choice, and won’t welcome

being put into an ICE vehicle.

For salary sacrifice or fleet customers, there’s

also a ‘benefit in kind’ (BIK) consideration and

personal tax liability for driving an ICE vehicle,

which will make the conversation more complex.

Being able to offer ‘like-for-like’ will become

critical for policyholders’ financial circumstances.

An EV equipped supply chain

However, it seems this issue is particularly

complex in the area of ‘at fault’ claims. For ‘non

fault’ claims, the policyholder generally receives

a like-for-like EV which the credit hire company

will be able to source in most cases. For ‘at

fault’ claims, however, it seems to be a different

story. In practice, what tends to happen is the

policyholder is provided with whatever vehicle

the bodyshop has available as the insurer tries

to control claims costs. This puts the onus on the

bodyshop to manage the customer’s expectation

and potential dissatisfaction.

For the insurance sector to effectively support

the EV car parc – and manage customer

expectations – it needs to get to a place where,

irrespective of fault, an EV driver receives an EV.

After all, if a policyholder’s vehicle has automatic

transmission, they wouldn’t be offered a manual.

However, a recent study of insurance industry

professionals commissioned by Europcar

revealed that less than half (42%) only offer

a limited selection of EV options for claimants

driving those types of vehicles. More than a third

(37%) noted the biggest challenge to providing

this option was limited availability of EVs from the

replacement vehicle supply chain.

The focus, therefore, needs to shift to ensuring

the supply chain has access to electric vehicles

– cars and vans – as they need them. For many

bodyshop operations, owning a fleet of electric

vehicles alongside ICE models is clearly a big

commitment. However, insurers could put in

place agreements with replacement vehicle

58 | MODERN INSURANCE


providers like Europcar, with a good selection of

electric vehicles to be accessed by body shops

on a case-by-case basis.

GTA is a driver

The other barrier to EV for insurers at the moment

relates to the lack of a specific EV category

within the ABI GTA. At Europcar, we have talked

about this a great deal over the last 12 months,

and appreciate that the CHO is working hard to

resolve the issue.

Having a specific EV category within the

ABI GTA would help to remove some of the

uncertainty around credit hire costs recovery, as

well as claims friction and unnecessary litigation.

It is understandable, however, that adding EV

rates onto the GTA is a current challenge due

to the disparity of EV use across the country.

With greater penetration in the South than the

North, this inevitably creates a supply gap

too. There is currently a greater proportion of

garages and dealerships that can support EV

drivers in the South than the North. This regional

difference means credit hire organisations are

charging insurers different rates, with rural areas

being higher due to limited supply and delivery

distance. The fact that there is no benchmark

within the GTA for EVs means that some CHOs

can charge higher rates with little negotiation.

Supply in a maturing market

Several positive steps are being taken to help

ease the EV demand pressures, including work

on the GTA 2.0 which will look to remove

frictional costs from the process and smooth

relationships between subscribers. However, a

spotlight needs to be put on continuity of service

and how the insurance industry will combat EV

availability issues.

in the recoverability of a claim. However,

regardless of timings, tailored solutions are

needed for the insurance sector to provide

replacement vehicle solutions that are fit for

purpose– particularly as more businesses and

individuals buy into an electric future and won’t

want to be forced back into petrol or diesel

when their vehicle is off the road. Moreover,

an insurer who understands the needs of its EV

customers could create a significant competitive

advantage. For those who don’t, it could become

a critical customer service issue – and certainly

not one that insurers will want to have to fix.

The sector would do well to look outside the

usual sources of vehicles – partnering with a

rental company with a strong national network

and a comprehensive fleet of EVs could help

ease future supply pressures and targets.

Plus, excellent customer care and evolving

service must remain front of mind, with greater

investment made by the aftermarket sector

into the training of dedicated technicians and

handlers for the growing parc of EVs.

Europcar is the supplier of choice for the

insurance sector, providing sustainable

mobility solutions that enhance the

customer experience and support customer

acquisition and retention goals.

To read more about Europcar’s Insurance

solutions visit

www.europcar.co.uk/en-gb/p/business/

insurance

EV inclusion within the GTA would likely

encourage more ‘like-for-like’ replacement

vehicles because there will be a heightened

confidence amongst credit hire organisations

James Roberts,

Head of Insurance Sales,

Europcar Mobility Group UK

MODERN INSURANCE | 59



A Bright Future with

TBRN

TBRN are a unique, property claims management specialist working

alongside Insurers, Managing General Agents, Loss Adjusters,

Solicitors, Third Party Administrators, and Self-Insured entities.

There are two distinct areas of the business. The first works

with (and on behalf of) general insurers and loss adjusters,

dealing with claims for general insurance perils. The second

area of the business handles claims for Third Party Property

Damage following public liability and motor incidents, the

latter geared towards Third Party Administrators, insurers and

self-insured entities.

We also have contractor and surveying networks engaged

with both areas of the business for validation and fulfilment

purposes. Our diverse contractor network, extending beyond

all trades contractors, provides an underwritten 24-month

warranty on all work undertaken.

What We Do

We place Customer Care at the heart of everything we do, with

our Claims Concierge team working closely with customers,

contractors and clients alike. This ensures dedicated ownership

of the claim, with the Concierge working closely with our

Internal Surveying Team who own the technical aspect of every

claim.

We proactively utilise our Intelligent Contractor Allocation

System (acting as a balanced score card), enabling us to

fairly and accurately allocate work based on performance

and capacity whilst allowing us to monitor and measure

performance at the same time.

Our Value Engineering Process incentivises contractors to work

with us to engineer additional value into the claim, such as

working to reduce Alternative Accommodation expenses, or

proposing alternative materials or methods which reduce costs

and achieve our joint goals of managing indemnity spend.

We enjoyed tremendous success in our Third-Party Property

Damage work in 2024, saving over £1 million for our s

elf-insured and Insurer clients. Overall, TBRN dealt with claims

in excess of just over £16 million in value in 2024.

Our People

Our employees are the heart of our business, and we

are dedicated to their growth, wellbeing, and long-term

development. From the moment they join us, our individually

tailored induction programme ensures that they feel supported

and in receipt of the necessary information and knowledge.

We believe that learning never stops, which is why we invest

in ongoing training and professional development whilst

supporting professional qualifications to help our teams reach

their full potential.

Over 77% of our internal surveying/technical claims team hold

Cert CII and/or a relevant building surveying qualification.

Over 75% of our Claims Concierge team have undertaken

the CII Foundation in Insurance Test (or equivalent training/

certification), and we have every faith in those who have signed

up for qualifications so far in 2025.

In 2024, we reinvigorated our Continuous Improvement

Team that continues to play a key role in driving innovation,

enhancing efficiency, and implementing best practice.

Our Social, Charity & Wellbeing Team (Team EPIC) fosters

a positive, inclusive workplace culture, organising activities

that promote mental and physical health, supporting charity

fundraising, and engaging with local communities. The business

also donates charity leave days for staff to work on projects

local to their own areas.

We are also deeply committed to sustainability. Our Green

Team leads initiatives to reduce our environmental impact,

championing eco-friendly practices that align with our values

and corporate responsibility goals. In 2024, we partnered with

Treefo, a Feefo initiative, to plant trees linked to customer

satisfaction surveys. We planted more than 500 trees in 2024

and plan to build on this number in 2025.

Digital Journey

As self-serving technology options appear in our daily lives,

we are embracing the opportunity to focus upon the correct

outcomes, embracing new products and improving processes

to ultimately build the right capabilities and add business value.

In recent years, TBRN has invested heavily in digital

progression, so whilst our people and their skillsets remain key

to what we do, technology must facilitate and enhance their

skills for the benefit of all stakeholders. We believe that for any

claim, having the right people with the right skills is paramount.

Particularly when using the right technology.

We are currently enhancing the various tools that we operate

in terms of their functionality, including additional automation

strategies where that is beneficial. The aim is for us to blend

digital and human capabilities whilst ensuring that our core

objectives and those of our clients and their customers are

maintained.

Customer Service

In January 2025 (and for the second consecutive year), we

were awarded the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award, an

independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses

that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.

The award is unique because it reflects a dedication to

providing outstanding customer service by analysing feedback

from real customers. The award reflects how hard our people

work to listen to our clients and their customers in order to

keep them happy.

As we move into 2025, we will continue to listen to them and

deliver what they want.


Experience service excellence

and maximum for

your vehicles. Experience Copart.

Founded over 40 years ago, we are the global leader in online

vehicle remarketing and recycling. Today we continue to

pioneer the industry, always moving forward.

Global experts in vehicle

remarketing and recycling

Integrated remarketing, engineering & claims

management, green parts and recycling solutions

for the Insurance and Automotive Industry.

Enabling

frictionless business

Our operational excellence

and UK-wide capability,

shifts sale times from

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Add value

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With over 25 value-added services,

we ensure you get the maximum value

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Unmatched returns,

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Our digital-first ethos enables seamless integration

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remarketing.copart.co.uk


Moving

Forward at

Climate change also continues to make our weather unpredictable. Last

year, we saw storms increase in frequency and intensity, with heavier

rainfall and treacherous conditions on the roads caused by snow and

ice, something which is only set to continue.

Therefore, we’ve invested in companywide carbon literacy training to

ensure that our teammates understand the human impact of climate

change, and have achieved the highest accolade of Platinum from the

Carbon Literacy Project.

To date, we have supported over 200 apprentices to learn new

skills, gain industry recognised qualifications, and receive potential

progression opportunities within our business. Not only is this supporting

the ongoing personal development of our teammates, but it is enabling

us to create succession planning for both Copart and the wider

automotive sector.

Here at Copart, we know that maintaining our

position as global leader in online vehicle

remarketing and recycling means continuing

to lead, grow, and deliver.

In the UK, we handle 500,000+ vehicles each year through our patented

online ‘live’ auctions, maximising returns for our customers through

exposure to our global buyer base.

We deliver service excellence and value throughout the total loss

process, and offer the UK’s largest inventory of quality assured green

parts through our Green Parts Specialists brand.

Demand for our services continues to grow, and as the UK car parc and

climate keeps changing, so do we. With 32 locations across the UK and

Ireland, we have the most extensive landbank in the industry - with no

plans to slow down!

This, combined with patented and cutting-edge technology and a 500+

transport fleet, means we can be where our customers need us to be,

more reliably and more quickly than anyone else.

As part of an extensive and ongoing ‘Land & Expand’ strategy, we’ve

been investing heavily in acquiring land and expanding our existing

sites. This strategy is set to continue - enabling growth, providing

capacity for increasing EV volumes, and escalating the reach of our

industry-leading emergency response services.

We’re filling skills gaps and futureproofing our industry with our Driver

Academy programme and engineering apprenticeships, whilst nurturing

future leaders through our Coaching, Team Leader, Supervisor, and

Departmental Manager apprenticeships. We’re keen to be seen as an

‘Employer of Choice’, so we’ll continue to broaden our range of job

opportunities and seek different types of talent as the market evolves.

We remain proud and vigilant to keep equality, diversity and inclusion

central to our workforce, and our Copart Cares strategy lies at the heart

of everything we do. As such, we maintain teams that will deliver the

very best service to our customers.

Moreover, as a major partner to the insurance industry and a significant

number of automotive sector businesses, we remain strongly focused

on sustainability and creating our own ‘eco-system’ of services moving

forward. We’ve taken huge strides with the Green Parts Specialists

area of our business, enabling us to offer the UK’s largest inventory of

affordable quality assured green parts.

This is supported by our Cash for Cars business, which provides a

feed of mainly undamaged vehicles into the green parts network, and

our U-Pull-It sites where ‘end of life’ vehicles are processed to provide

people with the opportunity to pick affordable vehicle parts.

We’ll continue to invest in expanding and improving these

recycling services for our customers. Always looking to the future.

Always anticipating our customers’ needs. Always moving forward.

We also have three new Operation Centres under development at the

moment, which we anticipate being fully operational by 2026. By adding

strategically positioned new locations, we can always be there for our

customers and their policyholders to collect, handle and store vehicles

quickly and efficiently, whatever the situation.

2025 is set to be another year of exciting landbank announcements for

Copart as we set the wheels in motion to complete expansions at our

Operation Centres in Belfast, Castledermot, Chester, Peterlee, Sandtoft,

and Wisbech. And, with sustainability always a priority, the strategic

expansion of our operational network will help to reduce road miles for

our customers, buyers, and transport fleet.

Our continued growth will enable us to house our growing number of

additional services and provide dedicated space for the safe handling

of electric and hybrid vehicles, which have more complex tech, more

potential hazards, and heavier weights than ICE vehicles.

We’re also in the process of upgrading our transport fleet to handle

increased weights, and we’re continuously upskilling our people to

ensure the safe handling, assessment, maintenance and resale of these

specialist vehicles.

Jane Pocock,

CEO, Copart UK & Ireland

But reinvestment into our business, ensuring that we continue

to deliver more for our customers, is also about our people. The

continued success and growth of our business in line with customer

demand means that we're always actively recruiting the right people

in the right places. We have many initiatives in place to proactively

futureproof our talent pipeline, such as our Driver Academy and Copart

Apprenticeships, where we offer a wide (and growing) range of both

operational and corporate pathways - including engineering, finance,

marketing, and more.

MODERN INSURANCE | 63


ONE TEAM,

ONE AIM

BE THE

BEST

CONTACT US

0141 280 9521

info@aimbms.com


AIM BMS: LEADING

THE WAY IN INSURANCE

REPAIR AND RESTORATION

SERVICES

At AIM Building & Maintenance Services (AIM BMS), we take pride in being a trusted partner for insurance

claims across Scotland. With decades of industry experience and a commitment to excellence, AIM BMS is

setting new standards in insurance repair and restoration services, delivering professionalism, quality, and

customer care.

Why Choose AIM BMS?

AIM BMS offers a comprehensive approach to

insurance-related property repairs, making us the

preferred choice for insurers and homeowners. Here’s

what sets us apart:

1. Nationwide Coverage Across Scotland

Our wide-reaching coverage ensures we can assist

with claims anywhere in Scotland, making us the ideal

partner for nationwide claims.

2. Industry-Leading Expertise

With years of experience working alongside major

insurers, our leadership team brings invaluable insights

to effectively manage claims and deliver top-tier results.

3. Specialist Expertise for Complex Claims

AIM BMS is equipped to handle even the most complex

claims, from subsidence to major property damage. Our

network of structural engineers, quantity surveyors and

other professionals ensures every project meets the

highest standards.

4. Customer-Focused Service

Our dedicated claims advisors, trained in customer care,

provide clear communication and exceptional support

throughout the entire claims process, ensuring peace of

mind for every client.

Leadership Driving Excellence: Our Core Expertise

AIM BMS’s success is driven by our leadership team,

whose industry knowledge and experience ensures the

highest levels of professionalism and efficiency in every

project.

AIM BMS specialises in a range of insurance-related

property claims, including:

1. Subsidence Claims

We manage subsidence claims with the support of

structural engineers, providing detailed assessments

and long-term solutions for property stability.

2. Flood and Fire Restoration

From initial assessments to full reinstatement, we

expertly handle flood and fire damage restoration,

ensuring the property is returned to its original

condition.

3. Complete Property Reinstatement

Whether minor repairs or major damage, we offer

end-to-end restoration, providing insurers and

homeowners with full confidence in the process.

A Customer-Centric Approach

We understand the stress property damage causes

homeowners. That’s why our claims advisors focus

on guiding clients with empathy and transparency,

ensuring they are fully supported throughout the

process.

BDMA Certification – A Mark of Excellence

Our BDMA certification reflects our commitment to

industry-leading standards in disaster recovery and

restoration, ensuring insurers and property owners can

trust us for high-quality results.

What Makes AIM BMS Stand Out?

Key differentiators include:

Scotland-Wide Coverage: No claim is too remote for

our team.

Expert Leadership: Our leadership brings unmatched

industry expertise and professionalism.

Specialist Support: Our network of professionals

ensures we can handle complex claims with confidence.

Customer Care Excellence: We prioritise client

satisfaction through our transparent and compassionate

service.

Our Vision for the Future

AIM BMS is dedicated to becoming Scotland’s leading

provider of insurance repair services. By combining

technical expertise with exceptional customer care, we

aim to set a new benchmark for quality and reliability in

the insurance claims sector.

Whether you need minor repairs or full restoration, AIM

BMS delivers reliable solutions that provide peace of

mind.

MODERN INSURANCE | 65


NEW YORK | UNITED STATES

JUNE 4-5, 2025

USA’S LEADING INSURTECH CONFERENCE

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minutes with...

Ernesto Suarez

CEO, Gigasure

What’s your most memorable career achievement?

Q

Creating innovative insurance products that truly benefit

consumers has been one of the most rewarding aspects

Aof my career. Insurance should always be designed with

the end user in mind. Historically, the industry has been slow

to adapt to changing consumer needs, but advancements in

technology and better data insights are driving meaningful

change.

A pivotal moment for me was launching Halo in 2009 – bringing

an insurance product to market that challenged the status quo

was something I’m incredibly proud of. We took the same bold

approach last summer with the launch of Gigasure. Our goal is to

transform insurance from something you buy and forget about

to something that creates a more engaging experience. We’re

redefining insurance at Gigasure, and want to offer customers

something that travels with them. Just as companies like Nutmeg

and Revolut have revolutionised banking, we want to do the

same for insurance.

What has been the most valuable piece of advice

you’ve received?

Q

Early on in my career, I was told the best investment

you can make is in your team. If you want to develop

Ainnovative market-leading products, building a smart,

talented, diverse and creative team is the best way to do it!

So, we spent a lot of time finding the right people when we

launched Gigasure, and it’s the best investment we could’ve

made. From tech to marketing, getting the right team in place

was critical. We weren’t just looking for skills; we sought out

passion, drive, and a shared vision for doing things better. It’s this

collective ambition that will take us where we want to go!

What has been the key positive and/or negative impact

of change in your area of the market?

Q

Technology is, without a doubt, the biggest and most

transformative force in the insurance industry. Historically,

Ainsurers have been slow to embrace technological

advancements—perhaps because insurance has always been

a necessity, reducing the urgency for innovation. But today,

technology allows us to streamline the entire experience, making

insurance easier to navigate and far more personalised through

the power of data.

With more choices than ever, customers expect more from

their insurers. Therefore, we have to constantly look for ways

to make our policies appealing. With Gigasure, we’re doing this

through our ‘surprise and delight’ benefits. We invested time

and resource into developing our app, which offers customers

game-changing benefits they won’t find elsewhere. For example,

through GigaShield (and in a first for UK insurance), we offer

real-time parametric flight and luggage delay benefits, meaning

customers who have registered their details get instant payouts

in the event of a delay.

Customisable policies mean that customers can tailor a policy

that works for them, not the other way around. They only pay

for what they need, when they need it, which also gives greater

value for money. Our backpacker insurance comes with search

and rescue cover in case of emergency, along with the option

to return to base while travelling. At Gigasure, we’re not just

providing insurance — we’re creating policies that truly benefit

our customers.

If you were not in your current position, what would you

like to be doing, and why?

Q

I can’t imagine doing anything other than insurance. I’m

passionate about creating insurance products that put the

Acustomer at the forefront, and I’ve been fortunate to do

just that in various ways throughout my career. This is an area of

insurance that’s only just getting started, and I’m excited about

the possibilities for the future.

At Gigasure, we’ve embraced the power of parametrics to offer

customers more. We can use AI to measure risk differently, for

example, such as storm and extreme weather tracking. In the

future, we’ll also be using biometrics to complete ID checks

and reduce fraudulent claims while streamlining the experience

for customers. With so much innovation at our fingertips, the

insurance sector is moving forwards quickly, and I’m excited to

be part of it.

What three items would you put on display in a

museum of your life, and why?

Q

My running shoes! I’m currently training for the Sydney

Marathon, which will be the seventh major marathon I’ve

A completed. Travel photobooks would also have to be a

part of it - I’m passionate about exploring the world and have

been fortunate enough to visit some incredible places. Lastly, of

course, my LEGO Car collection would have a special place in the

museum!

What three guests would you invite to a dinner party?

Q

My family. It’ll come as no surprise that travelling is a big

passion of mine, and being able to enjoy new experiences

A with my children gives me the greatest joy. We’ll be

sat together planning our next adventure at the dinner party!

As my children get older, they want to do more adventurous,

adrenalin-seeking holidays, which I’m really enjoying! I also love

experiencing new cultures. There’s a whole world to explore out

there and I’m here for it – with the right insurance, of course!

Ernesto Suarez ,

CEO, Gigasure

MODERN INSURANCE | 67


INSUR.

TECH.

TALK


INSURTECH

WELCOME

Greetings, and welcome

to Insur.Tech.Talk!

Greetings, dear readers,

Welcome to a very special issue of Insur.Tech.Talk, all about Climate Risk and

Resilience.

The world continues to be rocked by extreme climate events. No one could

have imagined the wind patterns of Hurricane Helene could have hit the

mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina so hard, rendering many

homeless. The apocalyptic wildfires of Los Angeles leave more questions

than answers on how this could have happened, and what can be done in the

future to save lives and structures. We are at a critical juncture globally, and

it will take tremendous innovation and cross sector partnerships to tackle

climate risks head on. It was an honor to put this issue together and interview

the brightest minds leading the charge.

Francis Bouchard, Managing Director of Climate, Marsh McLennan challenges

the insurance industry with his frequent phrase, “it is time to lead”. When

asked to elaborate, Francis shares that there are countless opportunities for

our sector to apply its massive capabilities; no sector is better positioned to

fill it than the insurance sector.

Nakita Devlin of insurtech start-up, Ric, walks us through her novel and

affordable parametric insurance product that employers can incorporate as

an employee benefit when confronted with a catastrophic weather event,

enabling them to get on their feet faster.

We hear from the Founder and CEO of Tomorrow.io, Shimon Elkabetz,

on its proprietary satellite data, including its expansion into microwave

sounders enabling insurance companies to improve risk modeling, provide

early warnings, and optimize claims handling. Insurers can proactively alert

policy holders, adjust coverage strategies, and better manage catastrophic

events. This is cutting edge technology and it is no wonder Tomorrow.io was

recently named among Time Magazine’s 100 most innovative companies.

Steve Bennett, Chief Scientist of The Demex Group underscores the need for

cross-sector partnerships, in particular the integration of science, finance, and

technology. He expands on the fact that more collaboration between weather

and climate scientists, financial institutions, universities, and technology

companies is needed to improve our understanding and skills in modeling.

You will see these leaders and more at a groundbreaking new conference we

have created for the insurance industry: ClimateTech Connect, April 15th-16th,

Washington DC. Here, we will focus on climate resilience for the insurance

industry, and as a valued reader of Insur.Tech.Talk, we invite you to attend with

a special 20% discount using the code: CTC20.

Hope to see you in April!

Megan

Megan Kuczynski,

Senior Strategic Advisor, Insurtech Insights

Founder & CEO, ClimateTech Connect

MODERN INSURANCE | 69


INSURTECH

Tomorrow.io

QShimon, how is the weather forecasting industry

primed for the type of disruption and innovation that

Tomorrow.io brings?

AThe weather forecasting industry has been stagnant

for decades, relying on outdated infrastructure and

inconsistent data. It needed disruption! By launching our

own constellation of weather satellites and integrating that data

into AI-powered models, we’ve built a system that does not just

predict the weather but guides decision-making in real time. The

innovation we bring fills a gap by making weather intelligence

actionable, scalable, and accessible for industries ranging from

aviation to logistics, energy, and beyond.

QThe frequency and severity of extreme weather

events in recent years underscores the importance of

climate resilience across all businesses, organizations,

and governments. Can you expand on why it is even more

important for insurance carriers to leverage Tomorrow.io’s

groundbreaking satellite technology? And how will Tomorrow.

io’s work with insurance companies enhance the entire value

chain of resiliency?

AExtreme weather is now an everyday business threat. For

insurance carriers, this is a paradigm shift. Insurers face

mounting claims due to severe weather-related events like

floods, hail, and hurricanes. Traditional weather models lack the

granularity and real-time precision needed to mitigate these risks

effectively.

Tomorrow.io’s proprietary satellite data, including our recent

expansion into microwave sounders, is a game-changer. It

enables insurance companies to improve risk modeling, provide

early warnings, and optimize claims handling. With 2.5km global

resolution and updates every 5 minutes, insurers can proactively

alert policyholders, adjust coverage strategies, and better

manage catastrophic events. We’re helping insurers move from

reactive to proactive, ensuring they can protect their portfolios

and help build climate-resilient communities.

QIn 2023, Tomorrow.io launched the first commercially

built weather radar satellites, and expanded its reach

in 2024 to include tremendously successful microwave

sounder technology. As Tomorrow.io continues to collect its

own data, which advances do you think will leverage AI in

future?

AWith the convergence of AI and proprietary satellite

data, the possibilities for advancement are immense.

The future isn’t just about predicting weather—it’s about

continuously adapting and optimizing decisions based on realtime

feedback loops. As we collect terabytes of data from our

satellite constellation, AI will play a crucial role in refining forecast

accuracy, uncovering new patterns, and automating decisionmaking

processes for industries.

One key area of advancement is adaptive forecasting, where

AI models dynamically update based on evolving weather

conditions, allowing for instant course corrections. We’re also

working on predictive maintenance for infrastructure, where

machine learning models can anticipate damage from extreme

weather and provide mitigation strategies in advance. AI will

also enable hyper-local forecasting at street level, further

personalizing insights for specific industries, from farming to

energy grids.

QBack in January, Tomorrow.io announced a

groundbreaking advancement in global precipitation

forecasting: the NextGen platform, powered by

proprietary satellite data, which now delivers global coverage

with 2.5 km resolution updated every 5 minutes. How will this

change things for P&C insurers in mitigating risk, particularly

since secondary perils like hail are growing in frequency and

severity?

AThe key to reducing loss ratios in the insurance industry lies

in prevention rather than reaction. Our NextGen platform

provides insurers with the ability to deliver real-time, hyperlocal

insights directly to policyholders, allowing them to take

preventive action before damage occurs. With hail, for example—a

major driver of rising claims—our 5-minute global updates with

2.5 km resolution can give both individual and commercial

policyholders enough time to safeguard their assets.

For an individual policyholder, this could mean moving their car

under cover or securing outdoor property, significantly reducing

the likelihood of damage. For a commercial policyholder, this

could involve halting production on a vulnerable construction site,

protecting heavy machinery, or alerting on-the-ground teams to

implement emergency protocols.

By reducing the frequency and severity of weather-related claims,

insurers can see substantial improvements in their loss ratios.

The reduction in payouts, combined with improved customer

satisfaction from proactive support, transforms insurance from

being a reactive claims process to a partnership built on proactive

risk mitigation. Ultimately, this not only benefits insurers financially

but also strengthens long-term policyholder retention and loyalty.

QWhat is your vision for Tomorrow.io for the next 3 to 5

years?

AOur mission is to build the world’s most powerful,

actionable weather intelligence system and make it

indispensable for every industry on the planet. Over

the next 3 to 5 years, we aim to continue scaling our satellite

constellation to provide near-instant global weather coverage,

expanding our AI-driven capabilities to new markets and

deepening our impact in sectors like insurance, energy, aviation,

and defense.

We’re also committed to tackling long-term climate resilience by

helping organizations adapt proactively rather than reactively.

Whether it’s optimizing supply chains during extreme weather

or safeguarding critical infrastructure, we want Tomorrow.io to

be synonymous with smart

decision-making in the

face of uncertainty. As we

grow, partnerships with

organizations focused on

sustainability and global

development will be a key

focus, ensuring that our

innovations leave a lasting

positive impact on both

businesses and society at

large.

Shimon Elkabetz

CEO and Co-Founder, Tomorrow.io

70 | MODERN INSURANCE


INSURTECH

Marsh McClennan

QFrancis, so great to catch up with you recently! We

are honored to have you on the ClimateTech Connect

Advisory Council, and look forward to seeing you on

stage at the inaugural event this April 15-16th in Washington

DC.

You have had an illustrative career as Group Head of Public

Affairs & Sustainability for Zurich Insurance Group, and now as

Managing Director, Climate, for Marsh McLennan. Why is this

such a critical time for cross-sector partnerships between the

public and private sectors as it relates to climate resilience?

AIt’s important because neither sector can address the

urgency or scale alone. Look at what insurers did when

electricity was deployed at scale: we established a

new institution that focused on risk standardization, not risk

transfer. We seem reluctant to do that with climate risks for a

variety of political reasons, which is why partnering with trusted

community voices and government finance experts could unlock

new approaches to retaining sustainable insurance markets.

QI’ve heard you say “it is time to lead” many times now!

What immediate actions should insurers be taking

together with other sectors as it relates to climate

resilience and adaptation?

AThe meaning behind this is twofold; firstly, that there are

countless opportunities for our sector to apply its massive

capabilities; and secondly, that a leadership vacuum exists

and no sector is better positioned to fill it than we are!

QSo much innovation is being born out of academia

and research institutions. Can you share more with our

readers about your role as Climate Leader in Residence

for the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and

Sustainability at Duke University?

AThe year at Duke was eye-opening on so many levels,

but let me highlight two. First of all, I was impressed, if

not shocked, at the amount of sincere interest there was

in the role insurers play in the climate issue. At one point, I think

I had a portfolio of around 10 collaborative projects, and while

that list got culled down to the urgent and feasible, it illustrated

just how much open field there was to pursue new ideas and

approaches.

The first is actually old tech, meaning the use of nature-based

solutions to manage flood and other risks to downstream

communities. This is the ultimate system-level approach, and we’re

seeing more and more communities pursuing grants for mangrove,

wetland and reforestation projects that create direct and welldocumented

resilience benefits. However, insurers struggle to

reflect those benefits in their pricing. We need to find ways to

capture and monetize that resilience dividend, thereby creating

the economic forces to drive more investments in nature-based

solutions.

The second is very much new tech, namely the use of drones

to conduct both wildfire monitoring and suppression activities.

The XPrize is pursuing precisely such an approach, and I was

fortunate enough to join their summit last fall where over 20

teams presented their initial submissions. Fascinating! One

large company knee-deep in wildfire issues is actually piloting

the technology this summer, in the hopes of accelerating the

deployment of this approach across its operations.

The final form of innovation we need to pursue is a rather dramatic

expansion of our how we define and address the ‘protection

gap’. Today, we use a simplistic macro-level calculation of overall

economic losses minus those that were insured. However, there

is so much more injustice hiding in the shadows of that gap

than high-level GDP-like figures can capture, such as the socioeconomic

distribution of those losses, the long-term erosion of

community services, and the series of local planning decisions that

systematically increase the economic loss input.

But simply getting the math more precise won’t change a single

life. Instead, the industry needs to develop and deploy new

distribution and risk management models that fill gaps, target the

chronically un-or-underinsured, and align a community’s interests

around a common resilience strategy.

Community-based catastrophe insurance is one approach to

achieving all three. Its precision in targeting particular segments

of at-risk communities - coupled with the administrative simplicity

of a parametric structure - makes it a powerful tool to not only

deploy new risk management strategies, but also to shed light on

what’s lurking at the bottom of that gap.

Second, there’s so much more value to be co-created with

academia if just we coordinated our work better. We don’t invest

much in R&D as an industry; to then spread a small amount

of money across a large number of institutions ensures that

we’ll never achieve a fully aligned scalable approach to climate

resilience.

QWhat are some of the most promising new and

emerging technologies you are seeing enter the market

for climate resilience and adaptation?

AI certainly don’t know them all, which is why I’m looking

forward to the April conference. But I would highlight

three very different approaches, all of which need to be

pursued fully.

Francis Bouchard

Managing Director, Climate,

Marsh McClennan

MODERN INSURANCE | 71



INSURTECH

Ric

QNakita, congratulations on being named a RISE

Resilience winner! Parametric insurance has been

in the spotlight recently, particularly in climate

resilience circles. Can you share how your background as a

broker and in corporate innovation has helped you to see a

problem that Ric could solve?

AIn my broker days, I worked with organizations

regularly exposed to catastrophic loss. But unlike

the general public, they had access to insurance

products that offered fiscal flexibility following an incident.

This highlighted an unmet need in the market that could be

solved using technology and parametric insurance structures,

ultimately helping to drive Ric’s creation.

When I met my Co-Founder while working at a startup, both

of us were house hunting, and our conversations kept shifting

to the lack of good catastrophe coverage available. This got

us talking about alternative insurance options and how they

could be made publicly accessible.

With our shared expertise, passion for the catastrophe space

and collective insurtech experience, we felt uniquely suited to

create novel solutions that could address the pain points of

property owners like us. From there, the first Ric product idea

was born.

QThe past six months have been difficult in the United

States, especially since the catastrophic hurricane

season and the wildfires in Los Angeles. Ric’s rainfall

flood solution offers a payout of $10,000 immediately upon

the defined policy trigger. Policyholders can use the funds

for lodging, missed wages, and other essentials. When will

the product be on the market? Will Ric focus on other perils

as well?

AOur rainfall flood product is slated to go live later this

year. But we’re not only focusing on flood; it’s not

enough to offer a single peril solution. Catastrophes

like extreme heat and extreme rainfall are intrinsically linked,

so fortifying a community or workforce against climate

change-driven risks requires addressing both needs. After

our flood product launches, we’ll focus on launching our

heat product next, continuing to work with employers to

offer parametric climate-related catastrophe insurance as an

employee benefit.

The changing climate is one of the biggest threats to

our communities and economies today, but very few

organizations have implemented proactive, cost-effective

strategies to protect employees from its impacts. By

incorporating catastrophe insurance into an employee

benefits plan, employers can demonstrate their commitment

to their employees and help them get back on their feet - and

back into the office - sooner.

We also plan to offer the product directly to consumers

through community-based and utility-based programs.

QCan you share your thoughts on how parametric

insurance fits into the broader climate solutions

ecosystem, and the importance of communitybased

resilience, especially as it relates to underserved

communities?

AMost of the insurance solutions available today focus

on replacing lost assets in the long-term, instead of

considering short-term needs. Our affordable micro

parametric insurance products are designed to directly infuse

liquidity into communities after a disaster, fostering a more

comprehensive recovery framework. This flexible capital

is especially important for underserved communities, who

often can’t wait weeks or months after a disaster to receive

insurance payouts.

Consumers are aware of the risks that extreme weather can

pose to their physical assets, but they just don’t have access

to affordable insurance options to address them. That’s where

micro parametric insurance products can help. The smaller

premiums mean they’re more affordable, and the specific

trigger point for each product eliminates ambiguity about

whether funds will disburse.

QWhat is your vision for Ric over the next 3-5 years?

AOur vision for Ric is to continue working with

communities and employers across the country to

provide essential, accessible and affordable climaterelated

insurance products that enable their constituents to

quickly recover after a disaster.

QHow did you come up with the name ‘Ric’?

AWe chose this name because it captures the essence

of what we aim to be—a reliable friend you can turn

to in times of need. The name comes from the last

three letters of ‘Parametric’, reflecting our commitment to

simplicity and clarity in our solutions. More importantly, after

a disaster, people seek comfort in human connections rather

than impersonal entities. By adopting a name that sounds

personal and familiar, we strive to embody that sense of trust

and support sought by our policyholders during tough times.

QExtreme climate events are rising in frequency

and severity, so all businesses need to be climate

resilient. Your solution helps get people back

on their feet more quickly, and back to the workforce

faster. You mentioned a novel concept of companies

including Ric as an employee benefit. Can you share more

about this? Will you also be selling directly to consumers?

AOffering insurance as an employee benefit isn’t

new; we already see that today with health and life

insurance. But offering catastrophe insurance as an

employee benefit isn’t something you typically see.

Nakita Devlin

Founder & CEO, Ric

MODERN INSURANCE | 73


INSURTECH

Demex

QSteve, with your extensive career in climate science

and business strategy, how is Demex, as a tech-enabled

MGA, addressing the insurance gap for high-frequency

climate events like heat waves, droughts, and storms—risks often

overlooked by traditional catastrophic coverage?

AClimate continues to have an increasing effect on the

sustainability of the insurance landscape. Demex is addressing

the largest insured loss problem in the insurance industry:

the accumulation of insurance claims from secondary weather perils.

As Aon recently reported, ‘severe convective storm insured losses

totalled $61 billion last year, making it the costliest peril for insurers’.

In the United States, insured losses from severe convective storms

have escalated by approximately 8% per year since 2008.

The past 18 months have seen a dramatic increase in insurance

company downgrades, with four becoming insolvent and the

majority citing climate related issues. Meanwhile, reinsurers continue

to avoid offering reinsurance in the secondary perils space due to

unprofitability.

Demex has re-opened the market for aggregate reinsurance by

addressing the risk management and affordability needs of insurers,

and the profitability needs of reinsurers.

QWe’re in an age where all businesses need to be climate

resilient. How does Demex’s Retained Climate Risk

Reinsurance (RCR Re) product provide financial stability

for its customers in the face of high-frequency extreme weather

events?

AIn 2023, Demex created Retained Climate Risk Reinsurance

(RCR Re), a parametric stop-loss reinsurance product that

attaches below traditional catastrophe programs to cover

their retained aggregate attritional natural peril risk.

The solution enables insurers to remain in business, allowing

reinsurers to create a profitable new way to write more premium

within their risk appetite.

The experiential model utilizes multiple decades of global, hourly

weather data, collected for hundreds of weather variables and

measured at granular resolution. It also provides the physical

basis for modelling aggregate attritional natural peril risk (unlike

catastrophe models that model infrequent catastrophes) using

first-party data from insurance carriers, not available to traditional

models.

Climate change is increasing economic strain on communities,

businesses, and insurers.

Stakeholders must collaborate across disciplines to develop more

effective, scalable solutions that address climate-driven financial

resilience.

The insurance industry must evolve to better manage risks associated

with high-frequency, high-cost weather events like severe convective

storms, where traditional reinsurance mechanisms aren’t sufficient to

address the market’s need.

QClimate resiliency is something that no single industry can

solve on its own. Looking through both your scientific and

business lens, how do you see cross-sector partnerships

evolving to advance climate risk mitigation, resilience and

adaptation?

AClimate resiliency requires a coordinated effort across

industries because no single sector has all the necessary tools,

data, or financial mechanisms. I see cross-sector partnerships

evolving in three ways:

1. Integration of Science, Finance, and Technology. More collaboration

is needed between weather and climate scientists, financial

institutions, universities and technology companies to improve our

understanding and skill in modelling. My work at Demex, for example,

is about leveraging advanced modeling that links severe convective

storms and financial resilience solutions for insurance companies—

something that wouldn’t be possible without partnerships across

sectors.

2. Bridging the Gap Between Public and Private Sectors. Publicprivate

partnerships are expanding beyond traditional infrastructure

projects to include financial instruments. Resilience is no longer just

about physical adaptation—it’s also about economic sustainability.

3. Shifting from Risk Awareness to Proactive Risk Management.

Large corporations are integrating climate risk into financial planning,

working with scientists, meteorologists, insurers, and policymakers

to quantify and mitigate long-term exposure. Climate resilience can’t

just be an afterthought; it has to be baked into corporate strategy,

investment decisions, and policy frameworks from the start.

The challenge lies in ensuring these solutions are accessible to all

stakeholders, so that climate resilience becomes a competitive

advantage rather than just a cost of doing business.

Importantly, Demex is not trying to predict the weather, but is

focused on predicting insured losses.

QSteve, congratulations on your election to the AMS

Governing Council! Can you share your vision for the recent

New Orleans Forum on Climate-Linked Economies and key

takeaways for the insurance and financial sectors?

AThe forum explored various factors around the economic

implications of changes in the weather driven by climate

change, and the financial mechanisms required to address

them.

We had a diverse group of 100 professionals come together for the

event, including meteorologists, economists, insurance experts and

policymakers. I had three key takeaways:

Steven Bennet

Chief Science Officer, Demex

74 | MODERN INSURANCE


Green Shield

Risk Solutions

INSURTECH

Q

Pat, it was so great to catch up with you recently! You

have an extraordinary background in the

insurance industry; as former CEO of Tokio Marine

Highland, you grew the business from $170 million to $450

million GWP, while significantly improving the company’s

underwriting profitability.

At a broader level, having been in the industry for a while, you

observed the lack of transparency when a policy or renewal

was denied. Can you expand upon the transparency issue for

our readers and how Green Shield Risk Solutions solves for

this, empowering the property owner with deeper analytics to

improve their risk profile?

The recent wildfires in California have once

again highlighted the deep frustration many homeowners

Afeel when they are suddenly dropped by their insurer,

denied a renewal, or hit with massive premium hikes — often

with no explanation.

At Tokio Marine Highland, I was a strong advocate for digital

transformation, pushing for automation where it made

sense most. But I also saw the downside — when taken too

far, the insurance process becomes a black box. Lost in all the

automation is providing some degree of transparency to the

consumer. Homeowners are left in the dark, brokers struggle to

provide answers, and policies are either declined or priced skyhigh

without clear reasoning.

At Green Shield, our mission is to make the world more insurable,

and it’s really twofold. First, we want to make more properties

insurable by offering data-driven insights that lead to better

underwriting decisions. Second, we want to bring transparency

to risk assessment by clearly identifying what is impacting

eligibility and pricing — and, most importantly, what homeowners

can do to improve their risk profile.

We’re working toward a future where policyholders

receive actionable steps to lower their risk and qualify for better

rates — because insurance shouldn’t just be about exclusion,

but empowerment. That’s where I feel like the industry needs to

go.

How do you see underwriting evolving with deeper

analytics and tools?

Q

A

Today, wildfire underwriting is overwhelmingly based

on probabilistic models — around 90% or more of the

industry relies on them. These models assign risk at

a regional level, assessing the likelihood of an area experiencing a

wildfire, but they often ignore the individual property itself.

This results in broad-stroke underwriting, where entire

communities are deemed uninsurable without considering

parcel-specific risk factors like defensible space, fuel loads, or

structural mitigation efforts.

At Green Shield, we take a different approach — bringing risk

mitigation into the underwriting process itself.

Risk mitigation recommendations - instead of just rejecting

coverage, we help property owners understand how to reduce risk

and improve insurability.

Underwriting must move beyond ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decisions based

on static models, offering a dynamic process instead where

mitigation becomes part of the equation. The future of insurance

is one where policyholders are active participants in risk

management, not just recipients of underwriting decisions.

Q

A

I know the current Green Shield product set is focused

on wildfire risk, which is critical and timely given

the devastation we are all bearing witness to in Los

Angeles. Will Green Shield be expanding to other perils?

Wildfire is front and center right now, and for good reason.

We’ve spent the last several years developing tools that

address an acute need in the market, but our long-term

vision goes beyond just this peril. If you look at the largest drivers

of insured losses over the past five years, for example, severe

convective storms (hail and tornadoes) have dominated. These

events are increasing in both frequency and severity, making them

a natural next step for us.

But similarly, look at flood and hurricane. You witness the

devastation seen in Ashville earlier this year, and it reinforces the

need for better flood risk modeling. You can also consider drought

and earthquake through the same lens. While earthquake isn’t

weather-driven, it presents another area where deeper analytics

can improve risk assessment.

Our goal is to bring to these other perils the same transparency

and mitigation-driven approach that we’ve pioneered in wildfire —

ensuring insurers, brokers, and homeowners can make informed

decisions that reduce risk and improve insurability.

Pat, what’s the vision for the company over the next 3-5

years?

Q

In five years, I want Property Guardian to be the goto

platform for analyzing all major weather-related

Aperils. We want to be the company that brought true

risk transparency to both the insurance industry and the end

consumer — bridging the gap between analytics, mitigation, and

insurability.

From an MGA perspective, our vision is to pair best-in-class

analytics with innovative insurance solutions, ensuring that more

homeowners have

access to fair and

sustainable coverage

options. We’re not just

building better models

— we’re redefining

how risk is understood,

communicated, and acted

upon.

Our analytics dive deeper into:

Parcel-level characteristics - not just where a home is, but factors

like defensible space and how the landscape is maintained.

Structure-specific vulnerabilities - factors like how the property

is built, building materials, and roof, siding and window type.

We really focus on the ability to keep embers outside of the

structure.

Pat Blandford

CEO, Green Shield Risk Solutions

MODERN INSURANCE | 75



INSURTECH

EDITORIAL

BOARD

WELCOME to the Insur.Tech.Talk

Editorial Board.

Modern Insurance Magazine’s board of insurtech experts come together once again in this

latest issue, showcasing the very best thought leadership insights from the heart of the

insurtech marketplace.

This issue voices the thoughts of...

Rich Tomlinson,

Managing Director, Percayso

Inform

Ron Rock,

Managing Director – Financial

Services, JobsOhio

Manjit Rana,

EVP Insurance, UK, EMEA &

APAC, Clearspeed

Gavin Peters,

Chief Growth Officer,

Genasys

Rick de Jager,

Head of Business

Development, MavenBlue

Andy Cohen,

President, Snapsheet

Denise Garth,

Chief Strategy Officer,

Majesco

Andy Watts,

Business Development

Director (EMEA), INSTANDA

MODERN INSURANCE | 77


INSURTECH

Digitising with

Confidence

Rich Tomlinson

Managing Director, Percayso Inform

Modern insurance providers understand the

need to digitise if they are going to interact

effectively with customers across their

preferred channels.

Done well, this delivers a great customer experience

whilst reducing servicing costs – a compelling

proposition at a time of rising claims severity

and frequency, which has resulted in significantly

increased costs and squeezed profit margins.

Done badly – and without the right combination of

technology, data, processes and people – providers

are exposing themselves to bad business, whether

through fraud or through customers presenting a

slightly different picture to their real risk profile. Just

like water, bad business flows through the path of

least resistance, and in this instance, that’s through

comparison sites and quote platforms, eventually

reaching providers who don’t have the right

defences and checks in place.

Given the cost-of-living crisis and the increasing

strain on household budgets (as evidenced by the

57% surge in calls from people worried about debt,

experienced by the UK’s National Debtline in January

2025), providers must be alive to the fact that they

could well see an increase in fraudulent activity by

customers desperately finding ways to get a cheaper

price.

To prevent that bad business flooding in, providers

need to truly know their customer.

While certain levels of data enrichment have become

standard practice, it is now an arms race where

providers who embrace more sophisticated data

enrichment and intelligence strategies are better

placed to shore up their defences, in comparison to

those with only the basics in place.

into previous claims and fraud history, policy and

quote information. And using the latest technology,

alongside a leading orchestration platform to

utilise all of those aspects in combination, is what

will deliver real competitive advantage and better

business.

When it comes to assessing a risk, the results that

any intelligence strategy can deliver are only as good

as how the data is captured, analysed and deployed.

Utilising quote intelligence that uses AI, machine

learning, fuzzy matching techniques and

sophisticated orchestration across many datasets

(including quotes) will enable providers to spot

any manipulation in real-time, assess its severity,

and apply an optimised strategy. This will facilitate

sharper pricing decisions, better customer

acquisition, and improve loss ratios.

Put simply, those providers who understand more

about the customers they’re dealing with will have a

significant competitive advantage when it comes to

winning better business.

And given the cost of customer acquisition, retaining

existing customers is just as important as winning the

good business. Being able to access data insight that

dynamically predicts consumer behaviour to identify

those most likely to cancel mid-term is an invaluable

asset to any book of business, as more customers

seek to spread the cost of their insurance as the costof-living

crisis bites even deeper.

However, rather than rushing to embrace emerging

technologies and data analysis techniques to

streamline processes and improve profit margins,

providers must ensure they digitise with confidence.

Any chink will let bad business through.

The cornerstone of a provider’s flood defence

lies in having access to the most comprehensive

data on the risks they write – whether vehicles,

properties or businesses – as well as deep insight

78 | MODERN INSURANCE


INSURTECH

Shaking the Right Trees: How

JobsOhio is Driving Financial

Services Innovation and Growth

The financial services industry is flush with opportunities to adopt technology and pursue

efficiencies. Perhaps no other industry in the 21st century economy is better positioned to take

advantage of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity tools, and risk assessment innovation than

banking and insurance.

The industry behooves companies to assess their

strategies for 2025 and beyond to determine how best

to drive their businesses forward, whether to build within,

partner, or buy. This opportunity will drive significant

investment in people, products, or both, that will become

necessary for companies to support innovation. What will

drive top-line growth? What will streamline the business

to drive bottom-line growth? Could it be a combination

of both?

This opportunity and challenge is clear in Ohio, one of

the nation’s top financial services sectors and home to

a thriving innovation ecosystem that is driving change

across the industry. As an economic development

organization, JobsOhio must also refine our strategy to

ensure we support company growth in the most optimal

way. As JobsOhio’s designated leader in this sector, how

can I reach those growing prospects using the proper

channels? In other words, am I shaking the right trees?

When I build the strategy for the financial services

sector, I still build it around selling a product. That

product happens to be a state. Ohio has the fourthlargest

financial services economy in the United States,

so it is my job to make that more widely known, not

just domestically but also internationally. We have

several large and medium-sized banks and insurance

companies. How can I attract new businesses to our

strong ecosystem? I cannot necessarily “sell” Ohio to all

insurtechs or fintechs because not everyone is ready to

expand beyond their current market.

What is the takeaway? In order to be in lockstep with the

companies looking to grow, JobsOhio must be equipped

with the tools necessary to shake the right trees.

We’re looking at data analytics platforms, and we are

strategizing in AI, just like the financial services industry

is doing. On top of that, we are moving forward with our

core efforts by working with strong partners to highlight

what Ohio can offer so companies’ growth pursuits are

successful. I will be eager to see what 2025 brings for the

insurance industry.

JobsOhio’s business model differs from the companies

that are pursuing top-line or bottom-line growth. Our

version of “sales” is to engage with a company that is

considering creating jobs or investing capital. Our goal

is to show companies how they can grow and thrive in

Ohio’s diverse, healthy, and forward-looking economy.

We do not require payment from these companies; in

fact, the reverse is true. JobsOhio encourages growth in

our state through thoughtful financial assistance and the

expertise of industry leaders.

Ron Rock

Managing Director - Financial Services,

JobsOhio

MODERN INSURANCE | 79



INSURTECH

Driving Profitability

Doesn’t Cost Millions

It’s no surprise that the focus of McKinsey’s 2025 Global Insurance Report is on finding

profitable growth for P&C insurers. In a time of rising premiums, economic volatility and waning

consumer trust (and therefore, loyalty), it’s crucial that insurers hone their transformation efforts

to drive performance – all while maintaining an eye to what the future state of the insurance

landscape will bring.

To further quote McKinsey’s report, “Although where

insurers operate is important, the majority of their

financial performance is driven by how they operate…

While effective portfolio strategy should not be

disregarded, execution matters even more…”

Here, the focus on the ‘how’ is what stands out, and

what insurers should be prioritising when thinking about

driving profitable growth.

Thinking about this through a transformation and

innovation lens, insurers are well positioned to drive

bottom line improvements by redefining what it means

to truly modernise their operations. This means less of

a large-scale, blanket digital transformation, and more

of a focus on identifying efficiency plays - strategic

opportunities to move away from manual processes while

not just simply digitising yesterday’s pathways.

Also critical to modernisation is how data can be

leveraged to identify risk at every stage of the insurance

lifecycle. This doesn’t mean simply collecting data, but

being able to use it to inform decisions quickly and at

scale, which is particularly impactful in underwriting.

Strategic use of data for risk identification brings a level

of sophistication that lets insurers underwrite lower-risk

policies, differentiate from competitors, and build longerterm

goodwill with customers.

Imagine, for example, being able to identify a potential

source of risk at the point of pricing - based not on

historical or incomplete data, but on the moment in

time and straight from the individual. You’d then be able

to filter out bad actors as early as possible, ultimately

leading to fraud cost-savings further down the line, not

to mention positively impacting acquisition and customer

experience efforts.

Relying on claims handlers to find fraud indicators in

every single claim is a strain on resources, and a task

which can significantly slow down the claims process; not

to mention the fact that putting everyone through the

same process to determine claim authenticity treats all of

your customers like they’re bad actors. What if you could

move claims through your process quicker by separating

the low-risk and high-risk claims at FNOL, and not further

down the claim lifecycle? Imagine the positive impact on

both consumer loyalty and your bottom line.

It’s worth noting that we’re doing exactly this with

Clearspeed - helping insurers get the right transactions

into the right hands faster, by providing an in-themoment

direct measure of risk from our automated

questionnaires.

Introducing efficiency drives profitability on multiple

fronts. Not only can it lead to fraud cost savings, but it

also unlocks human value so your team can focus on

critical priorities. These operational improvements also

positively impact customer acquisition costs, crucial in a

market like ours where consumer loyalty is scarce.

Manjit Rana

EVP UK, EMEA & APAC,

Clearspeed

MODERN INSURANCE | 81



INSURTECH

Where the Smart Money Goes

in a Volatile Market

Predicting growth levels in the UK insurance

industry has become an increasingly thankless

task in recent years. It seems every time we

look to be settling into some period of stability,

another unexpected external factor knocks

all the previous models out of the window.

So, where should we look for growth when

everything keeps looking so different?

As an ambitious and fast-growing insurtech, we’re constantly

analysing the insurance industry and exploring new areas for

success. In my role as Chief Growth Officer, I have to assess

where I think insurance businesses can potentially thrive, and

how our technology can enable increased revenues.

New Markets, New Risks, New Players

The insurance industry is in a period of evolution. It may not be

the fastest to move, but with emerging risks, societal changes

and technological innovation, we’re seeing new product

lines, innovative distribution models, and fresh approaches to

underwriting. In a volatile market, the ‘first-mover advantage’

for emerging cyber, tech and climate risks, coupled with the

competitive edge provided by new approaches to underserved

segments are potentially greater now than ever before. High risk

for high reward.

But if you’re not a gambler – and let’s face it, few in the insurance

industry are! – the smart money will go not on spotting trends,

but investment in agility, both technological and operational. The

businesses best positioned for growth will continue to be those

that can adapt and execute at pace.

Today’s customers expect seamless, digital-first experiences. Yet

many insurers are still weighed down by clunky, disconnected

tech that leaves them drowning in manual processes—distracting

them from high-value customer interactions.

This is where we see the biggest opportunity, and an opinion I am

sure is shared by many looking at innovation right now: with so

much still to do to modernise a large proportion of businesses,

we never need to look far to identify potential growth. Enabling

our existing market to better serve its customers means a win for

all of us.

AI: Yes, But With A Purpose

If you ask most people where they see growth opportunities in

2025, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is likely to be the answer. And

don’t get me wrong—we’re excited about it, too. In fact, we’ve

already deployed AI across multiple areas of our business with

great effect.

But there’s a risk that, in the rush to feel like we’re ‘keeping up,’

we lose sight of our wider priorities. Worse still, we might start

searching for problems just to apply AI solutions to them.

AI is a tool, not the strategy. The strategy is, and always will be,

to provide insurers with faster, easier-to-use, and more efficient

technology so they can focus on what really matters—serving

their customers and growing their businesses.

The opportunity in insurance isn’t just what’s next – it’s in what’s

now. Our job is to make sure that insurers, whether they’re

disruptors or industry giants, have the technology they need to

succeed.

And that’s exactly what we’re focused on in 2025.

The Biggest Opportunity? The Market That Already Exists

The clearest opportunity for growth for most insurance

businesses in 2025 isn’t expansion into new territories —it’s

about serving existing markets better. The insurance industry

has been talking about ‘digital transformation’ for years, yet a

significant proportion of businesses are still running on outdated,

inefficient systems.

There will always be ambitious expansion opportunities for

any business, but we mustn’t layer innovation onto the shaky

foundations of operational inefficiency or lose sight of the true

bottlenecks within a business in pursuit of implementing the

latest ‘hot trend’.

Gavin Peters

Chief Growth Officer, Genasys

MODERN INSURANCE | 83


Balance Sheet

Management

Redefining Forward Looking Analysis

Enables simplified ORSA Reporting

Monitor the solvency position over time under different permutations

of the balance sheet.

Value the impact of management actions in real time

Provide teams a unified view. Enabling teams to value the impact of

their decision on the company as a whole.

www.mavenblue.com


INSURTECH

The ORSA Opportunity Vs.

The Reporting Requirement

The Own Risk and Solvency Assessment

(ORSA) process is a well-known process

for many insurers. The goal is to perform

a forward-looking analysis, stressing the

balance sheet with various scenarios.

It’s a frustrating process because the people involved in the

process often work in silos. Let’s say the asset management

department will have someone responsible for the ORSA of

the assets. This person will be maintaining a spreadsheet,

which is populated with asset information and subsequently

stressed. It’s a manual process with vast potential for human

error, often dependent on key individuals. Each department

reports their results to a central individual who is responsible

for aggregating the results.

However, there have been recent developments in the market,

particularly the market for Bulk Purchasing of Annuities

(BPA), which has grown significantly. As a consequence,

tooling has been built to enable these BPA companies to

quickly and accurately perform the forward-looking analysis,

such that they can understand the impact of new portfolios

on their balance sheet. This helps them improve the terms

of the deals they price, ultimately helping them to win these

deals.

Management teams should constantly challenge each other

to think about what aspects of their business could change;

then, they should try to value the impact of these events.

Once valued, look for ways to rebalance the balance sheet so

these events don’t create adverse situations. It’s now possible

to create a solvency monitor, for example, which is essentially

a process of constantly comparing existing solvency positions

to possible future positions, helping management to define

robust decisions.

A unified ORSA process has other benefits, too. Departments

within insurers often work in silos, unaware of the positioning

of the other departments. But whether you are in the

reinsurance department or the head underwriter, you both

affect each other’s processes and the decisions you take. By

giving teams access to the forward-looking analysis of the

total balance sheet, they can better assess the overall impact

of their individual decisions.

In conclusion, a more dynamic and responsive forwardlooking

analysis enables insurers to move towards a new

ORSA process - one which is oriented towards scenariobased

thinking, where the solvency position is constantly

being re-assessed and optimized, ultimately leading to a

process which aligns departments with each other for the

good of the company.

The same technology has now become available to insurers.

In essence, the process of building a forward-looking analysis

has been greatly simplified; partially because of process

design, partially due to technological breakthroughs, and

partially because the process has fewer manual tasks. So,

in very simple terms, ORSA compliance has been greatly

improved. However, this new approach has enabled a new

perspective on the ORSA process.

The Opportunity of Forward-Looking Analysis

The goal of the ORSA process was never meant to frustrate

insurers. It was meant to introduce a way of thinking in the

management teams which continuously looks for evolving

risks, assessing developments in the financial markets, the

behavior of insurance risk, and more. Having a more dynamic

and responsive forward-looking analysis process enables

what we like to call ‘Scenario Based Thinking’.

Rick de Jager

Head of Business Development,

MavenBlue

MODERN INSURANCE | 85



INSURTECH

Beyond the Build: The Best

Insurance Technology is

Already Waiting

Investing in technology is a reactive

process for most insurers. The business

identifies pain points or efficiency

opportunities, brainstorming technology

enhancements which contributes to

a never-ending cycle. Each update is

approached as an individual project that

insurers plan, build, implement, and then

move on from.

This dynamic is turned upside down by modern SaaS claims

management platforms. Rather than brainstorming a new

enhancement, the platform updates twice a month with pre-built

configurations, enhancements and automation, ready for activation.

This fundamentally shifts how insurers strategize and deploy

technology from a reactive, project-driven approach, to a proactive,

product-driven mindset. Imagine shifting from building custom

solutions to sequencing which capabilities to deploy, and when.

The Modern Claims Management Platform Drives IT Roadmap

In the past, claims leaders had to map IT projects, justify the business

case, endure lengthy legal and procurement processes, and wait for

resources and development cycles. Improvements often took years

to implement, leaving insurers with outdated technology and gaps in

service delivery. By nature, this process creates friction between the

business area and IT, across other departments as they compete for

resources to improve functionality.

A Future-Proof Approach to Modern Insurance Technology

The shift requires an adjustment towards technology oversight that is

proactive; shifting from the old mindset of questioning what they can

build, to a proactive approach where we wonder what capabilities can

be activated. This reframing of innovation requires insurers to think

differently about IT and implementation, considering that:

IT is not the costly and lengthy process it used to be — now, it’s an

enabler of innovation that supports business goals.

Claim leaders can make technology decisions based on their impact,

not their cost or feasibility. This is because the capabilities already

exist, embedded within the platform.

Continuous improvement is now expected, as insurers can easily

test, refine, and reiterate processes to optimize their technology and

achieve the best outcomes.

Insurers who embrace platform-driven innovation can regain

control of their technology roadmaps, accelerating their digital

transformations and leveraging IT capabilities to better meet

changing customer demands. The future of modern insurance is not

based on IT-led development cycles and deployment sprints — it’s

about leveraging the power of the modern claims platform to drive

better claims outcomes by activating embedded functions, one

feature at a time.

The modern claims platform has changed this traditional dynamic

to one where the business already has ready-to-deploy functionality

within its platform. Instead of waiting for the next release cycle

or budgeting updates throughout the year, insurers can activate

embedded capabilities with minimal risk and disruption to the

business. With hundreds of automations, digital processes and AIdriven

workflows, modern technology enables insurers to deploy new

functionality whenever they like, rather than being constrained by IT

resources.

Andrew Cohen

President, Snapsheet

MODERN INSURANCE | 87



What’s in Your Strategy

and Investment?

INSURTECH

2025 is upon us - and the pace of change,

business operation challenges, and market

pressures are not letting up!

Just like the Capital One advert with Jennifer Garner

asking “What’s in your wallet?”, it’s time to ask yourself,

“What’s in your strategy and investment?” It’s time to

shake things up and play for the future, not the past!

We are in the midst of business model and technologydriven

change. Decades old operational models and

technology foundations no longer meet the challenges,

demands, and opportunities of a fast-changing world.

Just consider these every day operational struggles:

time-consuming and manual workflows, inconsistent

customer experiences, increased litigation risks, talent

attraction and onboarding, lack of operational insights,

and increased operational costs. Together they are

straining financial results and impacting product

pricing, underwriting, customer satisfaction, and market

competitiveness.

This challenging industry landscape is unsustainable,

particularly as it continues to drive increased cost of

insurance for customers. We are now in a race to create

a new future where insurance is more relevant than ever.

Redefining how insurance operates is no longer optional;

it’s essential for future success.

Redefining insurance starts with reshaping a new

business model and technology foundation to drive

innovation, achieving real optimization and tangible

business results. However, this requires the right

investment in key areas. According to our upcoming

2025 Strategic Priorities research, those focused on the

following key areas show greater growth compared to

those who are not focused on these areas, including

new products (1.6x), new business models (1.52x),

innovation (1.43x), legacy technology replacement

(1.36x), reallocated resources (1.28x) and expanded

channels (1.21x). These first movers are strengthening

business fundamentals and foundations, while meeting

the challenges of a changing market.

A next-gen, intelligent technology foundation, built on

a robust cloud-native architecture, allows insurers to

hone their focus and compete in today’s marketplace.

With it, insurers can create an adaptable foundation for

operational optimization and innovation that includes

advanced data and analytics — preparing insurers for

relentless market shifts and the fast-paced changing

world of risk.

Just consider the power and operational impact of

embedding GenAI across the entire business value chain.

Look at an average day-to-day transaction. A particular

process that uses 4-5 screens and maybe 30-40 clicks

may currently take 10-15 minutes. GenAI can reduce

this process to 30-60 seconds! GenAI can bring 10-20

times productivity improvement in performing tasks or

transactions.

These capabilities extend across the business, lowering

cost ratios and unit costs, boosting profitability and

competitive pricing, improving quality and consistency,

and bending the learning curve of new and existing

employees! We are on the cusp of a new level of

productivity and operational efficiency, allowing insurers

to transform and optimize their business at the same

time - an elusive goal for most transformation programs!

Those who are leading as first movers are strengthening

business fundamentals and foundations while meeting

the challenges of a changing market. They are

reallocating resources to change how business is done,

developing new business models, replacing legacy

core systems, expanding distribution channels, and

developing new products.

Leaders keep a sharp focus on both operations and

strategy. They are forward-thinking. They recognize

that change is unending, so they identify areas that

intersect the business operational model and technology

foundation to drive optimization, growth, profitability,

and long-term business innovation.

Leaders are also preparing to meet growing risks and

the shifting buyer landscape with rapid advances in data,

technologies, products. If there was ever a time to let

necessity drive change in the business and technology

foundation, it’s now. The future will be captured by those

investing in it.

Denise Garth

Chief Strategy Officer, Majesco

MODERN INSURANCE | 89


INSURTECH

The Case for Co-Existence in

Insurance Innovation

The insurance industry has been driven by technological advancement since I can remember,

and subsequently, it has always been exposed to the opportunities and difficulties that this

presents.

However, today’s pace of change makes tech-driven opportunities

more crucial than ever for insurers. However, existing systems

often hinder transformation. Many insurers now realise past

system replacements have created ‘modern legacy’ systems with

their own limitations, making change even more challenging.

Understandably, this has led to a cautious approach toward

modernisation.

Digital evolution is no longer optional—it’s essential for survival.

Yet, navigating toward a fully digital future feels like an unsolvable

puzzle for an industry steeped in complexity. So, how can insurers

embrace a digital-first future without the costs, time and risks of

replacing existing systems? The answer lies in the form of coexistence,

where the new collaborates with the old.

The Push Toward Digital Transformation

Insurers worldwide are making commendable strides in

embedding digital capabilities into their operations. But as

shared in INSTANDA’s 2024 global report, the drive for digital

transformation goes far beyond simplifying quote-and-bind

processes. Today, insurers must focus on creating seamless

digital experiences across the entire value chain— from midterm

adjustments and customer engagement to renewals and

streamlined claims management.

Consumer expectations are a significant driver of this shift.

Modern customers demand experiences that are fast, transparent

and tailored to their individual needs. According to INSTANDA’s

commissioned independent research, in addition to lower costs,

customers favour personalised insurance offerings, trustworthy

service, and the ability to make their own policy adjustments.

There’s an opportunity here, an urgent one, to meet customers

where they are with products and experiences they really want.

Navigating Complexity

One of the most significant challenges in achieving this is the

existence of deeply engrained systems. These systems, while

sophisticated in their time, can hinder demand for innovation

and connectivity. They were never designed to handle today’s

customer-driven digital demands or the intricate requirements of a

multi-channel, data-rich insurance ecosystem.

administration system (PAS) that functions as the ‘System

of Engagement’ within their operation, insurers can create a

connected value chain without a complete system overhaul.

INSTANDA stands out in this scenario as it offers fully automated

digital capabilities transforming the front-end, and opportunities

to collaborate with the world outside of the insurer. Existing

systems remain intact, acting as reliable bookkeepers (‘System of

Record’), while streamlined, interoperable digital solutions handle

customer-facing processes.

2. Separating Old from New

An alternative path involves establishing a ‘vertical co-existence’

approach, separating existing operations (‘the Old Company’)

from an insurer’s digital endeavours (‘the New Company’). This

method ensures that traditional operations continue unhindered,

while new, agile systems bring flexibility and speed to product

development.

This agility accelerates time-to-market and significantly enhances

ROI, marking a departure from the traditional, back-end-heavy

technology upgrades of the past.

Why Co-Existence is Critical

Co-existence enables insurers to innovate at pace, without

disruption. More importantly, it allows them to meet the demands

of a competitive, customer-driven world while keeping costs

sustainable.

At INSTANDA, we’re proud to be leading the way in accelerating

modernisation for insurers. It’s not always about ‘choosing’

between old and new—often, it’s about creating synergy between

both.

To learn more about how INSTANDA enables co-existence and

empowers insurance innovation, contact us today by visiting

INSTANDA.com

Understandably, though, there’s little appetite for expensive

and time-consuming ‘rip-and-replace’ approaches. Instead,

the pathway forward, at least for the time being, involves coexistence—blending

existing systems with innovative digital

solutions in a sustainable, efficient way.

A Pragmatic Path Forward

Two effective strategies enable insurers to modernise at pace

without destabilising their operations or incurring soaring costs:

1. A Layered Approach

One strategy is to integrate modern technology solutions into

existing frameworks by layering new systems atop existing

infrastructure. By introducing a modern, no-code policy

Andy Watts

Business Development Director (EMEA),

INSTANDA

90 | MODERN INSURANCE


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