Is the insurance industry ready to embrace collaboration as the key to modernization? How are traditional players leveraging technology to deliver customer-centric solutions while preserving their heritage? In this third installment of our series from ITC, we uncover how three industry leaders are driving innovation through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

Our conversations with Dorothy Kelly of Verisk, Carlos Cendre of MAPFRE, and Steve Johnson of Insured.IO reveal how established organizations redefine success by blending tradition with innovation. Their insights highlight that transformation isn’t just about adopting the latest tools—it’s about addressing core customer needs and building lasting value.

Episode Highlights

Notable Quote: "Data is the currency of the future, and we’re here to help companies spend it wisely."

Notable Quote: "Innovation doesn’t replace tradition; it builds upon it."

Notable Quote: "Trust is earned one interaction at a time, and technology helps us get there faster."

Innovation in Insurance

Global Strategy and Local Adaptation

Digital Transformation and User Experience

Emerging Trends

About the Guests

Dorothy Kelly is at the forefront of innovation at Verisk, where she spearheads initiatives that democratize ideation and empower employees across the organization to contribute transformative concepts. By fostering a culture of collaboration and prioritizing customer-centric solutions, Dorothy drives impactful changes that address the evolving needs of the insurance and risk management sectors. Her passion for innovation and strategic leadership ensures Verisk remains a trailblazer in its industry.

Carlos Cendre

Carlos Cendre leads MAPFRE’s global startup collaboration efforts, where he focuses on harnessing cutting-edge innovation to address critical challenges, including climate change, cybersecurity, and other emerging trends. With a keen eye for identifying strategic partnerships and disruptive technologies, Carlos bridges the gap between traditional insurance practices and the dynamic startup ecosystem, driving meaningful progress for MAPFRE and its stakeholders.

Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson is the visionary founder of Insured.IO, a pioneering SaaS platform dedicated to transforming the insured experience. With a deep understanding of the insurance landscape, Steve combines technical expertise and customer insights to deliver innovative solutions that streamline processes, enhance user satisfaction, and optimize outcomes for insurers and policyholders alike. His leadership has established Insured I.O. as a leader in the insurtech space.

Resources

Dorothy Kelly

Steve Johnson

Carlos Cendre

Is the insurance industry ready to embrace collaboration as the key to modernization? How are traditional players leveraging technology to deliver customer-centric solutions while preserving their heritage? In this third installment of our series from ITC, we uncover how three industry leaders are driving innovation through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

Our conversations with Dorothy Kelly of Verisk, Carlos Cendre of MAPFRE, and Steve Johnson of Insured.IO reveal how established organizations redefine success by blending tradition with innovation. Their insights highlight that transformation isn’t just about adopting the latest tools—it’s about addressing core customer needs and building lasting value.

Episode Highlights

Notable Quote: "Data is the currency of the future, and we’re here to help companies spend it wisely."

Notable Quote: "Innovation doesn’t replace tradition; it builds upon it."

Notable Quote: "Trust is earned one interaction at a time, and technology helps us get there faster."

Innovation in Insurance

Global Strategy and Local Adaptation

Digital Transformation and User Experience

Emerging Trends

About the Guests

Dorothy Kelly is at the forefront of innovation at Verisk, where she spearheads initiatives that democratize ideation and empower employees across the organization to contribute transformative concepts. By fostering a culture of collaboration and prioritizing customer-centric solutions, Dorothy drives impactful changes that address the evolving needs of the insurance and risk management sectors. Her passion for innovation and strategic leadership ensures Verisk remains a trailblazer in its industry.

Carlos Cendre

Carlos Cendre leads MAPFRE’s global startup collaboration efforts, where he focuses on harnessing cutting-edge innovation to address critical challenges, including climate change, cybersecurity, and other emerging trends. With a keen eye for identifying strategic partnerships and disruptive technologies, Carlos bridges the gap between traditional insurance practices and the dynamic startup ecosystem, driving meaningful progress for MAPFRE and its stakeholders.

Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson is the visionary founder of Insured.IO, a pioneering SaaS platform dedicated to transforming the insured experience. With a deep understanding of the insurance landscape, Steve combines technical expertise and customer insights to deliver innovative solutions that streamline processes, enhance user satisfaction, and optimize outcomes for insurers and policyholders alike. His leadership has established Insured I.O. as a leader in the insurtech space.

Resources

Dorothy Kelly

Steve Johnson

Carlos Cendre

Is the insurance industry ready to embrace collaboration as the key to modernization? How are traditional players leveraging technology to deliver customer-centric solutions while preserving their heritage? In this third installment of our series from ITC, we uncover how three industry leaders are driving innovation through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

Our conversations with Dorothy Kelly of Verisk, Carlos Cendre of MAPFRE, and Steve Johnson of Insured.IO reveal how established organizations redefine success by blending tradition with innovation. Their insights highlight that transformation isn’t just about adopting the latest tools—it’s about addressing core customer needs and building lasting value.

Episode Highlights

Notable Quote: "Data is the currency of the future, and we’re here to help companies spend it wisely."

Notable Quote: "Innovation doesn’t replace tradition; it builds upon it."

Notable Quote: "Trust is earned one interaction at a time, and technology helps us get there faster."

Innovation in Insurance

Global Strategy and Local Adaptation

Digital Transformation and User Experience

Emerging Trends

About the Guests

Dorothy Kelly is at the forefront of innovation at Verisk, where she spearheads initiatives that democratize ideation and empower employees across the organization to contribute transformative concepts. By fostering a culture of collaboration and prioritizing customer-centric solutions, Dorothy drives impactful changes that address the evolving needs of the insurance and risk management sectors. Her passion for innovation and strategic leadership ensures Verisk remains a trailblazer in its industry.

Carlos Cendre

Carlos Cendre leads MAPFRE’s global startup collaboration efforts, where he focuses on harnessing cutting-edge innovation to address critical challenges, including climate change, cybersecurity, and other emerging trends. With a keen eye for identifying strategic partnerships and disruptive technologies, Carlos bridges the gap between traditional insurance practices and the dynamic startup ecosystem, driving meaningful progress for MAPFRE and its stakeholders.

Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson is the visionary founder of Insured.IO, a pioneering SaaS platform dedicated to transforming the insured experience. With a deep understanding of the insurance landscape, Steve combines technical expertise and customer insights to deliver innovative solutions that streamline processes, enhance user satisfaction, and optimize outcomes for insurers and policyholders alike. His leadership has established Insured I.O. as a leader in the insurtech space.

Resources

Dorothy Kelly

Steve Johnson

Carlos Cendre

Is the insurance industry finally ready to move beyond buzzwords to meaningful AI implementation? How are innovative companies translating data into actionable insights? In this special episode of our ITC series, we explore how three companies are taking different approaches to harnessing AI and analytics to solve real industry challenges.

Our conversations with Leandro DalleMule of Planck, Sean Merat of Owl.co, and Dennis Ellis of Credit Karma reveal how mature AI solutions are finally addressing longstanding operational challenges in insurance. Their approaches demonstrate that success with AI isn't about the technology itself—it's about solving specific business problems and delivering measurable outcomes.

Key Insights:

- The evolution of AI in insurance from experimental to practical

- How companies are moving beyond data collection to actionable insights

- The critical balance between automation and human judgment

- The role of domain expertise in building effective AI solutions

- Importance of focusing on business problems rather than technology

Featured Conversations:

Sean Merat, CEO of Owl.co

[01:50] Journey into insurance technology

[02:46] Owl.co's claims insights engine approach

[03:34] The human element in AI-driven decisions

[04:14] Focus on bodily injury claims processing

[05:46] Compliance and ethical considerations in claims data

Notable Quote: "We are big ambassadors into the thought process that there should always be a human in the loop. Even though we're an AI company, we think that AI should be working on mundane aspects of the day-to-day lives of claims professionals, but the decisioning should always be on the human."

Dennis Ellis, General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma

[01:50] Transition from Zendrive to Credit Karma

[09:22] Creating frictionless insurance experiences

[13:09] First 90 days leading post-acquisition integration

[15:23] Building awareness for insurance offerings

[23:01] Connecting credit data with insurance opportunities

Notable Quote: "What we focus on in all of our products, but in insurance especially, is how do we create a marketplace that allows people to have kind of frictionless certainty?"

Leandro DalleMule, Global Head of Insurance at Planck

[01:35] Background in insurance analytics

[02:17] Evolution from data management to AI solutions

[07:47] Product market fit journey

[08:16] Early adoption of AI in insurance

[09:48] Focus on solving underwriting pain points

Notable Quote: "We never really framed it as, you need AI. We always try to frame it in terms of your pain points from an insurance, very specific carrier point of view."

Key Themes:

AI Implementation Strategy

- Moving beyond buzzwords to practical solutions

- Focus on specific business problems and outcomes

- Balance between automation and human judgment

Data Analytics Evolution

- Transition from data collection to actionable insights

- Integration of multiple data sources

- Importance of compliance and ethical considerations

Market Education

- Building understanding of AI capabilities

- Demonstrating concrete business value

- Setting realistic expectations for AI implementation

Digital Transformation

- Creating seamless user experiences

- Integrating technology with existing workflows

- Measuring and proving ROI

About Our Guests:

Leandro DalleMule leads Planck's global insurance initiatives, bringing extensive experience from roles at AIG and other major financial institutions. His background in data analytics and insurance operations provides unique insights into practical AI implementation.

Sean Merat co-founded Owl.co, which works with 16 of the top 20 largest carriers to enhance claims processing through AI-driven insights. His focus is on making claims decisioning faster and more effective while maintaining human oversight.

Dennis Ellis serves as General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma, following their acquisition of Zendrive. He focuses on creating frictionless insurance experiences that leverage both credit and behavioral data.

Resources:

Sean Merat & Owl.co

- https://www.owl.co

- LinkedIn: [Sean Mehrat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmerat/)

Dennis Ellis & Credit Karma

- https://www.creditkarma.com/insurance

- LinkedIn: [Dennis Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-ellis)

Leandro DalleMule & Planck

- https://www.planckdata.com

- LinkedIn: [Leandro DalleMule](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandrodallemule/)

This episode launches our exploration of how AI and analytics are transforming various aspects of insurance operations, from underwriting to claims to customer experience. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes focusing on distribution, collaboration, innovation, and leadership.

Is the insurance industry finally ready to move beyond buzzwords to meaningful AI implementation? How are innovative companies translating data into actionable insights? In this special episode of our ITC series, we explore how three companies are taking different approaches to harnessing AI and analytics to solve real industry challenges.

Our conversations with Leandro DalleMule of Planck, Sean Merat of Owl.co, and Dennis Ellis of Credit Karma reveal how mature AI solutions are finally addressing longstanding operational challenges in insurance. Their approaches demonstrate that success with AI isn't about the technology itself—it's about solving specific business problems and delivering measurable outcomes.

Key Insights:

- The evolution of AI in insurance from experimental to practical

- How companies are moving beyond data collection to actionable insights

- The critical balance between automation and human judgment

- The role of domain expertise in building effective AI solutions

- Importance of focusing on business problems rather than technology

Featured Conversations:

Sean Merat, CEO of Owl.co

[01:50] Journey into insurance technology

[02:46] Owl.co's claims insights engine approach

[03:34] The human element in AI-driven decisions

[04:14] Focus on bodily injury claims processing

[05:46] Compliance and ethical considerations in claims data

Notable Quote: "We are big ambassadors into the thought process that there should always be a human in the loop. Even though we're an AI company, we think that AI should be working on mundane aspects of the day-to-day lives of claims professionals, but the decisioning should always be on the human."

Dennis Ellis, General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma

[01:50] Transition from Zendrive to Credit Karma

[09:22] Creating frictionless insurance experiences

[13:09] First 90 days leading post-acquisition integration

[15:23] Building awareness for insurance offerings

[23:01] Connecting credit data with insurance opportunities

Notable Quote: "What we focus on in all of our products, but in insurance especially, is how do we create a marketplace that allows people to have kind of frictionless certainty?"

Leandro DalleMule, Global Head of Insurance at Planck

[01:35] Background in insurance analytics

[02:17] Evolution from data management to AI solutions

[07:47] Product market fit journey

[08:16] Early adoption of AI in insurance

[09:48] Focus on solving underwriting pain points

Notable Quote: "We never really framed it as, you need AI. We always try to frame it in terms of your pain points from an insurance, very specific carrier point of view."

Key Themes:

AI Implementation Strategy

- Moving beyond buzzwords to practical solutions

- Focus on specific business problems and outcomes

- Balance between automation and human judgment

Data Analytics Evolution

- Transition from data collection to actionable insights

- Integration of multiple data sources

- Importance of compliance and ethical considerations

Market Education

- Building understanding of AI capabilities

- Demonstrating concrete business value

- Setting realistic expectations for AI implementation

Digital Transformation

- Creating seamless user experiences

- Integrating technology with existing workflows

- Measuring and proving ROI

About Our Guests:

Leandro DalleMule leads Planck's global insurance initiatives, bringing extensive experience from roles at AIG and other major financial institutions. His background in data analytics and insurance operations provides unique insights into practical AI implementation.

Sean Merat co-founded Owl.co, which works with 16 of the top 20 largest carriers to enhance claims processing through AI-driven insights. His focus is on making claims decisioning faster and more effective while maintaining human oversight.

Dennis Ellis serves as General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma, following their acquisition of Zendrive. He focuses on creating frictionless insurance experiences that leverage both credit and behavioral data.

Resources:

Sean Merat & Owl.co

- https://www.owl.co

- LinkedIn: [Sean Mehrat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmerat/)

Dennis Ellis & Credit Karma

- https://www.creditkarma.com/insurance

- LinkedIn: [Dennis Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-ellis)

Leandro DalleMule & Planck

- https://www.planckdata.com

- LinkedIn: [Leandro DalleMule](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandrodallemule/)

This episode launches our exploration of how AI and analytics are transforming various aspects of insurance operations, from underwriting to claims to customer experience. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes focusing on distribution, collaboration, innovation, and leadership.

Is the insurance industry finally ready to move beyond buzzwords to meaningful AI implementation? How are innovative companies translating data into actionable insights? In this special episode of our ITC series, we explore how three companies are taking different approaches to harnessing AI and analytics to solve real industry challenges.

Our conversations with Leandro DalleMule of Planck, Sean Merat of Owl.co, and Dennis Ellis of Credit Karma reveal how mature AI solutions are finally addressing longstanding operational challenges in insurance. Their approaches demonstrate that success with AI isn't about the technology itself—it's about solving specific business problems and delivering measurable outcomes.

Key Insights:

- The evolution of AI in insurance from experimental to practical

- How companies are moving beyond data collection to actionable insights

- The critical balance between automation and human judgment

- The role of domain expertise in building effective AI solutions

- Importance of focusing on business problems rather than technology

Featured Conversations:

Sean Merat, CEO of Owl.co

[01:50] Journey into insurance technology

[02:46] Owl.co's claims insights engine approach

[03:34] The human element in AI-driven decisions

[04:14] Focus on bodily injury claims processing

[05:46] Compliance and ethical considerations in claims data

Notable Quote: "We are big ambassadors into the thought process that there should always be a human in the loop. Even though we're an AI company, we think that AI should be working on mundane aspects of the day-to-day lives of claims professionals, but the decisioning should always be on the human."

Dennis Ellis, General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma

[01:50] Transition from Zendrive to Credit Karma

[09:22] Creating frictionless insurance experiences

[13:09] First 90 days leading post-acquisition integration

[15:23] Building awareness for insurance offerings

[23:01] Connecting credit data with insurance opportunities

Notable Quote: "What we focus on in all of our products, but in insurance especially, is how do we create a marketplace that allows people to have kind of frictionless certainty?"

Leandro DalleMule, Global Head of Insurance at Planck

[01:35] Background in insurance analytics

[02:17] Evolution from data management to AI solutions

[07:47] Product market fit journey

[08:16] Early adoption of AI in insurance

[09:48] Focus on solving underwriting pain points

Notable Quote: "We never really framed it as, you need AI. We always try to frame it in terms of your pain points from an insurance, very specific carrier point of view."

Key Themes:

AI Implementation Strategy

- Moving beyond buzzwords to practical solutions

- Focus on specific business problems and outcomes

- Balance between automation and human judgment

Data Analytics Evolution

- Transition from data collection to actionable insights

- Integration of multiple data sources

- Importance of compliance and ethical considerations

Market Education

- Building understanding of AI capabilities

- Demonstrating concrete business value

- Setting realistic expectations for AI implementation

Digital Transformation

- Creating seamless user experiences

- Integrating technology with existing workflows

- Measuring and proving ROI

About Our Guests:

Leandro DalleMule leads Planck's global insurance initiatives, bringing extensive experience from roles at AIG and other major financial institutions. His background in data analytics and insurance operations provides unique insights into practical AI implementation.

Sean Merat co-founded Owl.co, which works with 16 of the top 20 largest carriers to enhance claims processing through AI-driven insights. His focus is on making claims decisioning faster and more effective while maintaining human oversight.

Dennis Ellis serves as General Manager of Insurance at Credit Karma, following their acquisition of Zendrive. He focuses on creating frictionless insurance experiences that leverage both credit and behavioral data.

Resources:

Sean Merat & Owl.co

- https://www.owl.co

- LinkedIn: [Sean Mehrat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmerat/)

Dennis Ellis & Credit Karma

- https://www.creditkarma.com/insurance

- LinkedIn: [Dennis Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-ellis)

Leandro DalleMule & Planck

- https://www.planckdata.com

- LinkedIn: [Leandro DalleMule](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandrodallemule/)

This episode launches our exploration of how AI and analytics are transforming various aspects of insurance operations, from underwriting to claims to customer experience. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes focusing on distribution, collaboration, innovation, and leadership.

Is the insurance industry finally ready to shed its reputation for being process-heavy? How are innovative companies using technology to free up human potential? In this special episode of our ITC series, we explore how two companies are taking different approaches to transforming core insurance workflows.

Our conversations with Carl Ziadé of Gaia and David McFarland of Coterie reveal how mature, focused solutions are finally addressing longstanding operational inefficiencies in insurance. Their approaches demonstrate that automation isn't just about speed—it's about enabling insurance professionals to focus on what they do best: building relationships and providing strategic guidance.

Key Insights:

Featured Conversations:

Carl Ziadé, Co-founder of Gaia

[02:33] Journey from Stanford Business School to insurance automation

[05:38] The "super copy, super paste" approach to solving data entry

[08:14] Why APIs aren't the complete solution to industry inefficiencies

[13:45] Building technology that works with existing infrastructure

[15:27] The importance of organic growth with agent input

[25:55] Vision for AI-powered CSR capabilities

[28:53] Maintaining the human element in automated processes

Notable Quote: "Data entry is the single biggest pain point this industry is struggling with... We need to get out of it." - Carl Ziadé

David McFarland, CEO of Coterie

[02:00] From actuarial insights to identifying market opportunity

[03:09] Making small commercial insurance accessible and efficient

[07:18] Strategic timing in the insurtech investment landscape

[19:29] The "stupidly easy" approach to insurance operations

[22:29] Evolution and future of the MGA market

[27:28] Navigating reinsurance relationships and capital requirements

[31:20] Practical applications of AI in insurance operations

Notable Quote: "We seek to make life easy for our distribution partners... we really strive to make it stupidly easy to get a BOP, GL, miscellaneous professional liability for that small business owner." - David McFarland

Key Themes:

Process Innovation

Market Evolution

Technology Implementation

Human-Centric Design

About Our Guests:

Carl Ziadé is the co-founder of Gaia, bringing a unique perspective from his journey through Stanford Business School and various startup ventures. His focus on solving the insurance industry's data entry challenge has led to innovative solutions that work within existing workflows.

David McFarland, CEO of Coterie, combines his actuarial background with entrepreneurial vision to transform small commercial insurance delivery. His experience spans from the National Council on Compensation Insurance to pioneering new approaches in insurtech.

Resources:

This episode launches our special ITC series exploring how technology is transforming various aspects of insurance operations, distribution, data analytics, and customer experience. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes focusing on data and AI, collaboration, life insurance innovation, and leadership

Is the insurance industry finally ready to shed its reputation for being process-heavy? How are innovative companies using technology to free up human potential? In this special episode of our ITC series, we explore how two companies are taking different approaches to transforming core insurance workflows.

Our conversations with Carl Ziadé of Gaia and David McFarland of Coterie reveal how mature, focused solutions are finally addressing longstanding operational inefficiencies in insurance. Their approaches demonstrate that automation isn't just about speed—it's about enabling insurance professionals to focus on what they do best: building relationships and providing strategic guidance.

Key Insights:

Featured Conversations:

Carl Ziadé, Co-founder of Gaia

[02:33] Journey from Stanford Business School to insurance automation

[05:38] The "super copy, super paste" approach to solving data entry

[08:14] Why APIs aren't the complete solution to industry inefficiencies

[13:45] Building technology that works with existing infrastructure

[15:27] The importance of organic growth with agent input

[25:55] Vision for AI-powered CSR capabilities

[28:53] Maintaining the human element in automated processes

Notable Quote: "Data entry is the single biggest pain point this industry is struggling with... We need to get out of it." - Carl Ziadé

David McFarland, CEO of Coterie

[02:00] From actuarial insights to identifying market opportunity

[03:09] Making small commercial insurance accessible and efficient

[07:18] Strategic timing in the insurtech investment landscape

[19:29] The "stupidly easy" approach to insurance operations

[22:29] Evolution and future of the MGA market

[27:28] Navigating reinsurance relationships and capital requirements

[31:20] Practical applications of AI in insurance operations

Notable Quote: "We seek to make life easy for our distribution partners... we really strive to make it stupidly easy to get a BOP, GL, miscellaneous professional liability for that small business owner." - David McFarland

Key Themes:

Process Innovation

Market Evolution

Technology Implementation

Human-Centric Design

About Our Guests:

Carl Ziadé is the co-founder of Gaia, bringing a unique perspective from his journey through Stanford Business School and various startup ventures. His focus on solving the insurance industry's data entry challenge has led to innovative solutions that work within existing workflows.

David McFarland, CEO of Coterie, combines his actuarial background with entrepreneurial vision to transform small commercial insurance delivery. His experience spans from the National Council on Compensation Insurance to pioneering new approaches in insurtech.

Resources:

This episode launches our special ITC series exploring how technology is transforming various aspects of insurance operations, distribution, data analytics, and customer experience. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes focusing on data and AI, collaboration, life insurance innovation, and leadership

In this episode of the Insurtech Leadership Podcast, recorded live at the InsureTech Connect (ITC) conference, host Josh Hollander sits down with Bobbie Shrivastav and Renu Ann Joseph to discuss the launch of their groundbreaking book series, Momentum. The first book,  Makers and Builders Edition, showcases ten unfiltered stories from women making waves in insurtech, from bootstrapped founders to venture-backed entrepreneurs. 

Through personal narratives and powerful imagery, this series documents the journeys of women founders who are reshaping the industry's future, addressing the stark reality of the 2% venture capital funding gap, and creating pathways for the next generation of female innovators.

Key Insights:

Key Topics Covered:

- [00:10] Introduction to Momentum and its mission

- [01:09] Inspirational stories and unfiltered narratives

- [02:44] Unique storytelling format combining photos and personal stories

- [03:33] Launch experience and community support

- [04:27] Impact of physical books on next generation

- [06:08] Diverse founder journeys and paths to success

- [08:59] Breaking through industry barriers and challenges

- [10:08] Venture funding gaps and alternative success metrics

- [11:18] Future plans for amplifying more voices

- [13:33] Maintaining authenticity in storytelling

Notable Quotes:

"My daughter was telling me, 'How many books did you print?' I said, '150.' She asked, 'Can I be the 150th person to receive the book?' She's nine, and she's truly been my inspiration for my startups." - [03:33] - Bobbie

"There is a background on their own personal journey. How did they grow up? Why did they fall into insurance? How did they pick the ideas they worked on, and what are the barriers? It's very, very personal." - [06:08] - Renu

"One of them said, 'I did it,' because she almost backed out of writing her story, thinking she wasn't there yet. I told her, 'Your story needs to be told. You will get there.'" - [10:01] - Bobbie

"Many of these women have great businesses without taking a single penny of investor money. For me, that is a success story." - [11:11] - Renu

About Our Guests:

Dr. Renu Ann Joseph is a passionate advocate for diversity and innovation in the insurance and technology sectors. As co-founder of Momentum, a transformative book series, she amplifies the stories of women, founders, and industry leaders shaping the future of insurtech. Renu’s commitment to leadership, resilience, and creativity drives her work to inspire future generations and break barriers for underrepresented voices in the tech and insurance fields.

Resources:

Renu Ann Joseph

Josh Hollander

Mentioned

Is voice analytics the next frontier in insurance risk assessment and fraud detection? How can military-grade technology transform insurance operations? In this episode of the Insurtech Leadership Podcast, host Joshua R. Hollander sits down with Manjit Rana, Executive VP for UK, EMEA & APAC at ClearSpeed, to explore how their innovative voice analytics technology is revolutionizing risk assessment across multiple industries.

Key Insights:

• How ClearSpeed's military-derived voice analytics technology identifies risk in vocal responses

Manjit shares ClearSpeed's journey from military applications to insurance, offering valuable insights into their go to-market strategy and the challenges of introducing innovative technology to a traditionally conservative industry. The episode also examines how non-insurance sectors could potentially disrupt the insurance landscape through unique data assets and customer relationships

In This Episode:

[01:11] Career journey and transition to ClearSpeed

[04:34] Explanation of ClearSpeed's voice analytics technology

[12:03] Discussion of risk scoring and comparison to FICO scores

[16:04] Implementation strategies and use cases

[21:12] Go-to-market approach and creating FOMO in the marketplace

[25:31] Addressing industry objections and concerns

[30:27] Examples of industry disruption from outside players

[36:28] Attracting talent to the insurance industry

[38:34] The difference between digitization and true innovation

Notable Quotes:

"I honestly believe a few years down the line, this is going to be as common as a credit score. Now you're applying for a job and people are going to say, have you had a ClearSpeed test?" - [11:27] Manjit Rana

"If three of them manage to solve that problem or reduce that fraud, those fraudsters are not going away. They're just going to move to the other seven. If those other seven were already drowning anyway, this is just going to push them over the edge." - [24:39] Manjit Rana

"We don't promote that enough. We don't make insurance sound interesting and sexy enough to that next generation of smart talent, which we're absolutely going to need if we want this industry to stay relevant." - [37:04] Manjit Rana

About Our Guest:

Manjit Rana is the Executive VP for UK, EMEA & APAC at ClearSpeed, a company specializing in voice analytics technology for risk assessment. With over 13 years of experience as an InsurTech and Insurance Innovation thought leader, Manjit brings a unique perspective from working across multiple industries and roles, including technology companies, insurance carriers, and consultancy. He is also the Co-Founder of Synapse Ecosystems and serves as an advisor to various InsurTech companies

Resources:

Manjit Rana

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/manjit-rana/ 

ClearSpeed

• https://www.clearspeed.com/ 

Josh Hollander

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarhollander/