Ruiqi is the Chief Data and Product Officer from Ledgebrook who have had a huge year with a recent raise, double headcount growth and a number of awards popping up- definitely one to check out. 

Tune in to hear-  

More about Ruiq’s career and route to Ledgebrook which is a mix of traditional Insurance, consulting and fintech- a winning combo. 

How Ruiqi came to join Ledgebrook and what excited her about the product and team

How does an Insurtech get voted best place to work? Hear how Ruiqi and the team have done this whilst still being a remote-first company and growing at the rate they are 

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How do you innovate in traditional markets? By listening to deeply to your customers and creating a culture where both technologists and those with more traditional insurance skills are equally valued.

Rebekah and I were joined by Catherine Barton, Group Risk and Actuarial Director, Ki on this week’s We are Insurtech Women podcast were we talked about Insurtech’s ability to analyse and solve business problems that were previously unaddressable and the value of partnerships…. even with those perceived as ‘competitors’. 

We also discussed career transitions - for Catherine this was moving into Insurtech after 25 years in consulting and traditional insurance roles ⇝ she highlighted the importance of company culture and team dynamics – remember you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you!!

⏩Focus on finding the right ‘sized’ Insurtech for your skills and risk profile 🤯Accept that adaptability and multi-skilling is vital for a successful career in a start-up to scale up - so be willing to get your 🖐️hands dirty ⇝ you’ll be rewarded with new skills and opportunities

Catherine also pointed out the importance of hiring for potential and not just replication… especially as you’ll need colleagues who are willing to adapt as the company grows.

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“Sandra gets bored” ..... how do you activate a career when you have a problem solver/builder profile??

On this week’s We are Insurtech Women podcast Hattie and I talked to Sandra Levin about the value of continuously reskilling to create longevity in your career…. especially when you’re a generalist who is open to a squiggly career. This means being brave and willing to self promote including: 

—> 🖐️don’t stop asking for more - it can led to more opportunities that you can ever imagine

—>  👪get interested in what others are doing and offer up your skills - you never know what this may led to

We also discussed personal priorities and how this can impact how and when people can and choose to work. For Sandra a diagnosis of endometriosis meant she transitioned into a more flexible working arrangement but this flexibility is also supporting her being a working mother. 

🎭Balance… is this really possible? Realistically complete balance is impossible but you can accept at certain times in your life you prioritise certain aspects over others and be happy to live with the consequences of your decisions… and Sandra recommends regularly checking in with yourself on those priorities - including an all important Sunday evening meeting with yourself to set out your goals for the week and following up with daily check-ins. 

Sandra also discusses honestly and openly about the ups and downs of being a freelance consultant —> 💡her recommendation is building your ‘pot’ to sustain the ups and downs.

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We had the pleasure of welcoming Helen from Teambase to this week’s We are Insurtech Woman's podcast. We dive into life as a start-up founder, what the younger work generation are seeking and how to manage your mental health.

Highlights Include- 

🔊 How does someone switch from being a school teacher to COO and Founder of a tech start-up? Tune in to hear how Helen did

🔊 Employee benefits are becoming increasingly important for the younger generation but which ones are the most sought after and will ultimately help you attract top talent?

🔊Proactively managing your mental health in the workplace is vital to a healthy work life, Helen discusses how her love for exercise helps this

🔊Working in an operational role means wearing multiple hats and juggling a number of priorities, we discuss how this is a benefit, particularly within a start-up.

We explore the mentality that to succeed you need to be 🖐️'willing to try things you've never done before'

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Career progression - a mix of timing, luck and most crucially identifying opportunities when they arise?

On this week’s We are Insurtech Women podcast I was joined by Nika Lee, Chief Underwriting Officer at Wakam, where we talked about how insurance technology innovation doesn’t just happen in Insurtechs, how to prepare to ‘downsize’ to upscale your career and when to activate luck and timing to capitalise on career opportunities.

We discussed how best to prepare to ‘downsize’ when moving from a large corporate to a start-up to scale up whilst embracing often a faster paced more agile and rapid decision making framework. Nika’s key advice includes

⇝be willing to get your 🖐️hands dirty - you may take on new roles and responsibilities outside of your official JD but it will expand your skillset and your future career options 

⇝be prepared for a ⏩faster pace environment and be willing to pivot where necessary

⇝don’t loose your 🤯growth mindset - embrace challenges as opportunities, 

⇝invest in relationships and your network 👪

Nika and I discussed how career progression can often look like luck but actually ‘even luck is about timing’ ⌛and even more crucially it is about doing your homework so you are clear on what an ‘opportunity’ looks like so you can then quickly leap into it.

⇝she gives gave us three point plan 📃to help understand if you are ready for a new opportunity (👇listen below to learn more)

Looking for advice on making a start up journey more sustainable? Nika suggests three things:

→prioritising - saying yes ✅by design but accept you might not be able to do everything immediately or yourself… so its important to understand the best ‘bang’ for your effort

–>being willing to ask for help 🆘- accept that some things might need to be delegated including upwards (👇listen below for Nika’s honest experience of this)

→reframe failures as a learning opportunity🎒

Tune into this conversation via the links below 👇 

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Ever feel like growing your business is like learning to surf barefoot?

I loved my conversation with Daisy Qi Dong, Head of Product and Pricing Europe and Group Head of Product Proposition, at bolttech on this week’s the We are Insurtech Women Podcast where we talk about taking leaps of faith in your personal life and career and the vital mindset shifts you need to successfully cope. 

Growing a start-up to scale up business can often feel like learning to surf barefoot 

🏄…but the amount of learning and growth you experience is exponential. Daisy and I discuss how:

 ⇝it teaches you to navigate ambiguity but whilst also creating and valuing tangible structure and process – a mini real life MBA! 🧑‍🏫

 ⇝why accepting that change is the only unchangeable can lead to a helpful mindset shift that enables you to look forward to and embrace change

(👇listen below for Daisy’s great surfboard vs ⛴️cruise ship analogy comparing corporate and start-up life)

We took a deep dive into what makes a successful Insurtech product

📢Daisy highlights the careful balance between creating a revolution and incremental improvement supported by a continuous innovation mindset

🎯We also discuss bolttech’s secret sauce - 👇listen in to hear bolttech’s three guiding principles that have supported its exponential growth

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🔥How she become an accidental data and technology geek and why she believes data has the power to ensure people and businesses get better cover and why you should always back yourself to find a solution.

We discussed how Ruth became a 🛜technology and 🔢data advocate after spending the first half of her career as tehnopobic… and why she thinks data and technology has a particular ability to revolutionise the SME insurance market, moving it from a distressed purchase to a tool for risk mitigation and resilience.

We also disccussed my favourite topic - insurance jargon! And why language continues to be a large barrier to entry to early career entrants and those looking to transition into insurance ➡ loosing the industry valuable diversity of thought.

She also has some 🚨excellent advice on why some Insurtech’s make it (you’ll need to 👇listen below for her three fundamental elements and three fundamental enablers)

Finally ever wondered what you need in a start-up to scale up 🧰 ‘resilience toolbox’ ⚒️? We discuss the value of creating physical or mental moments of joy to change the direction of your day (this can include something as simple as a really nice coffee or piece of chocolate) and always BACKING YOURSELF TO FIND A SOLUTION.

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To space and home again….. ever wondered what the formula is to create innovative insurance solutions in emerging markets?

On this week’s  insight packed The We are Insurtech Women podcast I talked to Maria Mateo Iborra, co-Founder and CEO, of IBISA about the value of small scale entrepreneurship in skill building, the power of satellite based parametric insurance in closing the protection gap and why having individual user guides is vital to creating strong virtual teams. She also provides insights into maximising value and trust with investors. 

This is a must listen for any early stage start-up entrepreneurs – so many amazing insight nuggets!!

We discussed Maria's entrepreneurial journey → Maria talks honestly about the building blocks she learnt through previous roles and various side hustle business ventures that support her journey.

➡listen in to hear about Maria’s early stock market investing, her attempt to break a world record and preserving lemons – AND why the skills gained in this enterprises were invaluable when she started her own business full time.

➡She also talks about how working in the 🛰️satellite industry for many years showed her how technology can be an enabler as growth and inspired her to create her own business

🪜Mind the Gap! - we also dive into the challenges faced by traditional insurance in emerging markets due to high administrative costs and lack of infrastructure, leaving many populations uninsured and vulnerable to climate risks. 

🚨In response, Maria founded IBISA in 2019 to close that gap – with a focus on satellite based parametric insurance solutions.

🧑‍🎓Struggling to master your distribution strategy? Maria also provides great insights into how IBISA has built its distribution channels - with a focus on trust and fit between the product and channel. 

    (👇 listen to the full episode for insights on how to test different distribution channels)

Ever wondered what happens after you 💰secure funding? – that’s when the hard work begins to build trust and engagement and secure strategic value from the relationship – listen in to hear Maria’s advice on how best to do this… even when you have a diverse set of investors.

We also discussed the value of over communicating and personal user manuals in enable a 😎thriving remote team – as well as the power of food and sports in creating shared interest and team bonding.

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Have you ever wondered about the value of undertaking your own personal leadership retrospective?

I am so appreciative of the honest conversation that Belen Tokarski, President and COO, Mylo had with me on this week’s We Are Insurtech Women podcast 🎧. So many amazing insights and nuggets I couldn’t include them all below - definitely one to listen to with a cup of tea and a notebook.

We discussed protecting what matters through better insurance solutions focused on underserved individuals and small businesses – which for Mylo means a Human centric approach 

💡Think of it as the intersection of personalisation and digitisation ➕whilst valuing the role of internal and independent agents.

I really appreciated her honest view of how Mylo has matured by having a laser focus on KPI and key metrics,  allowing it to make informed decisions and ensure sustainable growth.

⛔Including stopping what has historically done and realising the team that grows a business might not be the same business that started the business.

Her advice for Insurtech💪 builders tackling funding rounds (👇listen below for even more insights)

➡Be crisp on the problem you are solving - you are often talking to non-experts

➡Visibly hold yourself to account with clear metrics

➡AND also showcase your “Problem Solving Endurance” -  what’s the next iteration of your product and services

🦘 Switching from a traditional carrier into Insurtech? – Belen also has some great thoughts on what to consider and why you SHOULD make the leap!

We also discussed the concept of 🫵Authentic Leadership which should always include a willingness to accept direct feedback and actively engage in retrospectives.

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