On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley sits down with Amanda Yoho, President of Proformex, the life insurance and annuity technology platform based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Amanda joined Proformex in January 2020 to build the company’s data and analytics capability, before stepping into the President role in November 2024. With a background that spans startups and global corporates, including several years at IBM following an acquisition, she brings deep experience across data science, technology, and problem-solving in complex environments.

In this conversation, Amanda shares how Proformex helps agents, advisors, and distributors gain a unified view across their life and annuity books of business. She discusses the long-term challenges of monitoring products that may span 30-50 years, the importance of consumer protection, and why access to accurate, centralised data is critical for preventing unintended lapses.

Amanda explains how proactive alerts, data quality checks, and system integrations support advisors in delivering better service, reducing risk, and identifying new engagement opportunities. She also highlights how hiring and interviewing are evolving in the age of AI, why curiosity is essential in a startup environment, and how finding the right culture fit is just as important as technical capability.

Connect with Amanda Yoho on LinkedIn to learn more about Proformex.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

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On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley sits down with Antonia Hold, CHRO at MS Reinsurance who joined in April 2021.

Based in Zurich, Antonia leads the company’s global people strategy, with a focus on hiring the right talent, supporting their growth, and creating an environment where people want to stay and do their best work. 

She brings a practical, people-centred approach to leadership, fostering collaboration, encouraging learning, and helping teams grow through trust and shared goals. 

Antonia works closely with business leaders to ensure HR is aligned with MS Re’s direction and values. Her career spans more than 20 years across four continents, with senior HR roles at Jones Lang LaSalle, Prudential plc, and Zurich Insurance Group. She has led teams and projects across EMEA, Africa, and APAC, gaining broad experience in shaping HR strategies in diverse environments, and holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Bern.

Connect with Antonia Hold on LinkedIn to learn more about MS Reinsurance.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Nick Wealthall, Founder of Yellow Door, a leadership and commercial growth consultancy helping insurance organisations and their people unlock performance through better communication, decision-making and mindset.

Speaking from London, Nick shares his fascinating career journey from wealth management to professional poker, to comedy writing on shows like Have I Got News For You, before founding Yellow Door to coach senior executives across major insurance firms. With a background spanning finance, broadcasting, and entrepreneurship, Nick brings a unique perspective on how professionals can think and act more like business owners, whether they’re brokers, underwriters, or corporate leaders.

He explains how lessons from the poker table translate directly to leadership and underwriting: making confident decisions with incomplete information, assessing risk and reward, and maintaining composure under pressure. Drawing parallels between poker, business and insurance, Nick highlights why the most effective leaders are those who embrace uncertainty, make active choices, and refine their process rather than fixating on short-term outcomes.

Nick also discusses how brokers and carriers can drive commercial growth and differentiation in increasingly commoditised markets, by deepening client understanding, taking an “outside-in” perspective, and focusing on delivering long-term value rather than transactional wins. He shares practical insights on building trust-based client relationships, fostering entrepreneurial thinking inside large organisations, and leading with intention and self-awareness.

In the Espresso Round, Nick reflects on his journey from performer to coach, offering lessons on humility, resilience and curiosity. He encourages insurance professionals to take ownership of their impact, ask “how can I help more?”, and build businesses that grow through genuine human connection.

Connect with Nick Wealthall on LinkedIn and learn more about Yellow Door.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Samuel Broomer, President of NormanMax Insurance Solutions, a rapidly growing MGA and Lloyd’s syndicate pioneering climate-focused parametric insurance solutions.

Speaking from Connecticut, Sam shares his career journey from reinsurance accounting at HSB Group to leadership roles at AIG, FM Global, and W.R. Berkley, before taking on his current role at NormanMax. With experience spanning finance, underwriting, innovation, and strategy, Sam offers a unique, end-to-end perspective on how insurance organisations can evolve to meet today’s climate and technology challenges.

He explains how NormanMax provides parametric protection against natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and severe storms, delivering certainty of payment, speed, and liquidity when policyholders need it most. Sam highlights the importance of third-party data or “oracle” verification for triggering payouts, eliminating lengthy loss-adjustment processes and building greater trust between insurers and customers.

Sam also discusses why parametric insurance is becoming mainstream: a feature embedded within traditional policies that enhances the customer experience, helps close the protection gap, and restores confidence in the insurance value chain. He shares NormanMax’s vision to make these products simple, accessible, and globally scalable through its Lloyd’s Syndicate 3939 platform, serving clients from North America to the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

In the Espresso Round, Sam talks about building culture within what he calls a “multi-hundred-million-dollar startup,” offering insights on humility, curiosity, and the value of learning across disciplines. He also shares advice for insurance leaders on hiring with intention, building direct partnerships with talent, and staying open-minded to new perspectives in a rapidly changing market.

Connect with Samuel Broomer on LinkedIn and learn more about NormanMax Insurance Solutions.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Elyse Myrans, CEO & Co-Founder of Tenax ai, a climate-tech startup using computer vision and AI to protect homes and their insurability, from extreme weather.

Speaking from Los Angeles, Elyse shares how Tenax ai delivers property-level risk assessments for wildfire, flood and wind in 20–30 minutes via a smartphone or drone, then ingests the imagery through proprietary models to detect hundreds of features (roof class, vegetation proximity, vent mesh, window type and more). She explains why forward-looking, parcel-level data outperforms regional, backward-looking models, and how Tenax ai’s outputs plug directly into carrier underwriting workflows (they provide the features and confidence, insurers keep their own pricing).

Elyse also highlights the homeowner experience: tailored mitigation plans with prioritised actions and referrals to local vendors, removing “speed bumps to action” so customers can reduce risk, lower premiums over time, and even move properties back inside the band of insurability. She draws a useful analogy to telematics in auto insurance: dynamic, behavior/feature-based data enabling more accurate pricing and better outcomes for both carriers and policyholders.

In the Espresso Round, Elyse discusses building a tech-insurance hybrid team, why empathy and trust are non-negotiables in startup culture, and offers candid advice for insurance leaders considering the shift to insurtech: get comfortable with the unknown, stay nimble, and keep your eye on what matters as conditions change.

Connect with Elyse Myrans on LinkedIn and learn more about Tenax ai.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Suzanne Williams-Charles, CEO of the Bermuda International Long-Term Insurers and Reinsurers (BILTIR), the industry body representing Bermuda’s globally significant life and annuity sector.

Speaking from Hamilton, Bermuda, Suzanne shares her journey to leading an association that champions the interests of long-term insurers and reinsurers on the island. She talks about BILTIR’s role in advocacy, education, and community engagement, and how the organisation works closely with government, regulators, and members to ensure Bermuda remains a world-class insurance and reinsurance hub.

Suzanne discusses the unique position Bermuda holds in the global risk landscape - particularly in life and annuity reinsurance and the importance of balancing innovation with robust regulatory frameworks. She highlights BILTIR’s initiatives to attract and develop local talent, foster industry collaboration, and address emerging challenges, from changing demographics to evolving solvency requirements.

In the Espresso Round, Suzanne shares valuable insights for insurance professionals considering an international career move, and why Bermuda offers a rare combination of professional opportunity, close-knit community, and global impact.

Connect with Suzanne Williams-Charles on LinkedIn and learn more about BILTIR.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Curtis Goldsborough, President of National Insurance Inspection Services and the creative mind behind the popular LinkedIn persona LO$$ RATIO.

Curtis shares his unconventional journey into insurance, from agency owner in rural Michigan to leading a nationwide inspection company and becoming a viral content creator in the industry. He talks about his transition from traditional field inspections to a tech-driven self-inspection platform and how this innovation is reshaping property underwriting across personal lines.

Curtis breaks down how National Insurance Inspection Services delivers greater data accuracy and underwriting insights through nearly one million policyholder-completed inspections, helping carriers improve risk assessment, pricing precision, and loss ratios.

He also dives into the origins of LO$$ RATIO, his alter ego and content platform that blends education and humor to highlight major industry challenges, from predictive prevention and self-inspection adoption to social inflation and attracting new talent into insurance.

In the Espresso Round, Curtis offers powerful advice for insurance executives and rising professionals on building authentic personal brands on LinkedIn, why creativity is a differentiator, and how content done right—can drive real industry change.

Connect with Curtis Goldsborough on LinkedIn and explore National Insurance Inspection Services to learn more about their underwriting solutions.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Dan Lewis, Head of Network at Brightway Insurance, one of the fastest-growing personal lines agency networks in the U.S.

Dan shares his two-decade journey across financial services and exclusive agency leadership at Farmers Insurance, where he led strategic distribution across multiple U.S. territories. He explains why he made the leap to Brightway, driven by a belief in the future of the independent agency channel and a desire to empower entrepreneurs at scale.

At Brightway, Dan is helping to reshape agency ownership by combining franchise support, centralized service, and proprietary technology to enable owners to grow faster than ever before. He highlights how Brightway offers five core pillars: a trusted brand, robust carrier access, full-service customer support, advanced tech through its Fusion platform, and a vibrant agent community.

He also shares the company’s focus on scaling through real estate and lender referral networks, and how Brightway’s unique in-house recruiting and producer training programs help new franchisees build high-performing teams from day one.

For insurance professionals ready to explore ownership or transition from captive to independent, Dan offers actionable advice on mindset, hiring, and how to assess your fit with Brightway’s scalable, support-driven model.

Connect with Dan Lewis on LinkedIn or visit Brightway Insurance to learn more.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On this episode of The Insurance Coffee House, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Paige Maissonet, Chief People Officer at Newfront Insurance, to discuss her journey from HR generalist to CPO and how she’s helped shape one of the most forward-thinking cultures in insurance today.

Paige shares her experience leading people strategy through massive growth, scaling Newfront from 150 to 800+ employees, and the company’s bold mission to modernize insurance through technology without losing its human touch.

She explains how a values-driven culture, DEI commitment, and team empowerment have become Newfront’s competitive advantage. From custom tech platforms to employee ownership, Paige reveals how Newfront creates high-performance teams that care deeply about outcomes, and each other.

Whether you're leading people, hiring, or considering a move into InsurTech, this episode is packed with practical insights on how to grow with purpose, build inclusive teams, and stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

Connect with Paige on LinkedIn, or visit Newfront to learn more.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

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On the Insurance Coffee House podcast, host Nick Hoadley welcomes Adrian Copland, Chief Operating Officer of Ledgebrook, a rapidly scaling, tech-enabled specialty MGA in the U.S. ENS market.

Adrian shares his journey from consulting and operational leadership at Catlin and AXA XL to co-founding Ledgebrook alongside Gage Caligaris, an actuary with bold ambitions to rebuild insurance from the ground up.

He explains how Ledgebrook is reimagining broker service and underwriter enablement by combining deep insurance expertise with scalable technology. With over 100 employees globally and three core products: General Liability, Professional Lines, and Unsupported Excess. Adrian outlines how the MGA is using AI and internal systems to serve brokers faster, without forcing them to change their buying habits.

He also discusses the company’s unique remote-first, no-bonus culture, its commitment to continuous learning, and why Ledgebrook is attracting top talent who want to help build something meaningful.

For insurance professionals considering a move into InsurTech, Adrian shares what qualities make someone a great fit for startups and how to assess your own readiness to make the leap.

Connect with Adrian on LinkedIn or explore opportunities at Ledgebrook.

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.

Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.