Episode Info

As Senior Vice President, Laurna leads the company's Western State Product and Club Experience teams, which are responsible for the performance of personal lines insurance products across CSAA Insurance Group's Western markets. She also oversees the Club & Agency Experience teams, which are responsible for the operations and experience of CSAA's largest distribution channel, AAA clubs.

Laurna started her insurance career at CSAA Insurance Group as an Actuarial Analyst and rose rapidly through the company's ranks. Subsequent roles of increased responsibility include Actuarial Supervisor and State Product Manager/Executive, before being promoted to VP in 2020.

She has a degree in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Actuarial Science from UC Berkeley. She also is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and sits on the board of the California FAIR Plan and the Advisory Board for the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC) at San Jose State University.

Born in Liverpool, UK, Laurna has lived in California since 2001. In her spare time, she enjoys playing games with her children and traveling with friends and family.

Episode Overview:

Laurna Castillo, SVP at CSAA Insurance Group, discusses the evolving landscape of the insurance industry, particularly in California. Recorded live at ITC Vegas 2025, the conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities facing insurers today.

Key Topics Discussed:

Commitment to California:

• Laurna discusses CSAA's longstanding commitment to the California market, emphasizing the importance of staying engaged despite the challenges posed by natural disasters like wildfires.

• The conversation highlights CSAA's strategic approach to maintaining viability in a tough market, focusing on careful rate management and community engagement.

Wildfire Mitigation and Community Engagement:

• The episode explores CSAA's proactive measures in wildfire mitigation, including collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

• Laurna shares insights on the societal and educational aspects of encouraging property owners to adopt fire-safe practices.

Regulatory Changes and Industry Adaptation:

• Discussion on the new sustainable insurance strategy introduced by the Department of Insurance and its implications for the industry.

• Laurna explains how these regulatory changes allow insurers to incorporate catastrophe models and reinsurance costs into their rates, a significant shift from past practices.

Future Outlook:

• The episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion on the potential paths out of the current insurance availability crisis in California.

• Laurna emphasizes the need for a long-term commitment to market stability and resilience, highlighting the generational nature of these efforts.

Conclusion: Join us for this engaging episode as Laurna Castillo provides a comprehensive view of the insurance industry's future, focusing on innovation, resilience, and community involvement. Whether you're an industry professional or simply interested in the future of insurance, this episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies for navigating the challenges ahead.

This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk.

Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes.

Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.