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.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Robby Allen, Principal at Vertical Scale and former CRO of AgentSync, to unpack what it really takes to sell, scale, and deliver technology in the insurance industry and why execution, trust, and long-term thinking matter more than hype.

With deep experience from within an insurtech unicorn, and now as an advisor to carriers, insurtechs, and venture-backed vertical software companies, Robby brings a rare perspective from both sides of the table. He works closely with leadership teams on distribution, underwriting innovation, AI adoption, and more, with a particular focus on the people, culture, and operating realities of highly regulated markets.

In this episode, Amrit and Robby dive into:

• How insurers are moving from AI experimentation to tangible value, and what’s actually working today
• Lessons learned from selling enterprise software into insurance, including why empathy and alignment are critical to success
• Why playing the long game is essential for vendors selling into industries that think in decades, not quarters
• The rise of forward-deployed engineers, pilots, and proof-of-value in the AI era; and what buyers should now expect from vendors
• The enduring power of vertical software in insurance, and why deep domain focus beats horizontal generalisation in regulated markets

Whether you’re an insurance executive, insurtech founder, enterprise software leader, or investor navigating AI and transformation in regulated industries, this conversation offers a grounded, experience-led perspective on how real progress happens and how to avoid the traps along the way.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Jerad Leigh, CEO and Co-founder of Supercede, to explore the realities of modern reinsurance, building trust in technology, and how AI is reshaping workflows without replacing the human relationships that drive the market.

With nearly a decade of hands-on reinsurance experience before founding Supercede, Jerad brings a rare combination of traditional industry insight and tech-driven vision. At Supercede, he works to digitize the reinsurance placement process, helping cedants, brokers, and reinsurers connect, share data securely, and make faster, smarter decisions.

In this episode, Amrit and Jerad dive into:

• Why trust remains the cornerstone of reinsurance and how technology can enhance, rather than replace, human relationships
• The challenges of building multi-party platforms in a highly sensitive industry and lessons from scaling Supercede’s network
• The evolving role of AI in enterprise workflows, and how thoughtful delegation can improve productivity and decision-making

Whether you’re a reinsurer, broker, technology provider, or simply curious about how AI and trust intersect in high-stakes, relationship-driven markets, this conversation offers a candid, practical look at what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Owen Whelan, Managing Director at Calibrant, to unpack the realities of delegated underwriting today and what it really takes for MGAs and carriers to build sustainable, data-driven, high-performance partnerships.

With decades of experience across actuarial, underwriting, and technology-led transformation, Owen brings a rare multi-stakeholder perspective. At Calibrant, he helps both carriers and MGAs modernize their delegated portfolios, improve data flows, sharpen underwriting performance, and create contractual structures that actually align interests.

In this episode, Amrit and Owen dive into:

• Why data remains the biggest barrier to effective MGA oversight and how to break out of the spreadsheet-and-email trap
• The shift from broker-led to underwriter-led MGAs, and what that means for profitability, governance, and market behaviour
• How to design MGA systems and workflows with principles to avoid long-term operational debt
• What softening markets reveal about incentives, commissions, and underwriting discipline in delegated portfolios.
• How carriers and MGAs can build long-term, multi-year partnerships with clear expectations, reciprocal accountability, and smarter contracts

Whether you're an MGA founder, a carrier underwriting leader, or simply curious about the future of delegated authority, this conversation offers a candid, practical look at what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Karen Dayal, Chief Underwriting Officer for Commercial Lines at Aviva UK and Ireland, to explore how data, technology, and human judgment are transforming commercial underwriting.

Karen brings over 20 years of experience as a pricing actuary and a track record of driving data-led, technology-enabled underwriting transformation. At Aviva, she’s championing initiatives like next-generation pricing platforms, renewable portfolio growth, and embedding DEI principles into core operations.

In this episode, Amrit and Karen dive into:

• How combining human intuition with advanced data analytics is reshaping underwriting decisions.
• Strategies for building trust between actuarial and underwriting teams to drive better outcomes.
• Lessons from crossing the actuarial–underwriting divide and developing future-ready underwriting leaders.
• Practical tips for implementing change and driving adoption of new tools in large organizations.
• The role of cyber risk, climate change, and ESG considerations in shaping modern underwriting.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with James Slaughter, Chief Underwriting Officer at Apollo, to explore the cutting edge of underwriting, AI, and leadership.

James is a market veteran with decades of experience, but he’s far from a traditionalist. At Apollo, he’s driving innovation across technology, operations, and strategy- building on initiatives like their groundbreaking ibott platform.

In this episode, Amrit and James dive into:

• How starting small and aiming for quick wins can build trust before scaling AI initiatives.
• Why robust data infrastructure is the foundation for successful AI adoption.
• How augmented underwriting empowers underwriters to enhance their work rather than replace them.
• Insights into the future of underwriting: predictive, collaborative, and fast-moving.