The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Sima Ruparelia, President and Active Underwriter at Niyam, to explore what it takes to build a modern insurance company from the ground up and why India may represent one of the most significant growth opportunities in global insurance today.

Having spent her career in leadership roles across some of the industry's largest organizations, including Catlin, AIG, and PartnerRe, Sima shares the journey that led her from actuarial and analytics leadership into underwriting and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores the launch of Niyam, the first Lloyd's syndicate operating from GIFT City, and the unique opportunity to help expand insurance penetration in one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

From underwriting philosophy and portfolio construction to AI, data strategy, and the future of insurance infrastructure, Sima offers a fascinating perspective on how new entrants can leverage technology, talent, and global expertise to build differently from day one.

In this episode, Amrit and Sima dive into:

• Why Sima left global insurance giants to help build Niyam from scratch
• What it takes to launch the first Lloyd's syndicate operating from GIFT City
• Why India represents one of the most important growth markets in global insurance
• How reinsurance capacity can support economic development and infrastructure investment
• The balance between portfolio growth and underwriting discipline in a new venture

Whether you're an underwriter, actuary, insurance executive, founder, or technology leader, this episode offers a unique look at the intersection of entrepreneurship, global insurance markets, and the next generation of underwriting innovation.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Kevin Hicks, AI Transformation and Service Delivery Executive at Capgemini and former AI leader at AIG, to explore how artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping insurance operations, technology strategy, and enterprise decision-making.

Drawing on decades of experience leading large-scale technology transformation inside some of the world’s biggest insurance organizations, Kevin shares a practical and deeply insightful perspective on where AI is already delivering value today and where the industry is still underestimating the scale of change ahead. From workflow acceleration and legacy modernization to AI agents, organizational redesign, and the future of outsourcing, the conversation dives deep into how insurers can move from experimentation to real operational transformation.

In this episode, Amrit and Kevin dive into:

• Why AI is becoming a “work capacity creator” for insurance organizations
• How workflow acceleration and cycle-time optimization are changing enterprise operations
• Why legacy modernization is actually in sight for the first time
• How insurers should rethink outsourcing, partnerships, and internal capabilities in an AI-driven world
• Why successful AI adoption requires both top-down leadership and bottom-up experimentation

Whether you’re an insurer, technology executive, founder, or transformation leader, this episode offers a sharp and highly practical look at how AI is redefining the operating model of insurance and what organizations must do now to stay ahead.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Scott Stephenson, former Chairman, President and CEO of Verisk, and currently Chairman to One Inc. to explore what it really takes to build enduring data and analytics businesses in insurance and why the rules of competitive advantage are rapidly changing in the age of AI.

Drawing on more than two decades leading one of the world’s most influential insurance data companies, Scott shares a masterclass on data moats, trust, vertical software, and the new pace of technology innovation. From the realities of assembling proprietary datasets to the future of insurtech competition, the conversation dives deep into how insurers and technology companies should rethink strategy in a world where software creation is becoming dramatically faster and cheaper.

In this episode, Amrit and Scott dive into:

• Why the strongest data moats are built over decades, not overnight
• How Verisk earned the trust required to steward highly sensitive insurance data
• Why proprietary data has become harder to assemble in today’s market
• The strategic implications of AI on vertical SaaS and insurtech competition
• Why insurers increasingly buy outcomes rather than isolated “point solutions”
• Why companies must “re-underwrite” the pace at which they operate in an AI-driven world

Whether you’re an insurer, founder, investor, or technology leader, this episode offers a sharp and deeply practical perspective on the future of insurance technology and what it takes to build lasting competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with James Orchard, CEO of QBE Ventures, to explore how insurance investments in technology can really work, and why most approaches fall short.

Drawing on his journey from private equity into corporate strategy and ultimately leading the venture arm of one of the world’s leading insurers, James shares a candid perspective on what it really takes to build meaningful partnerships between insurers and startups. At the heart of the conversation is alignment; how successful innovation isn’t driven by investment alone, but by deeply understanding business problems and working backwards from them.

In this episode, Amrit and James dive into:

• Why there is no “playbook” for insurance technology investing and why copying other industries doesn’t work
• The importance of emotional intelligence over traditional credentials when building investment teams
• How QBE Ventures avoids “spray and pray” investing in favour of fewer, deeper strategic partnerships
• Why most insurers struggle to scale technology and how to remove friction from experimentation
• How to align startups and underwriters by building trust, empathy, and shared incentives
• What the rise of AI means for insurance transformation and why traditional approaches may no longer apply

Whether you’re an underwriter, founder, investor, or insurance leader, this episode offers a practical and refreshingly honest look at how innovation actually happens and how to make it work in a complex, evolving market.

In this special episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Mark Geoghegan, founder of The Voice of Insurance podcast, to explore the intersection of journalism, insurance, and how the industry really works beneath the surface.

Drawing on his unique journey from Spanish-speaking broker to leading insurance journalist, Mark shares how he “accidentally” found his way into the industry before ultimately building one of its most trusted media voices. At the heart of the conversation is perspective; how stepping away from the day-to-day grind of underwriting and broking reveals the bigger picture of how the market functions, evolves, and occasionally breaks.

In this episode, Amrit and Mark dive into:

• How Mark transitioned from insurance into journalism and why he ultimately came back to cover the industry
• The difference between working in the market versus observing it from above
• What makes great insurance journalism, and why trust and human relationships still sit at its core
• Why podcasts and new media formats are reshaping how insight and intelligence are shared across the market

Whether you’re an underwriter, broker, insurance executive, or simply curious about the forces shaping the industry, this episode offers a candid, wide-angle view of insurance through the eyes of someone who has spent decades asking the questions others don’t.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Gilbert Harrap, Co-Founder and CEO of InsurX, to explore how technology is reshaping the way insurance risk is traded; from slow, manual processes to a future of real-time, data-driven decision making.

Drawing on his journey from frustrated underwriter to insurtech founder, Gilbert shares the origin story behind InsurX and the structural inefficiencies that inspired it. At the heart of the conversation is the evolution from “slow follow” to “smart follow,” and ultimately toward a broader vision of “smart trading,” where brokers and insurers can seamlessly connect, match, and transact risk using structured data and algorithmic insights.

In this episode, Amrit and Gilbert dive into:

• Why the traditional “follow” model in insurance has been so inefficient, and how smart follow is transforming it
• How AI and data structuring are unlocking value from unstructured submissions
• The tangible benefits for brokers and insurers, from faster placement times to improved underwriting performance and lower expense ratios
• How freeing up time and capacity could lead to better products, increased market capacity, and solutions to underinsurance

Whether you’re an underwriter, broker, insurance executive, or building in insurtech, this episode offers a forward-looking perspective on how data, technology, and smarter workflows are unlocking a more efficient and dynamic insurance market.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Andrew McMellin, President of Markel International, to explore how underwriting is evolving in an increasingly data-rich, technology-enabled world.

Drawing on nearly four decades across the insurance ecosystem, from broking and underwriting, to leadership roles in both the London Market and the US, Andrew shares a candid perspective on the changing craft of underwriting. At the centre of the conversation is the increasingly well-accepted belief that the best underwriters don’t just assess individual risks, they manage portfolios. As data, analytics, and AI tools become more embedded in the underwriting workflow, the real opportunity lies in using technology to augment judgment rather than replace it.

In this episode, Amrit and Andrew dive into:

• Why modern underwriting requires a portfolio mindset, not just individual risk selection
• How data and technical pricing can support better decisions without undermining underwriting expertise
• The practical ways AI is already improving underwriting productivity, from document analysis to proactive client outreach
• The growing importance of intangible risks and what they mean for the future of insurance products and markets

Whether you’re an underwriting leader, insurance executive, actuary, or insurtech builder, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how the underwriting profession is evolving; blending experience, data, and technology to navigate a world of increasing uncertainty.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Ben Gower, Partner at Elixirr, to unpack why so many insurance transformations fail and what it actually takes to make them succeed in the age of AI.

Drawing on his journey from one of the Big Four to helping build a challenger consultancy, Ben offers a refreshingly candid perspective on extractive consulting models, misaligned incentives, and the cultural blind spots that derail even the best-funded transformation programmes. At the heart of the discussion is a powerful idea: actions are downstream of mindset and without addressing how people think about change, no amount of technology will deliver results.

In this episode, Amrit and Ben dive into:

• Why traditional consulting incentives often undermine long-term client outcomes
• The real reasons digital and AI transformations fail in insurance
• Why mindset change must come before behaviour, tooling, or operating models
• How insurers can move away from five-year transformation fantasies toward shorter, value-driven horizons
• What it means to “eat your own cooking” when deploying AI internally
• How to build genuine partnerships between insurers, consultancies, and insurtechs

Whether you’re an insurance executive, underwriting leader, consultant, or insurtech founder, this episode offers a grounded, experience-led view on transformation, cutting through the hype to focus on culture, incentives, and practical delivery in a rapidly changing industry.

In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Ben Laidlaw, Managing Director at Carbon Underwriting, to explore how a tech-first approach, data-driven decision making, and a career growth centred culture are redefining delegated authority underwriting in the Lloyd’s market.

Ben shares insights from his journey building Carbon from an MGU startup to a full Syndicate, and how the company’s proprietary Graphene platform empowers underwriters, quants, and technologists to work together seamlessly. He explains why early investment in technology, hiring outside-the-industry talent, and embedding data into everyday workflows have been critical to scaling Carbon while maintaining agility, culture, and innovation.

In this episode, Amrit and Ben dive into:

• How Carbon combined underwriting expertise with a tech-first mindset to build Graphene
• The challenge of bridging technical and underwriting teams, and why culture drives adoption
• Hiring strategies for hybrid talent and creating a “21st century underwriting grad scheme”
• How data, platforms, and people intersect to drive better decisions, partner relationships, and long-term growth

Whether you’re an insurance executive, insurtech founder, or tech leader in financial services, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at building a modern, data-driven, and people-centred insurance business that balances innovation, scale, and operational excellence.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Nigel Walsh, Global Head of Insurance at ServiceNow, to explore the evolving role of technology, AI, and workflows in the insurance industry, and why orchestration, focus, and execution matter more than hype.

With deep experience spanning consulting, Big Tech, and enterprise software, Nigel brings a unique perspective from both sides of the table. He has led large-scale insurance transformations at Deloitte and Capgemini, guided insurers through cloud and AI adoption at Google, and now helps organisations leverage ServiceNow’s platform to modernise complex workflows, orchestrate systems, and unlock real business value.

In this episode, Amrit and Nigel dive into:

• What a workbench is today
• How insurers can balance software flexibility with operational realities, and when to orchestrate versus build from scratch
• Lessons from big tech on experimentation, risk-taking, and fostering innovation at scale in highly regulated industries
• The evolution from AI experimentation to focused, workflow-driven adoption, and the future of AI agents as part of teams
• The enduring challenge of designing workflows that respect the complexity, heterogeneity, and evolving nature of insurance

Whether you’re an insurance executive, insurtech founder, enterprise software leader, or investor navigating AI and transformation, this conversation offers a grounded, experience-led perspective on how technology, workflows, and culture combine to deliver real impact in the insurance industry.