Instech London Podcast

What does it take to rebuild after disaster as a business leader, a homeowner and a policyholder? Garret Gray has spent his career trying to improve how insurers and property owners respond to damage. As President of Insurance Solutions at Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) and founder of Next Gear Solutions, he’s been at the centre of building tools for claims, risk assessment and recovery. But this year, the conversation became personal. A wildfire tore through Garret’s neighbourhood in California, forcing an emergency evacuation and leaving his home heavily damaged. That experience has shaped the way he thinks about risk, resilience and the urgency of modernising the systems we rely on. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Garret about what he’s learning, not just from running a technology platform, but from living through the very risks his business is built to address. Garret reflects on: What the industry often underestimates about “secondary” damage and long-tail claims Why speed not just coverage is

Why has claims innovation taken off in personal lines, but still lags behind in specialty? It’s a question that many in the market have asked and in this episode, a panel of senior experts set out to answer it. Hosted by Andrew Pedler, Vice President at Reserv, this special discussion brings together three experienced voices from across the claims and consulting landscape: Chris Payne (Partner, EY), Andy Stevenson (Consultant Director, PwC), and Patrick Hayward (Claims Lead, Altus Consulting). Together, they examine why some of the biggest efficiency gains in motor and home claims haven’t yet translated into specialty and what needs to change to unlock that value. In this conversation, the panel explores: Where personal lines have succeeded: distribution, automation,and data enrichment Why claims in specialty remain complex, fragmented and harder to automate The structural and cultural barriers to innovation including litigation risk and lack of direct customer engagement How changing expectations and regula

What does it take to build an MGA that not only launches but lasts? Tim Quayle has spent the past decade answering that question, not in theory, but in practice. As CEO of OneAdvent, a London-based MGA incubator and service platform, he’s helped launch and scale more than 15 underwriting businesses and seen plenty more that didn’t make it. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks to Tim about the real ingredients of MGA success. Not the glossy pitch-deck version, but the messy, pragmatic reality: why experience matters, what investors are really looking for, and how the market has matured in the last ten years since the “InsurTech” label first emerged. In this conversation, Tim shares: Why most early-stage MGAs underestimate how long things take and how much they’ll cost What’s changed in capacity and investment appetite, and why “grown-up plans” are now a must The risk of pushing too hard, too fast and how to preserve credibility with stakeholders Why deep insurance experience still outweighs tech fluency in t

Enhanced underwriting has become one of the most talked-about shifts in the London Market, but it’s also one of the least clearly defined. In this episode, we share a live panel discussion from our Enhanced Underwriting event, featuring: Colum D’Auria, Canopius Rob Jarvis, Tokio Marine Kiln Tessa Wardle, QBE The conversation begins with a basic question what exactly are “portfolio solutions”? and opens up into a broader exploration of how insurers are adapting to new forms of delegated authority, rising data expectations and the growing influence of broker-led facilities. Our speakers touched on: How different firms define and implement portfolio underwriting The emergence of tracker facilities and their potential to reshape market dynamics Why algorithmic platforms are gaining traction, and where they still fall short The role of live exposure data and the practical barriers to using it well How underwriters can maintain control and accountability in increasingly automated environments What comes through

At its core, insurance underwriting is about judgment: making sense of messy information, pricing for uncertainty and doing it at speed. Technology and AI should make that easier, but is it really the answer to underwriting’s most persistent challenges? In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks to Guillaume Bonnissent, CEO and founder of Quotech, a platform built specifically for underwriting teams. Guillaume brings a rare combination of perspectives: he’s a former underwriter who became a technologist and his company reflects that crossover. We begin by reflecting on the past 12 months: what’s changed since Guillaume was last on the podcast, and why Quotech’s strategy of building for niche underwriting teams has started to gain serious traction. In this conversation, Guillaume talks about: Why underwriters still spend far too much time retyping data The real promise of AI in ingestion and why it’s finally deliverable The structural shift from generic platforms to class-specific solutions Why "build vs. buy" de

At its best, insurance is about clarity in uncertain times. Pricing that reflects reality. Promises that hold up when things go wrong.  In this episode, I speak with Todd Rissel, CEO and co-founder of e2Value, an independent company that has spent the last 25 years helping insurers and homeowners understand the real cost of rebuilding property, and the wider economic forces shaping those numbers. Todd brings both practical insight and long-term perspective. Our conversation begins with a simple observation: 2024 was a rare profitable year for home insurance in Florida. But Todd quickly places that in context, explaining why a single good year doesn’t undo a decade of structural challenges and why insurers need to think in five-year cycles, not one. In this conversation Todd touches on: Why rising tariffs and global uncertainty haven’t yet impacted replacement costs but might soon What the “small losses” teach us about insurer performance, far more than catastrophic ones The challenges of modeling severe conv

Underwriting is undergoing a fundamental shift. As technology matures and data becomes more accessible, insurers and brokers are rethinking how they deploy capital, manage risk and respond to client needs in real time. In this special episode of the InsTech podcast, recorded live at our event “The growth of Enhanced Underwriting — the opportunity and the role of technology in realising it”, Robin Merttens is joined by Clyde Bernstein from Aon, Hayley Spink from Chaucer and Ed Howkins from Artificial. Together, they discuss how the market is embracing enhanced underwriting, why insurers are investing in digitisation at scale and how technology providers are helping unlock new levels of efficiency and accuracy across the value chain. Key Talking Points Learn how Aon is rethinking broking strategy from the ground up through enterprise-wide transformation. Understand why legacy systems are holding back innovation and what it takes to modernise at scale. Explore how cross-functional teams and external partners li

With generative AI, engineering excellence and legacy system resilience all under one remit, what does it take to lead digital transformation at one of the world’s largest reinsurers? In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Pravina Ladva, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re, to explore what it means to drive impact through innovation at scale. Pravina shares how Swiss Re is helping clients get more from their data, reduce underwriting time and prepare for a future shaped by new technologies. It’s a conversation about strategy, change and what it really takes to turn curiosity into impact – without losing sight of operational fundamentals. Key Talking Points: Embracing GenAI responsibly – how Swiss Re encourages experimentation while prioritising outcomes From concept to scale – why small wins in underwriting can deliver real value for clients Beyond the hype – using traditional business cases to prioritise AI use cases Redefining talent – how today’s underwriters and technologists are

What happens when one of the world’s largest brokers and a digital-first underwriting platform team up to rethink risk trading? In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Sasa Brcerevic, Head of Portfolio and Delegated Strategy at Aon, and Ed Howkins, Chief Growth Officer at Artificial Labs. Together, they explore the evolving dynamics of wholesale broking, why now is the moment to digitise trading relationships and how insurers can stay competitive in a rapidly transforming landscape. The conversation offers a timely lens on the market-wide shift toward digital trading – not as a future ambition, but as an active and necessary response to competitive pressure. From the rise of underwriting-as-a-service to brokers leading platform innovation, this episode unpacks what insurers and brokers should be doing now to stay relevant. Key Talking Points Digitising the broker–underwriter interface: why transaction execution, not just placement admin, is the next frontier Strategic momentum: how digitisation moved fr

How can insurers make accurate loss estimates before adjusters are on the ground, and why does it matter? In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Will Bonner, Chief Operating Officer at McKenzie Intelligence Services (MIS), about how the company uses satellite data, open-source intelligence and human expertise to deliver early insights on catastrophic events. From wildfires in California to civil unrest in the Pacific, the conversation explores how insurers are responding faster, setting more accurate reserves and navigating uncertainty in real time. The episode also highlights the practical challenges of relying on public data sources, the growing role of brokers in geospatial intelligence and how MIS transitioned from a centrally funded Lloyd’s service to a solution used by 80% of syndicates. With real-world examples and lessons from other domains like defence and disaster response, this is a grounded look at what it takes to turn raw data into operational decisions. Key Talking Points: Intelligence be

What if underwriters could instantly triage submissions and reduce time spent on repetitive admin, without changing how they work? Matthew Grant speaks with Matt McGrillis, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Send, to explore how the company’s underwriting workbench is embedding AI into core workflows to help underwriters write more business, more profitably. Now on its third feature with InsTech, Send has evolved from an early-stage start-up to one of the UK’s leading underwriting platforms. Matt shares how Send’s latest innovations including agent workflows and AI-powered triage, are making decision-making faster all while running quietly behind the scenes. Key Talking Points How Send is digitising complex underwriting workflows to reduce friction and increase speed. How agent workflows are breaking down underwriting into manageable AI-driven tasks. Send’s triage tools helping underwriters prioritise high-value business in real-time. Why GenAI is less about disruption and more about quiet, seamless tra

Attracting and retaining talent in the London Market is an evolving concern, with the PwC CEO Survey revealing that 93% of respondents either recognise the need to change or are already adapting their strategies to address it. Let’s discuss how! In this special podcast episode done in partnership with PwC, we invited Anna Craston, Senior Manager, to host a panel discussion to explore the critical trends shaping talent management in the London insurance market.  She’s joined by fellow PwC colleague Simone Ritson, Phoebe Thomas from CFC, Jacinta Chiang from WTW and Alfie Holt from Marco Capital to share their firsthand experiences and insights. Together, they discuss how companies can build inclusive cultures, the shifting expectations of new talent and what organisations must do to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. This episode dives deep into why attracting diverse talent is just the beginning and why inclusion, development and purpose are the real keys to retention. Key talking points: Under

The ultimate insurtech podcast crossover. In this episode, Matthew Grant is joined by Rob Beller and Lee Boyd, co-hosts of the FNO: InsureTech Podcast, for a cross-continental conversation on what they’ve learned after more than 300 episodes spotlighting insurance innovation. Rob and Lee share insights from their day jobs at Alacrity Solutions and discuss the realities of claims management in the US, the cultural differences they notice when visiting the London Market and why podcasting has become one of their most valuable tools for professional growth. Also joining the conversation is InsTech’s own Zoja, stepping from behind the mic to offer her take on what makes a great guest and why we still don’t hear enough female voices on insurance podcasts. Whether you’re new to podcasting, thinking of launching your own, or just looking for a better way to understand the insurance ecosystem this episode is full of practical takeaways, thoughtful reflections and just a little bit of holiday light-show talk. Key Talk

Where tariffs bring chaos, ChAI brings cover. In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks with Tristan Fletcher, co-founder and CEO of ChAI, about how his team is using financial market techniques and AI to build insurance products that protect manufacturers from volatile input costs. What began in the world of hedge funds and speculative trading is now helping companies like recyclers and food manufacturers hedge against unpredictable raw material prices. Tristan explains how ChAI is transforming techniques once reserved for professional traders like satellite imagery, shipping data and price forecasting, into insurance-backed protection for real-world businesses. He also shares the story behind ChAI’s first deal, the long journey to secure reinsurance capacity and the challenge of winning over regulators. This is an episode about pricing innovation, resilience in turbulent markets and what the insurance industry can do to keep pace with uncertainty. Plus, you’ll learn a new word: Eigenzeit—and it might just resh

What does it take to build a wildfire prediction model that not only outperforms physics-based approaches but also fits seamlessly into underwriting? In this episode, Matthew Grant is joined by Sarah Russell, General Manager at Bellwether – a climate-focused moonshot from Google X – to explore why wildfires are the ideal proving ground for next-generation insurance analytics.  This isn’t, however, just another conversation about AI potential. Sarah explains why wildfire risk fits machine learning better than traditional methods, how Bellwether is helping insurers find overlooked low-risk zones and why explainability, not black-box brilliance, is key to adoption. She also shares what’s next – from agentic AI to Severe Convective Storm models – and what the industry needs to be ready for. Key Talking Points: Wildfires as a moonshot – why Bellwether started with wildfire risk to build a prediction engine for the Earth From physics to AI – how machine learning outperforms traditional models in dynamic, data-heav

What does it take to fundamentally rethink how specialty insurance is traded, structured and scaled? In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Jeff Radke, co-founder and CEO of Accelerant, for a deep dive into the mechanics of a rapidly growing risk exchange that’s quietly reshaping the MGA and MGU landscape. It has been three years since Jeff joined us on the InsTech podcast, and even Accelerant has radically evolved as a business. This isn’t, however, just another technology story. Jeff shares frank insights on building trust in a data-driven ecosystem, how Accelerant has used AI to make tangible portfolio improvements and why he believes platform-based risk trading will become the dominant model for specialty lines. Unlike many other discussions about AI in insurance, this episode focuses on what’s already working – from subrogation improvements to portfolio optimisation. There’s also a broader message here: about stepping back to see how much the market has changed and why the next evolution may alread

From our Exponential Risk breakout session, to joining us on InsTech podcast - this week we are spotlighting Neena Saith’s valuable discussion on the science of resilience.  Resilience is a familiar term in insurance, often associated with mitigating risk and protecting against natural disasters. But what about resilience at a personal level? How can individuals in high-pressure roles manage stress effectively and maintain their well-being? In this episode, Matthew Grant brings back Neena Saith, a former colleague and catastrophe risk analyst turned stress and resilience specialist, about the importance of managing personal stress in the workplace. Neena shares her journey from catastrophe modelling to working with individuals and organisations to help them recognise, understand and address stress. Together, they explore the physical and psychological impacts of stress, how organisations can create a healthier work culture and practical techniques for managing stress in high-pressure environments. Further res

The insurance industry is at an inflection point—legacy processes are still widespread, yet AI and automation are enabling smarter, more efficient workflows. But how do insurers cut through the noise and apply technology in a way that truly transforms their operations? In this episode, Matthew Grant sits down with Nigel Walsh, newly appointed at ServiceNow, to discuss how AI, digital agents and workflow automation are reshaping insurance. With 500 insurers already using ServiceNow, Nigel shares why he joined, what ServiceNow does beyond IT service management, and how its AI-powered workflows are tackling the industry’s “messy middle.” Key Talking Points AI-driven insurance workflows – how ServiceNow is helping insurers streamline underwriting, claims and customer service beyond traditional IT service management. Agentic AI in action – the role of digital agents in automating insurance processes, reducing inefficiencies and enhancing decision-making. The changing face of VC funding – why AI is reshaping start

The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation—electrification, changing ownership models and evolving customer expectations are reshaping the market. But how does insurance fit into this shift?  In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks with Nimeshh Patel, CEO of Wrisk, about how the company is helping major automotive brands embed insurance seamlessly into the car-buying journey. With a customer-first digital experience, Wrisk enables instant, hassle-free insurance at the point of sale, eliminating outdated manual processes.  The discussion also covers Wrisk’s international expansion, its Series B fundraising and why the company focuses on collaboration rather than disruption in the insurance ecosystem. Key Talking Points Embedded insurance at the point of sale – how Wrisk makes car insurance frictionless for customers Why  Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) care about insurance – supporting after-sales revenue, finance uptake and customer retention Scaling success with global automotive brands –

Agentic AI - the buzzword of 2025. But what is it and how can it help claims? The insurance industry has long struggled with manual, time-consuming claims processes that create bottlenecks and put pressure on adjusters. Now, Agentic AI is emerging as a solution: automating administrative tasks and enabling claims teams to work faster and more efficiently. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Robin Roberson, co-founder of Agentech, about how digital agents are reshaping claims handling. By leveraging Agentic AI, Agentech is reducing processing time from 30 minutes to 30 seconds, enhancing subrogation workflows and helping insurers streamline claims without removing human expertise. Robin, a veteran in InsurTech and former WeGoLook founder, shares her journey from launching startups to pioneering AI-driven claims solutions. She also discusses why mentorship is crucial for new entrepreneurs, how working with design partners ensures AI solves real-world problems and why reducing adjuster burnout is a core f