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 Talking Points

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Rob Beller and Lee Boyd on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 351 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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 reshape how you think about timing in insurance.

Key Talking Points

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Tristan Fletcher on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 350 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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:

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Sarah Russell on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 349 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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 already be underway…

Key Talking Points

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Jeff Radke on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 348 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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 resources connected to the conversation: 

Key Talking Points

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Neena Saith on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 347 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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.”

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Nigel Walsh on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 345 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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.

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Nimeshh Patel on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 345 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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 focus of Agentech.

Key Talking Points:

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Robin Roberson on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 344 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

Traditional underwriting is evolving, and AI-powered platforms are leading the charge. In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks with Will Ross, CEO and Co-founder of Federato, about how their RiskOps platform is helping insurers make smarter, faster underwriting decisions.

Federato enables underwriters to triage submissions, prioritise in-appetite risks and streamline workflows using AI-driven insights. Will shares how his background in wildfire modelling led to the creation of Federato, how underwriters spend more time on the right risks post-implementation and why the company’s rapid growth is a testament to the industry's appetite for smarter portfolio management.

The discussion also covers Federato’s recent $40 million USD Series C funding, its expansion into the UK market and how the RiskOps approach is catching on as a fundamental shift in underwriting strategy.

Key Talking Points:

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Will Ross on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 343 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

AI-driven automation is transforming how insurers process data, streamline workflows and improve decision-making. In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks with Graeme Asquith, UK Managing Director at mea Platform, about how AI-powered document ingestion is changing the game for underwriting and claims.

With advanced machine learning models trained on millions of insurance documents, mea platform enables insurers to extract key information instantly—reducing manual processing, improving accuracy and accelerating business decisions. Robin and Graeme also discuss the rise of algorithmic underwriting, the role of AI in digital distribution and what’s next for the insurance industry as automation becomes a competitive necessity.

Key Talking Points:

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Graeme Asquith on LinkedIn to start a conversation!

Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 342 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.