“We have incredible people across the organization at all levels and it matters that the leadership really cultivates the kind of space where people can say, ‘I didn't actually like the way you spoke to me. I want to work through this’. This is going to happen, it's an insure-tech, the two are different, trying to hold hands and partner. If you don't feel safe, you're not going to get the best out of our people.”Erica discusses her career progression route and fascination with organizational psychology and her first meeting with Cover Whale President, Kevin Abramson. “It takes one conversation to get a sense of the culture of a company. And in that conversation, the rapport was there. Kevin is refreshingly transparent. He's very direct, very clear. What you see is what you get and I really felt drawn to that.”Headquartered in New York City with an office in California and team spread across the US, Cover Whale has grown rapidly to over 120 team members and surpassed $500m in premiums.“Our raison d’etre is safety, safety, safety, using technology to make the world safer and our loss ratios are very low, very low in the 50s.”Erica highlights how the business is investing in talent through Learning Labs & Cover Whale University and the scientific approach to the interview process. "We've talked about interviewing, not just what to ask, but how to ask and how to really engage somebody authentically because anybody can have a very standard answer."The implications of becoming excellent at interviewing, that goes into coaching, into insatiable curiosity and building the kind of culture where people feel safe and they feel a sense of belonging.”She shares her advice for hiring exceptional talent and encourages senior candidates coming for interview to be able to share sophisticated ideas clearly. “Gen Z are going to be dominating the workforce in the next 10, 15, 20 years. So, how do you engage with a diverse workforce and have them understand sophisticated ideas in layman's terms and how do you convey your world in a cogent way.”Erica emphasizes the importance of communication, staying connected and having fun as the business continues to scale rapidly as well as creating an open culture, where people can speak candidly. “You do want some tension and debate. Our senior leadership don't just allow it like they partake and encourage it. It creates a richness of ideas.”Connect with Erica Wood on LinkedIn, find out more about Cover Whale or the latest job opportunities, email [email protected] Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.  

"We are in professional services. We're going to treat people like adults and with that is individual responsibility with freedom”, says Janine “It’s giving them the ability to do what they do best without all the other stuff that gets in the way. It's refreshing, it attracts people.”Janine charts her career journey from HR Administrator and the different view of HR at HNI that led her to joining the business as Director of People in 2014. Janine gives insight in to HNI becoming an agency partner of Acrisure and the HR advisory services she now offers clients across a broad spectrum of industries. “Not only do I do HR for the employees, but I get to do advisory for our clients. I love being able to come in as that neutral party and just hear the facts and help them work through that.”She discusses HNI’s lofty goals, aiming for double digit growth and their approach to unlimited PTO. "You're going to know how much time you need to take off because your job is to take care of the client, take care of the team and take care of yourself. Get those all in order and take the time that you need.”She shares her advice for fellow people leaders, emphasizing how important it is to show your company’s culture from the first interaction. “Be very transparent, communicate along the way. We have to put ourselves in an individual’s shoes because that will attract the people that you're trying to find.Janine describes the traits HNI look for when hiring and advises leaders coming for interview to ask the deep questions. "I'm surprised at how many at a leadership level come to interview and don't ask the deep questions. Every company has skeletons. I would rather be completely open and honest with the candidate, than start off on the wrong foot.”Connect with Janine Tracy on LinkedIn or find out more about HNI Risk Services The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“We really look for a person that lives the Graham values versus having insurance technical expertise. Of course, there's times where you really need that but if we're proactive and know how we need to hire, what our growth goals are, how we've historically performed, then we're going to prefer to grow our own, even if they have 15 years experience”, says Karen. Sharing her 15 year career journey from HR Assistant to SVP Human Resources, Karen discusses the growth of Graham Company over the past 60 and the company values that hold strong today. She discusses how the firm’s positioning as an outsourced risk management function working with higher complexity organizations has impacted talent attraction. Karen highlights how Graham Company are developing and training their own to mirror the values of founder, Bill Graham. With small cohorts progressing through both technical and supplemental training, everyone gets the same. “38 years ago, we started our training department. Bill always said, let's hire the right person and we will teach them insurance. We will teach them our way of providing and servicing our clients. Today we have 8 full time people responsible for technical training.”Karen emphasizes how this ongoing investment has reduced staff turnover and allows people to create their own destiny. She encourages senior and leadership talent coming to interview to “Be yourself. Don’t put on front.”Highlighting how Graham Company are using tech to aid the recruitment process, Karen says, “We've been using AI for help with job descriptions. It's a huge time saver, especially if you have a position that you're filling that you haven't had to fill in a while.”Sharing the one lesson her job has taught her, Karen says “If you’re in a support role, learn about the business as a whole. Ask questions. It will help you make a bigger contribution to the business as a whole.” As closing advice, Karen shares the importance of having a mentor. "If you don't have a mentor, get one. Find someone that you connect with, that you really respect. If your organization doesn't have a formal mentor program, go find one because it will be valuable to you.”Connect with Karen Boyle on LinkedIn or find out more about Graham CompanyThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“We usually start off with a base job description, and then we have conversations with people, it's really important that we grow our own”, says Danielle. ONEGROUP’s Chief of Staff charts her career journey from hospitality in to insurance and overseeing the business’ marketing, communications, IT and agency operations. Danielle highlights the growth trajectory the company is on throughout the North East as well as South Carolina and Florida.  She talks through ONEGROUP’s strategic M&A plans, overcoming growing pains and emphasizes the importance of maintaining culture. “We've always been not only a client focused organisation, but also an employee focused organisation. We really everybody to have the opportunity to grow, no matter what seat they're in.”She discusses how leadership engage and consult the entire team in shaping and delivering the 5 pillars of the ONEGROUP Way. Danielle also emphasizes the open door, supportive leadership style and what those coming in for interview can expect.  “Pierre (CEO) and Chris (President) both wander the floor and are willing to sit down and have a snack with somebody. They're no different in an interview. They really want to make you feel welcome so that you can have a real conversation.”Danielle shares the one lesson her job has taught her that she thinks everyone should know. “Don’t put yourself in a box. You’ve got to love your journey. It’s yours to own.”Concluding with her advice for industry HR executives, she says, “Be open-minded. The resume never represents what a true person is. That person you’ve got a good feeling about, sometimes you find a diamond in the rough.”Connect with Danielle Spaulding on LinkedIn or find out more about ONEGROUP. The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“We listed immediately following what was the worst public market environment in modern day. The IPO market was completely shut down. Our S-1 had been confidentially filed and we ended up having almost 60 ‘Testing the Waters’ meetings with investors. It allowed us to learn about how investors thought about our company and the market. It ended up being incredibly valuable,” says Andrew as he describes Skyward’s turnaround journey to the first successful IPO of 2023. Andrew shares the benefit of being able to test the waters ahead of the IPO and gaining an understanding of the business from an investor’s perspective.  From aligning talent with business strategy to visibly changing the company’s culture, Skyward have moved to a flatter, more modern and fluid environment.“There are cultures that are very reliant on their CEOs but ours is now incredibly organic. We have a real winning mindset, but it's an amazingly compassionate environment. We have folks that are really focused on winning. They're highly competitive but at the same time very supportive of one another.”Andrew highlights how the cultural transformation has impacted talent attraction. “We're hiring underwriters who want to underwrite, very technical people who want to apply their trade. We give them boundaries in which we can operate, we try to clear out the bureaucracy. We're very focused on making the underwriters the center of the universe as a philosophy which is a really attractive thing. It's a very grounded group of people.”He shares his advice for business leaders considering a public offering as well how the whole Skyward team have benefitted from stock options. Andrew gives his perspective on the current state of the insurance industry.“Two key things that I think are important. One is that we need more talent. Second, we have an entirely new spectrum of risk. We need companies to come in and construct solutions. We all have to do our part. Skyward has to do our part in that.” He concludes by highlighting the company’s vision going forward. “We want to focus on parts of the market where we can “rule our niche”.  That means build positions that are genuinely defensible, where we can deliver top quartile underwriting returns in all parts of the cycle. The most critical thing is great talent. Great people improve the fidelity of our risk selection, our ability to price risk and drive towards optimal claims outcomes."Connect with Andrew Robinson on LinkedIn or find out more about Skyward Specialty Insurance The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

"Everybody's incredibly focused and just talking about it shows a level of commitment to it. It's about being really selective with the organisations that you work with, look to acquire and vice versa”, says Andy. He describes Gallagher’s global growth, the 25 tenets of the Gallagher Way, maintaining cultural consistency as the business has scaled from it US roots to 45,000 colleagues globally and the world’s 3rd largest insurance broker. Andy shares Gallagher’s selective approach to acquisitions and how new people are integrated and embedded in to the business. “We put a lot of time in communicating, engaging. You realise in any acquisition that probably only four or five people have actually chosen to join Gallagher, all of their colleagues didn't even know they were going to.”As well as the importance attributed to the family feel, Andy maintains the importance of high performance and the reliance on regional and local leaders to drive standards. “We are an organisation that values performance and demands performance. It’s a good blend between setting expectations, equipping people to deliver against them and holding them accountable.”“Whether it’s Gallagher as a global organisation or just as a UK business, another big area of investment and continued focus is around continually equipping our branch leaders, our regional leaders with the skills and tools to enable them to create that engagement.Andy share his journey from the NHS in to financial services and insurance to joining Gallagher in 2015 and his current role as HR Director – Retail for the UK & Ireland. He highlights his advice for interviewees and interviewers as he recalls memorable interviews from his career, as well as his recommendations to HR leaders in attracting the very best talent. “Making assumptions around individuals’ backgrounds, career histories or organisations worked for, is not a good thing. Do not get hung up on legacy knowledge.”Connect with Andy Parsons on LinkedIn or find out more about GallagherThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“Part of it simply is the tone from the top and walking the four corners. Early on there would be people who would walk up to me and say in the 10 years or 15 years, I've worked here, I've never spoken so much with the CEO”, says Todd. “I do love a good chat with folks and talk about their lives and their futures and we continue to work on that.”Todd and Susan talk through their career journeys from M&A Lawyer and Corporate Banking to joining Atlanta-based Builders Insurance Group as President & CEO and Chief of Staff respectively. They discuss the structure of the business, its growth through acquisition and how they are transforming a once siloed, fractured culture in to a strong, united place to build an insurance career. “It did need some significant cultural change very quickly. Folks needed to know they had a good safe place to be and the company was going to change fundamentally. It was a long listening tour of what matters to people.”Susan gives an insight in to three themed employee resource groups – Diversity, Equity & Belonging, Green Team and Builders Gifts Back – and their impact internally and on the wider community. One of the key impacts on the business has been a reduction in staff turnover from 20% to less than 1%. “One of the things we looked at was a global reset of titles and compensation. We worked very hard and spent a lot of time to get that right. We reset the entire company and made that statement to our people that we can't say we're a great place to work unless we live by the things that get us there.”Attracting a younger generation of talent has been another benefit of the culture reset, transforming Builders from a retirement destination company to a recognized employer of choice. Todd and Susan share their advice on retaining talent and empowering the next generation of leaders, including sponsorship of the National African American Insurance Association scholarships.“Make it part of your routine to stop and talk to someone briefly. It's truly is toned from the top. Being genuine, being humble and knowing your people is a crucial skill for any leader. That translates down to the next generation that we can foster into leaders in their own respect.”Connect with Todd Campbell and Susan Graham on LinkedIn or find out more about Builders Insurance Group The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“Our culture has gotten us through a lot of different challenges. 2020 opened a lot of doors to do things differently”, says Laura. “Now that people are working differently, how do we recreate opportunities for people to connect to our culture and thrive, keeping that drive to win, succeed and do right by our people.”Laura gives us an insight in to her career paths of HR and Insurance, joining Team Phly and the journey to becoming a business with $4bn of premiums, 2000 employees and becoming part of the Tokio Marine Group family. She shares the scope of her role, heading up a team of 50 HR professionals, covering talent attraction, development, CSR, comp & analytics and employee engagement. Laura highlights the competitive advantage the company’s culture brings and the type of people that thrive in the environment. “We have a sales and marketing team, that’s unique from a carrier perspective. It really drives a very entrepreneurial and competitive spirit in the organization in a good way.”Laura discusses how the tenure of the business’ leadership has influenced company culture. “Those culture carriers have been able to keep our culture consistent but not static but also making sure that we're continuing to evolve and grow as, as the market changes, as the world changes.”Laura emphasizes the impact of hybrid working and encourages says executives coming for interview need to put their seatbelt on. “Things move fast, you need to be nimble and agile enough to navigate and go with the flow.”Laura concludes with advising fellow HR professionals to listen to their people. "It is such a critical ingredient. We ask our employees questions, we listen to what they have to say. Their voices have a big role in a lot of our initiatives.”Connect with Laura Crossin on LinkedIn or find out more about Philadelphia Insurance Companies.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“Cultures are not just based on what we measure and how we reward, but they're based on storytelling. At the end of the day, a culture is really just ‘what do we care about and equally what do we not care about’”, says Tom. “We don't care about bureaucracy, we don't care about hierarchy, we don't care about titles. We do care about creating an empowered organization, where everybody can bring their true authentic self to work.”Tom shares his journey, from being in HR his entire career with roles in banking, high tech and insurance to joining the Skyward team in June 2020. He highlights the contribution he has made from the company rebrand to the first successful IPO of 2023, all supported by the passion, enthusiasm and vision of CEO, Andrew Robinson.  “We had the opportunity to build the company we always wanted to work for. I've worked for large companies, small companies are a lot more fun. It's like it's like being the captain of a speed boat versus the captain of an aircraft carrier. We can turn on a dime.”Tom discusses the IPO process and its impact across the organization. “It's been a tremendous boost to all of our staff. We shared in the celebration with our entire team. Every single employee received equity in the company as part of the IPO”Tom talks about building a wining culture and cascading information and key objectives to the entire team in a consistent way. “What that means is every single person understands what they need to do in order to contribute to the success of Skyward Specialty.”He emphasizes how hiring is based around hiring in the model of the ‘go forward’ organization, where people can truly practise their craft. “People don't want to be encumbered by a bunch of bureaucratic rules. Super accomplished individuals – whether that's underwriting, claims or the various support functions - want to be able to bring their expertise. They want their ideas heard, they want to be able to contribute.”Tom highlights Skyward’s approach to hiring exceptional talent and encourages applicants to know that interviews are a two-way process. “I always encourage candidates to interview us and understand if this is the right environment. We give candidates an opportunity to meet a number of different people and ask the same question to different people and see if they get the same answer.”Tom concludes by sharing an interview experience that has stuck long in his mind. “Education, skills, competency, that's table stakes. Character, drive, work ethic and never ever giving up is what wins the day. And that's what we look for in candidates.”Connect with Tom Schmitt on LinkedIn or find out more about Skyward Specialty InsuranceThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights...

“When I start speaking to someone in an initial phone conversation, I want them to be hooked”, says Kylie. “That has to continue with onboarding. Even if they're remote, we’ll fly them to home base so they can be in the culture and meet the leadership team that's here.”Kylie shares her career journey from aspiring doctor to falling in love with people, going on to study a Masters in HR and landing her first HR role with Grant Thornton. She stepped in to the world of insurance when she joined Virtus in February 2022.     Headquartered in Kansas City, Virtus is a brokerage and consulting firm built for today’s experience economy. “Our leadership team would call ourselves the renegades of the industry, the creatives, the entrepreneurs kind of shaking up the insurance industry.”Kylie discusses the approach to attracting, retaining and engaging talent as the business continues to grow at pace. “I think we're able to engage our people and offer them what they need for their lifestyle. Recruiting in the market today, one of the number one things I hear is ‘I want work life balance, I want flexibility’. We're definitely able to offer that just by the way that we work. We say, ‘Be where you need to be, be responsible and take care of our clients’”.She shares the importance of L&D and career development, highlighting examples of how Virtus are investing in the technical, professional and personal growth of their people.  Kylie discusses talent pipelines and engaging with people that would be a right fit with the Virtus culture.“We have this gap in the middle.  We're finding either experienced people or we're finding folks that we have to train from the ground up right out of school. We’re figuring out how we get those folks trained up to be that middle manager level eventually.”Kylie emphasises how senior leaders coming in to the organisation need to be agile and fast-moving. “It's an entrepreneurial environment, and that's not always for everyone. Complacency is just not in our vocabulary. You need a proactive problem solving spirit.”Kylie highlights the importance of having a holistic approach to recruitment – leadership, internal talent acquisition combined with effective external partners that really understand what the business is looking for from a competency perspective. In conclusion, Kylie encourages leaders to be adaptable and good communicators. “You’ve got to meet people where they're at. Being able to get on someone's level and flex your style. Meeting in the middle and figuring out a solution together is really important.”Connect with Kylie Holmes on LinkedIn or find out more about Virtus The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights...

“We've hired people who have had strong reputations, what I call talent magnets”, says Nikki. “Great people want to work with great people.”Nikki shares her career trajectory – from an internship with a manufacturing company through established brands including GE, The Hartford and Axa XL to Chief Talent Officer – and what she’s learned along the way along with the role she’s played in building Vantage Risk’s headcount from 5 to almost 300 since October 2020. “We've been really thoughtful around what's the right talent that makes sense for what we're trying to do. We've looked for people who really have fire in the belly, in terms of they want to build something, they want to get their hands dirty.” Nikki discusses launching the business in the throes of the pandemic, where the business is today and the vision for the future, as well as managing the people function.With colleagues spread across 32 states and Bermuda, Nikki highlights the importance of building connection and bringing colleagues together, both face-to-face through collaboration spaces and online via ‘all hands’ video calls and leadership round tables. “We're starting to put these pockets where people can come together on a regular basis to collaborate, but we've not done any kind of mandate around that. And so there's a benefit to that from a talent strategy perspective.”Nikki discusses the impact of remote-first on talent attraction. “We think about it all the time in terms of, do we have the right balance? We've certainly had folks who've said ‘I'd like an opportunity to be in an office’, but I've not had anyone say I'd like to be in an office five days a week.  I don't believe we've lost any talent as a result of that.”Advising senior executives coming for interview, Nikki says it’s important to know what you need to be successful in a role. “Know what you're good, what support systems you need, where you might need some additional help what's important to you in terms of the culture and the environment that you want to be in.”As one recommendation for hiring exceptional talent, Nikki concludes, “I think everyone is a recruiter. Every leader who's here has to be thinking about not only how are they growing their business, but how they are building their team. We provide a lot of support and assistance in doing that.”Connect with Nikki Gonzalez on LinkedIn or find out more about Vantage Risk CompaniesThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“We're trying to highlight how flood is happening continuously. Since 1996, 99% of the Counties in the US have seen flood in them”, says Cyrena. “It's not an if, but more of a when question. We're trying to help people understand that 40% of the floods that happen in this country don't happen in a flood zone.”Cyrena shares her journey from meteorologist and stormchaser to CMO at flood insurtech, reThought Insurance, and the approach they are taking to close the protection gap, as a non-direct to consumer business. “It’s my responsibility to provide as much information as we can to the agents, brokers and wholesalers we work with, to educate and empower them that this is so critical. They are the key to helping us fix this.”Cyrena discusses being founded as a remote-first business 6 years ago, the three strands of the business – Commercial, Residential and Specialty – and her passion for seeing a business grow. “I have developed a love and passion for people and for work culture. Culture isn't like swings hanging in your office somewhere. It’s how an organization communicates internally and externally.”She emphasizes how reThought are building a team, passionate about the mission & vision of the business and the initiatives they are putting in place to engage and maintain talent. “You have to realize that the enthusiasm of your customers and the people that you're working with out in the market are never going to exceed that of the people within your organization.”Cyrena discusses the importance of communicating and setting expectations, tips for senior leaders coming to interview and the best way to find out what a candidate is really like. “Take them out for dinner, mess up their order on purpose, then you're going to see someone's true colors. You're going to find out who somebody really is.“She shares the tech tools the team are using to build a high performing team and the one lesson her job has taught her that everyone else should know. “Love what you do and you’ll never spend a day at work.  You may have to dig and find that.”Connect with Cyrena-Marie Arnold on LinkedIn, mail [email protected] or find out more reThought InsuranceThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] Copyright Insurance Search 2023 – All Rights Reserved.    

“The industry has evolved but not as fast as the consequence that climate risks have had on economies and large corporates”, says Violaine. “We are in the right moment to combine both new data capabilities, satellite imaging, connected data sets to those new climate risks in order to really offer something more relevant and more appropriate for today's challenges around natural risks to corporate plans.” Following roles with large corporates Axa and Swiss Re, Violiane says the time was right to move in to the insurtech world. “Moving to Descartes was a bold choice, but I was fully convinced that traditional insurance was ripe to be challenged by new ways of addressing the challenge of the century for our generation.”Violaine shares the growth Descartes has achieved, opening hubs across the US, Asia and Pacific, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong and have recently added offices in London, Frankfurt and Madrid. &nbsp; “We have always worked towards building a global book from day one and that's quite core to the nature of our business. After six months we had risks on all five continents. Hurricanes in the US to floods in Europe, the drought in India to earthquakes in Japan. Our growth is partly fuelled by an increase in the need for protection.”She explains how Descartes use data in an efficient way in comparison to the often siloed way of corporates. &nbsp; &nbsp;“Most traditional insurance companies when it comes to data flows, lack of efficiency.&nbsp; Our rationale to data will have a massive impact on how quick we can quote a risk. We want to show how responsive we are, how reliable our data is.”Violaine highlights how the company puts purpose at the very core of the business and building a team that share the same drive and passion.She shares her advice for senior leaders at interview and her explains how demanding they are when it comes to recruiting technical talent, as well as their drive towards a diverse team. “We value diversity and having a variety of angles on the topics we are touching. We have been striving to build an international workforce with talents from all across the globe and a diverse workforce in terms of gender equality too and making sure we have a good proportion of female talent in our tech teams.”As for one lesson her job has taught her that she wants everyone else to know, Violaine says: “We need to walk the talk, right, and we need to build our culture around strong values that are inclusive at the same time.” Connect with Violaine Raybaud on LinkedIn or find out more about Descartes UnderwritingThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by&nbsp;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. Copyright&nbsp;<a href="https://insurance-search.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

“You don't necessarily always have to have insurance experience for most of these roles. There's a lot of transferable skills. We value people who can problem solve, communicate and build relationships, who can lead inclusively”, says Neil. “Most insurance companies have good training programmes. You can train on the processes and policies and regulations.” Neil shares his insurance journey from a frontline claims role to HR and joining Progressive 33 years ago. “Taking on a frontline role in claims or a call centre is a great opportunity to learn the business and have a really good foundation of what the business is about and who the customers are.”Neil discusses leading a multi-faceted team of 200 with the aim of hiring for 20 - 25,000 roles across the business each year and highlights company culture, the CEO and the combination of growth &amp; profitability as being key foundations for marketing the company's employer brand to candidates. &nbsp;&nbsp;He talks about competing against other industries when hiring for more general roles and showcasing how an applicant’s skills fit in the organization. Neil tells how the team manage and provide a meaningful experience to 700-800,000 applicants each year and how they can set themselves apart. &nbsp;&nbsp;“If you have a job and there's 100 applicants and you're only going to hire one. 99 are going to be disappointed.&nbsp; That's a challenge that you face on a day to day basis. Feedback is critical.”Neil shares his advice for senior executives looking to progress or coming for interview. “The one thing I would gravitate them towards immediately is demonstrating how they have built an inclusive environment, how they help their teams think collaboratively, challenge the status quo and leverage different perspectives. That's the type of leader that's going to thrive here.”Neil encourages HR leaders to look beyond the hire and focus on retention and highlights the tech tools that Progressive are using to support the high-volume hiring process. Neil concludes by sharing a mantra of Progressive’s first CEO, Peter B Lewis, ‘Risk, learn grow’. “It's about thinking outside the box and bringing new perspectives. As you learn, you're going to make mistakes, but move quickly to fix them and then grow.”Connect with Neil Lenane on LinkedIn or find out more about ProgressiveThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Instead of having broad job categories that everybody has to fit into, you tailor a person's job around their specific skills and capabilities”, says Jon. “It could be where people work, the work that people do and how much people work. We want to enable as much flexibility as possible.”Jon shares his career journey from the U.S. Air Force to his first HR job with Siemens before transitioning to financial services, holding positions with HSBC and Wells Fargo before joining Principal Financial Group in 2018. He highlights Principal’s global footprint and balancing his responsibilities as CHRO for a global business with a headcount of 20,000 alongside his EVP role at Principal Global Services. Discussing Principal’s north star goal of creating a personalized employee experience, Jon gives specific examples of how they are moving towards a more diverse and inclusive environment.“If you peel back what it would mean to have a completely personalized employee experience, in order to make that successful, you would have to have a very inclusive mindset. If you have the systems to figure out how to tailor a job experience to an individual's preferences and capabilities, might that be the ultimate level of equality?”Jon shares his recommendations to senior executives interviewing for a role at Principal. “Nothing says more to us than a person in an interview process who's clearly done their homework. They’ve watched our investor relations. They understand as much as they can about who we are, then can identify exactly the value that they can bring to the organization. It's basically creating relativity in in a conversation.”He gives advice to fellow HR leaders and emphasizes the one lesson that his job has taught him along the way. “You hear something, it may or may not be true. Every single story has a few sides. You can only get to some form of the truth when you get all three sides.”Connect with Jon Couture on LinkedIn or find out more about Principal Financial Group &nbsp;The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“To change it for the long run you have to really invest in people much, much earlier,” says Kristin. “It doesn't necessarily mean that if you're [studying to be] an accountant, you have to go to one of the big four. You can go to an insurance company.”Following in her mother’s footsteps, Kristin shares her HR career journey from NYC-based hedge fund to private equity before joining Transverse Insurance Group in 2022. A common theme running throughout her career has been a passion for engaging with and attracting younger people from a diversity of lifestyles and backgrounds. Kristin highlights how Transverse have built as effective internship program to attract younger people to insurance, allowing them to see the breadth of opportunity in the industry. “You have to be a presence out and about. You have to be making them aware of what you do and how they could benefit from an internship. It gives them baseline experience”She emphasizes how a diversity of interviewers equates to a wider variety of candidates. “If a candidate sees somebody that looks like them, they're more much more likely to continue that process.”Kristin discusses passion, the need for flexibility and being part of a smaller, more nimble organization. “There's times I get pulled into things that are not necessarily HR-related. It helps me understand the business and helps the firm grow.”Connect with Kristin Cubberly on LinkedIn or find out more about Transverse Insurance Group The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We should definitely be expanding and looking critically at where we're attracting talent from”, says Caryn. “But we also need to be extremely deliberate, thoughtful and intentional in terms of our talent development opportunities.”Caryn shares her transition from law to joining Tokio Marine’s relatively small U.S. operation back in 2001. “In many respects, the size [in 2001] was a great training ground for me because it was part of such a larger global entity.”Caryn discusses how hybrid working models allow her to balance her roles of CHRO &amp; Chief Legal Officer at TMNA Services and Global Deputy Chief Diversity &amp; Inclusion Officer at Tokio Marine Group. “It's not that there are more hours in the day but fewer hours commuting that can be spent to greater purposes.” Highlighting how the philosophy and structure of Tokio Marine Group is impacting diversity and inclusion around the globe, Caryn says, "Everyone understands what our mission and vision is with respect to diversity and inclusion. We then ask them to take those principles and tell us how in their cultural context, they are going to move the ball forward. An area of particular focus in one country or company for diversity and inclusion efforts may not make a lot of sense in another.”Caryn discusses changing the current insurance talent profile, addressing unconscious biases and the importance of sincerity at levels of the organization. She shares her advice for other HR leaders looking to hire exceptional talent."We have had a habit in the insurance industry of going to our tried and true sources. We need to sell our value proposition to folks both in university, recent graduates and those who maybe mid-level in their career, but not loving what they're doing.”Connect with Caryn Angelson on LinkedIn or find out more about Tokio Marine North America Services The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“A large majority of our talent is in the fourth quarter of their career innings”, says Nidhi Verma. “We want to have a very strategic workforce management approach towards buying and building our talent profile.”Nidhi discusses her journey from consulting roles to joining Crawford &amp; Company in 2014, where she oversees the talent lifecycle and ESG strategy at the largest publicly listed claims management organisation. Following a ninth quarter of top line growth, Nidhi highlights how Crawford is buying and building talent to address the challenge of an ageing workforce. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“On the buying side, we are tapping into newer pools, looking at different segments, a younger workforce, diverse set of workforce.But on the building side, we are making significant investment in ensuring that we have people who have the skills that are necessary for being successful today and tomorrow.”&nbsp;With the business touching the lives of claimants on one of their worst days, Nidhi shares how Crawford is investing in 3 key vectors:Technical AND human skillsThe Essential Every and Vital FewThe Mighty MiddleShe emphasizes how relational skills underpin the culture and values at Crawford and advises fellow HR leaders to focus on the combination of competence and character when recruiting for talent. “Create an interview and assessment process to identify individuals who would be the most successful and thrive in the culture. Competence can be commoditised but character is pure gold.” Nidhi concludes by encouraging us to invest in our personal growth every single day. “Growth is the only guarantee that people have a better tomorrow.”Connect with Nidhi Verma on LinkedIn or find out more about Crawford &amp; CompanyThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It's important that we're a part of that bottom line and at the end of the year, meet those business goals” says Alisa as she discusses managing and building an internal recruitment team. Alisa describes her journey in to recruitment and joining the insurance industry, which she initially perceived to be ‘boring, slow and old’. Now managing a team of 13 recruiters and adding over 1800 team members to the AmTrust headcount in 2022, Alisa shares the fast-paced, entrepreneurial spirit and competitive culture at the Forbes-listed ‘Top 100 Private Companies in the US.’ Alisa highlights the key role the internal recruitment function can play in working alongside senior leaders to support the growth of the varied business functions, as well as the characteristics she looks for when recruiting. “You have to be scrappy. You have to be flexible, things are changing all the time. You have to be able to pivot and jump into a different line of business.”Giving her advice to incoming executives coming for interview, Alisa says, “Know our strengths but also know our weaknesses. Know and highlight that one thing that the position or the company might be missing.” Sharing the tools AmTrust use when recruiting, Alisa also encourages those seeking to recruit A-player talent to alter the way they think about and approach talent. &nbsp; “It's really important to change that mindset from ‘culture fit’ to ‘culture add’. That's when you're going to get a high performing team.”Connect with Alisa Sohn on LinkedIn or find out more about AmTrust FinancialThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There is definitely a supply and demand issue with talent. Even if you're all that and everything more, you don't have 20 people to choose from”, says Tony. “When we find someone, the message is, we need to move. It’s not sacrificing quality for haste but always having haste.”Tony shares his journey from tech and publishing in to his first insurance role with MetLife before eventually joining Westfield Speciality as employee number 2. He describes his involvement in shaping the culture, mission and values as well as being part of Westfield’s 175 year history Highlighting his approach to HR, Tony says, ““HR is marketing. You’re marketing the company, the opportunity, the leadership, the vision. You have to understand everything that leads to that.”Tony discusses growing the US business, the recent acquisition of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1200 and the initiatives Westfield have in place for career development and retaining A-player talent. &nbsp;He shares his advice for senior leaders at interview, emphasising how “curiosity wins the day.” Tony talks about the tools Westfield use for talent acquisition and reveals the one lesson his job has taught him that he wants everyone else to know.He stresses the importance of networking and getting to know what talent is out there. “Be visible. Be comfortable playing outside your lane.” Connect with Tony Chimera on LinkedIn or find out more about Westfield Specialty InsuranceThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Culture is mission critical in this space. We are a people business, we're professional services”, says Derek. “Our messaging really is people first.” Derek shares his career route from the non-profit sector to the insurance industry. &nbsp;Following roles with Chubb and Aon, he joined Epic in 2013 as Chief Strategy Officer and says, “I really wanted to join an organization in growth mode. My job was to drive profitable growth”Highlighting Galway Holdings’ structure and the growth trajectory the business has been on, Derek discusses growing organically and through M&amp;A activity and its impact on values and culture as the team has grown from 300-4000 employees. “Our goal is to double the size of our firm over the next 5-7 years. The market conditions are pretty challenging in some ways but we are laser focused on profitable organic growth.”Derek highlights building DE&amp;I in to the fabric of the business, identifying talent from diverse communities and the importance of training leaders as the business expands. “Our organization and our operating companies, we are seeking diverse talent. We have to make sure that our leadership is ready to embrace and invest in diverse talent and culturally, once people join the firm, we have to really back up everything that we say on the recruiting side.” For senior executives seeking to join a business like Galway, Derek advises them to be prepared, operate with passion, desire and establish their professional messaging and differentiation. Derek counsels hiring managers or recruitment leaders to think outside of the box when it comes to attracting the best talent. &nbsp;“Ask people questions more than just work, try to get a feel for who they are. What is their drive or what is their motivator?" Derek concludes by advising fellow leaders to pay it forward. “Treat people like you want to be treated. If you wanted opportunities when you were young, provide opportunities. If you were a benefit of mentoring, mentor people. It's a new day. We're dealing with people that have had different experiences. We've got to figure out how to lead in a new way.”Find out more about Galway Holdings and its growing brands here or connect with Derek Thomas on LinkedIn. The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] Copyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Every industry has its own myopia and we think, you couldn't possibly bring something from media or manufacturing into insurance”, says Bob as he shares his transition from media in to insurance.“As a technologist, running a whole career in insurance is extremely valuable but so is someone who brings insights from other industries that are frankly often highly applicable to insurance.” Bob discusses setting up shared services operations at Tokio Marine North America Services to provide pooled professional services - accounting &amp; finance, actuarial, legal, internal audit and technology - primarily supporting Tokio Marine America, First Insurance Company of Hawaii and Philadelphia Insurance. “The only reason we’re here is to support our carriers. Each of our group companies has different needs. They’re at different moments in their system lifecycle, operational change and transformation.” Bob shares his thoughts on the future of insurance both through a technology lens and on the sector holistically, emphasising that, “Any insurtechs we adopt, we have to stitch in to an already complex environment. Sometimes you can plug it in, often it’s not that simple.”&nbsp;He talks about the personality traits that fit Tokio Marine and the diversity of opportunity for those with an insurance background and those from outside of the sector. “The more we speak insurance, the more it draws our business colleagues in to speaking tech. If everyone’s speaking a little insurance and a little tech, we’re all speaking the same language.” Connect with Bob on LinkedIn or find out more about TMNA ServicesThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 29 March 2022Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We have this mantra inside our company, which is ‘We’re 1% there’”, says Shawn Ram.&nbsp; “And because our vision continues to expand, we never get 2% there. It breeds a different level of commitment, diligence and vigour.”Coalition’s Head of Insurance shares his journey to joining the founding team of the San Francisco-based cyber insurtech and the company’s continued drive towards expansion around the globe. &nbsp;He discusses Coalition’s approach to data collection and assessing policyholders’ vulnerabilities. &nbsp;&nbsp;“We track how often there's vulnerabilities in software, what technology isn't patched appropriately, any lookalike domains or any compromise. It's the same view generally that an adversary would have.”Shawn gives an insight in to Coalition’s ‘remote-first’ culture, maintaining values as company scales and the opportunities for high-performing talent. “We desire to remain humble, we sweep the floors, we’re authentic”, says Shawn. &nbsp;“When you build a new operation where the individuals that are being hired in country have no background, no experience with the Coalition culture, it's critical that you get that right.”He concludes by emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Evaluate the mission, evaluate the vision, evaluate the people.&nbsp;And be honest with yourself.”Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn or find out more about opportunities at Coalition.This episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 27 September 2022Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"You can't de-risk every decision that you make beforehand. We're always making decisions saying, ‘We know 20% of the information, but it gets us 80% of the way there, so let's go that route’” says Bill. Launched in 2018, ForMotiv operates in the behavioural intelligence space, collecting users’ digital behaviour to help insurance carriers drive a better user experience in real time.“The more data we capture, the more expertise we glean, the more it enhances our products and drives value for our clients”, says Bill.CEO, Bill and Head of Growth, Woody Klemmer discuss how new dimensions of data and real-time insights are benefitting clients. With Covid having accelerated many business’ roadmaps from 5 years to 18 months, ForMotiv is making the digital experience more human. “Whoever can understand user intent will survive”, says Woody.With 40% of the team coming from an insurance background, the team offers swift upward mobility for resilient and consistent new hires.&nbsp;“It’s fun and fast-paced. A company that’s looking to double and double again isn’t for everyone.”With ambitions to expand in to the UK, Europe and across the globe, the team is looking to build out its platform and expertise."We’re trying to find doers, people who’ve made decisions and taken risks”, explains Bill.Connect with Bill Conners or Woody Klemmer on LinkedIn or find out more about ForMotivThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 13 November 2021 Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It was no longer my idea, it was our idea and we had a skill set that was complimentary and we could make this happen”, says Steve as he shares the importance of finding a credible tech co-founder. The CEO of the Ohio-based auto and home insurance insurtech describes how the structure of the business is obligated to social good as well as shareholder value and how they use tech to benefit their community of clients. &nbsp; He highlights the growth the business has achieved since its launch in 2018, the challenges of scaling and maintaining cultural values. Steve emphasises the importance of having a clear mission and pruning the tree as well as the value those with insurance industry experience bring. “We like everybody to be challenging the status quo and each other in a positive way, with positive intent.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Steve offers advice to anyone looking to scale an insurance business, and says, “If you've got a clear problem to solve which becomes your mission, you've got the right team and you've got the right capital, I think you’ll be off to a great start.”Connect with Steve Lekas on LinkedIn or find out more about Branch.This episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 18 October 2022Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Many people just begrudgingly pay their insurance. I think fleet owners, especially on the larger size, want to understand what is driving the rate and how they can reduce it”, says Kevin. He shares his career journey – moving from Underwriting roles with Gen Re and Swiss Re to Reinsurance with Willis Re before moving to Tiger Risk (now Howden Tiger) where he led the Specialty Casualty division and insurtech segment. &nbsp;He joined New York-based Cover Whale in 2021. Kevin describes Cover Whale as an MGA focused on the commercial auto space with a core vision of making the world safer. Emphasizing how loss ratios drive everything the business does, Kevin says,“By bringing a proprietary tech enabled platform, we leverage and digest massive amounts of real time data to more accurately price risk and equally as important monitor that risk through a continuous underwriting loop.” He outlines the benefits on offer to agency partners and commercial fleet owners.“The value proposition is you're going to get an instantaneous quote or a declination from us. We do like to avoid the long maybe. Speed sells.”Countering the industry norm of using aggregated data to price for the average driver, Kevin says, “We really want to drive that home to an individual risk basis. The hope is to identify those 10% of the riskiest drivers and either coach them to be better drivers or eliminate them from our portfolio because they are driving the overall cost of insurance in the end.”Kevin shares the value that insurance expertise and technologists bring to the team and gives his thoughts on the road ahead for the insurance industry and Cover Whale. “We’re on the offensive. We are searching for A-player talent. This is an organization where you have an opportunity to really grab whatever you can handle. We are moving fast and will push everyone outside their comfort zone.”&nbsp;Kevin concludes by saying, “We're inspired by where the insurance industry is overall. &nbsp;Five years ago, it was disrupt, disrupt, disrupt. We're now trying to find ways of leveraging technology in into the nuances of insurance and do it better and more efficiently.”Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn or find out more about Cover Whale. The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses around the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“You have to take a step back and do some reflecting. I made the decision I wanted to do something different, which is something you shouldn't take lightly.”Justin shares his insurance career journey from General Electric to joining the Vantage team in 2021. Talking through his transition in to senior leadership positions and the C-suite, Justin explains how it was his time at XL where doors opened and his confidence grew. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I was regularly working on operational planning and there was a desire with senior leadership, to expose me to other business units, other countries and strategic planning.It really gave me an opportunity to spread my wings and develop a reputation. &nbsp;I found that doors started to open.”Justin highlights his biggest achievement and his reaction to being overlooked. He shares how Vantage is adopting technology to exceed its clients’ expectations, its impact on talent attraction, and the skills Vantage demands from aspiring leaders. Justin concludes with advice to any executives considering a career move. "Take some time and look around and figure out what you want to do. Really think about what makes you happy, what you want to do long term."Connect with Justin on LinkedIn or find out more about Vantage Risk Companies. This episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 9 August 2022Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Insurance companies like to put out perfect products and perfect products take a long time”, says Tim Attia. “But when you put them out they're not perfect.”The Toronto-based CEO talks through his insurance journey to co-founding Slice. Driven by removing as much expense as possible, algorithms outperforming people in terms of underwriting &amp; claims and delivering a better user experience, Slice partners with MGAs and Wholesalers to distribute white labelled or co-branded small business insurance products.Tim talks about the importance of starting with the customer and journeying backwards as well as the team’s cultural values. “The whole company is built very distributed. Our decision-making is distributed. We have a big culture of experimentation, what does the end user think, it’s not what do we think.”Tim concludes by emphasising the importance of removing silos and layers, explaining “our tech people know insurance and our insurance people know tech. The product is a combination of technology and insurance. There’s no separation.”Connect with Tim on LinkedIn or email [email protected] or find out more about SliceThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 10 May 2022Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We really take it seriously that the person with the most information is making the decision, so we don't have a whole lot of ‘Oh let me go ask my boss’", says Sean. The self-confessed nerd and entrepreneur shares how his background as a management consultant exposed him to a lot of business problems and gain the confidence in solving them.Sean talks through his journey of co-founding Kin, a fully-licensed home insurance technology company that provides affordable coverage to homeowners in catastrophe-prone regions.Headquartered in Chicago, he shares the core values that Kin offers its growing team and emphasises that the hard things are where the value is created.&nbsp;“We give people an opportunity to practise their craft”Sean encourages us to maintain a ‘beginner's mind’. “Take nothing for granted, think about every problem from a blank sheet of paper.”Connect with Sean on LinkedIn or find out more about KinThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 5 October 2021Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“With pooled pricing, only 20% of the pool wins. 80% of the sample pays for the 20%”, says Sten. The triple espresso-loving Swedish entrepreneur has used his background in the automotive technology space to found Greater Than. The AI-based data analytics business is helping automotive OEMs, insurance carriers and new mobility better understand risk on the roads and predict future accident probability per individual.As for changes to the future of the motor insurance industry, Sten says they’re larger than the industry is prepared to digest. He cites the 3 key factors of the pandemic, climate and road fatalities that will drive change in the industry and believes, “Pooled pricing drives poor behaviour, the industry has to become more individualised.”Sten talks about the value insurance professionals can bring to Greater Than and the types of personalities that can succeed in a customer-centric, fast-paced environment.“If you don’t like to be visible, don’t work for an insurtech. If you dare to jump, jump with your heart and you will be rewarded.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Connect with Sten on LinkedIn or find out more about Greater ThanThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 7 September 2021Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Opportunities won't always land right in front of you”, says Mark. “You've got to be willing to put yourself in an uncomfortable position, by doing things which maybe you wouldn't have thought would be the natural next move.” A leading insurance executive in both P&amp;C and Life, Mark shares his leadership journey and the importance of having a sponsor. Resilience is the key to success for Mark and he discusses how consistent high performance and most importantly delivering results, will get you that promotion or next leadership opportunity.Leading the US region, Mark shares his advice to executives looking to relocate internationally or interstate and the secrets of making that transition successful for both you and your family.Connect with Mark Holweger on LinkedIn This episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 10 November 2020. Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, contact Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Everything we do is about working from the customer backwards”, says Dax.The serial entrepreneur talks through his journey of co-founding Pie Insurance, and how the company uses technology and data analytics to fuel the rapid growth Pie has achieved.Pie continues to change how commercial insurance companies do business.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We want people who are curious, people with the right mindset”Connect with Dax on LinkedIn or find out more about career opportunities at Pie InsuranceThis episode of the Insurance Coffee House Podcast was first published on 2 July 2021Podcast hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Being more equipped to translate what you know about insurance to technical people who may not have your background, that's just going to improve your product”, says Katy. &nbsp;Katy shares her journey of growing up with parents working in the risk management and insurance space, her initial aspirations to be a vet, to executing her father’s vision for PINS.San Diego-based PINS is a SaaS that helps municipalities, airports, construction contractors and large sub-contractors request insurance documentation from the third parties they interact with. “LAX use our software. There's so much activity going on - vendors, limo drivers. As an entity, LAX is so exposed. If one of those vendors does something rogue, even if by accident and there's a big impact to a passenger, they will take up their issue first and foremost with the airport.”Helping clients reduce gross claims, PINS transfers the risk back to the vendor and provides a simple instruction manual around the insurance process. Vendors know exactly what information they’re required to provide and when.Katy discusses the challenges she’s encountered in building the business, growth plans and the culture she is seeking to build. In building the team, Katy highlights the value of in-office interactions. “There's a lot of knowledge that you can gain just through osmosis. You learn because you’re in the room. I like that in person aspect, but it's not a requirement."Contact Katy Rose via LinkedIn, email [email protected] or find out more about PINS The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Find a problem that you have connection with, in your past career and you're passionate about, because entrepreneurship is hard”, says Matheus. The Brazilian entrepreneur charts his journey from joining peer-to-peer car-sharing business Turo to starting up Tint. Having raised $30m VC-funding, the California-based insurtech provides insurance infrastructure, helping tech companies protect their users from the inherent risks of using their platforms whilst creating additional revenue streams. Matheus outlines the benefits on offer to carriers and discusses the rising demand for embedded insurance. “Platforms are really looking for ways to increase the value of what they offer and to increase their margins. Embedded insurance is typically a board level conversation today.”Matheus describes Tint's ambitions to treble its headcount in the coming 12 months and the core values they are seeking to build in a remote-first environment. He shares his tips for candidates looking to join a high-growth business and advises those looking to found a business to be ambitious. “If you're ambitious, you can develop an exciting vision that helps attract people. If you’re not, it's much harder to tell the story of why your company would really make an impact.”Connect with Matheus Riolfi on LinkedIn or find out more about Tint The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s one of the most uncomfortable things we've ever done, hiring people that aren't like you, particularly in your senior leadership team”, says Andre. The London-based co-CEO discusses his route to joining Genasys in 2011. Founded in 1997, the business now services 40 MGAs, Brokers and Carriers across 22 countries from its offices in London, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Andre describes how the business has repurposed its technology over 25 years and kept up to date with an exceptionally high revenue to R&amp;D ratio.“The one thing as a small organisation is that you have to make sure your technology is better than the bigger ones. Otherwise, what is the point of people looking at you.”Andre discusses tech implementation costs, competing against VC-backed insurtechs &nbsp;and having a long-standing obsession of customer experience. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Driving down the cost to implement new technology will ultimately improve [our clients’] business and therefore our ultimate goal of improving the policyholders life without breaking the bank.”Highlighting plans to hire 80-100 people over the next 12 months, Andre emphasises the need for strong leadership alignment throughout the divisions of the business, balanced with the desire to have fun along the way. He shares the advice he’d give to those looking to build a career in the insurance space and those in the insurtech space that he admires most.“Too many insurtechs are more concerned about trying to create value for the sake of an exit rather than trying to create value for a customer.&nbsp; The people I respect in the industry are genuinely trying to do something to improve the policyholders life."Connect with Andre Symes on LinkedIn or find out more about GenasysThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“They couldn't give me data or any sense whether or not I had the right coverage. The answer was always ‘just trust me’. &nbsp;I was convinced that there was a real opportunity to address some of these data problems.” Leo charts his transition from Wall St to starting a small commercial real estate investment fund – where he was responsible for overseeing the portfolio’s insurance - and the motivation to setting up New York-based LineSlip Solutions.“When I went in for my renewal conversation, I was shocked at the quality of the deliverable.”Leo explains how he went from idea to creating a viable business.“Serendipitously I ran into somebody who was struggling because their largest customer, a global top five private equity fund, wanted to see their commercial insurance data across all 200 of their portfolio companies and they had multiple brokers obviously, they had many different carriers or markets. I said, ‘I can do that’”.Investing in data science, LineSlip were able to extract and aggregate meaningful insurance data and develop relationships with brokers to cater for their private equity funds. Leo highlights the benefits on offer to clients and shares his outlook for the insurance sector, the culture LineSlip is building and the importance of hiring people that understand both the challenges of risk managers and the value that LineSlip can bring. "I came to the conclusion that I wasn't the best at everything a long time ago. The key is to hire people that are better than you, resource them appropriately and empower them."&nbsp;He concludes “You have to focus on the core value proposition. These gathering clouds around our economic outlook, it's going to raise the bar as to which solutions a customer invests in. &nbsp;The way you transition from being a nice to have to a must have is offering a clear return on investment.”&nbsp;Connect with Leo Bernstein on LinkedIn or find out more about LineSlip SolutionsThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2023 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We looked at our telematics data and found that a car is moved for about 4 to 5% of its lifetime, so there is life outside the car. We can enhance telematics services outside the car”, says Harald. With a background in electronic engineering, Harald shares his journey in to telematics and co-founding Austria-based Dolphin Technologies in 2001, highlighting his passion for preventing accidents and saving lives.“We try to make people avoid wrong decisions and we want to fill the gap of missing information”, as Harald explains Dolphin’s product offering following a study of 40,000 drivers over a 2-year period. Harald emphasises the benefits on offer to both policyholders and insurance companies. “Bringing risks down means bringing accidents down, bringing losses down, bringing bodily injury down.” Dolphin is also helping carriers improve CX and up-sell. “Touch points are not very positive and not very frequent, so we help insurance companies and their customers to stay in touch and have a meaningful relationship.”Harald gives an overview of growth plans and challenges moving forward, the culture &amp; values the team are seeking to maintain as the business scales and Dolphin’s desire to be a ‘holistic risk partner.’&nbsp;He concludes by advising fellow founders to, “Look for a real problem that adds value to humans and to the environment. If you become scalable, then it becomes doable.”Connect with Harald Trautsch on LinkedIn or find &nbsp;out more about Dolphin TechnologiesThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We found there to be tremendous value in having an insourced model. It’s more expensive but we view it as an investment,” says Kevin.&nbsp; “There's nothing better than having a TypTap employee, answer the customer service call or answer the claims call.”Kevin shares his journey from joining TypTap Insurance’s parent company, HCI Group in 2013 to becoming TypTap President in 2019. Working with independent insurance agents, the business has grown quickly from providing flood insurance in Florida to offering homeowners insurance across 12 States. He explains the factors that TypTap consider when expanding in to new States, the growth challenges it’s encountered along the way and the benefits on offer to agents. “Having an internal technology arm (Exzeo, launched in 2012), we’re able to develop a full suite of technology and software that allows the agent to be more efficient.”With a team of 180 spread across the US and 100 in India, Kevin outlines growth plans for the next year and discusses how remote-working is broadening their prospective talent pool. “We're always on the hunt for talent. Covid has caused an adjustment to that thought process, we are agnostic to where those employees are located."Kevin highlights the culture TypTap are building, the impact of remote-working and the value high-performing insurance can bring to the business. “What we're looking for is people that aren't entrenched in traditional thinking.”“The vast majority of policyholders are good people, hard-working people that are out there just trying to provide for their family. We think TypTap can provide an insurance policy that is able to help good people protect their largest asset.”Connect with Kevin Mitchell on LinkedIn, email [email protected] or find out more about TypTap Insurance. The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I've had people tell me, ‘Oh I've heard it’s unlimited vacation and you get to work from wherever you want. The tip is ‘Have a good why!”, says Matthew. Matthew describes his journey from a successful State Farm agency to joining the team at Obie, satisfying his entrepreneurial desires. Headquartered in Chicago, the property insurtech caters for time poor landlords, entrepreneurs or small business owners, offering a flagship product in the 1-4 unit rental space. In the midst of a Series B funding round, Matthew explains, “We’re doing it out of the want to grow and not out of the need to survive, which I think is key.”Matthew highlights the ambitious growth plans for 2023 and discusses the challenges of inflation, rising interest rates on the property rental market and the plans for building its customer base in tough times. Sharing his interview tips for candidates looking to join an insurtech, Matthew says, “I love when someone asks for the role and tells me, ‘You'd be disappointed if you don't bring me on.’”He explains the family culture at Obie and the team’s desire for people to connect on that level as the business seeks to add up to 50 roles in the next 12 months. Matthew concludes by sharing the other insurtechs he admires, “I don't have a poor word about any of them, they're pioneers. Whether you're insurtech 1.0 with Lemonade and Hippo, we wouldn't probably be here without them.”Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn or find out more about Obie &nbsp;The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Bringing in somebody who understands the art and science of underwriting from the insurance industry would be a huge benefit”, says Ilya. Ilya shares his journey from large industrial engine manufacturer to corporate consultancy roles with KPMG and PWC through to co-founding PAXAFE, an AI-enabled, device agnostic risk management platform to reduce product loss, improve operational efficiency and optimise decision making for pharmaceutical shippers and carriers. “Part of the reason why we started PAXAFE is because we see visibility differently, we see visibility as primarily a machine problem, not a human problem”, explains Ilya, as he highlights the importance of supply chain visibility and contextualising the wealth of data.With the 30-strong team split between the U.S, Mexico and India, Ilya discusses the products and benefits on offer to customers and stakeholders as well as the ambitious growth plans. For a small tech-driven business, Ilya shares how the timeframe to make decisions - and having confidence in them - is much shorter. “You don't have the luxury to analyse 10 different ways and which path you should take.”He describes the culture and values at PAXAFE and how they will maintain those as they look to double or treble the team throughout 2023. “Our next phase of growth is going to require conscious investment into culture and people. Building a people team is step one. Step two is not skimping on our interview process. We have a really robust three step process, we call it the 3C's – core, capacity and capability.”Ilya concludes by advising anyone looking to launch their own start-up, saying, “It’s all relative to what you're trying to solve, but spend all of your time understanding the intricacies and nuances of the problem” Connect with Ilya on LinkedIn, email [email protected] or find out more about Paxafe The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We're forging relationships with our partners to help push their business forward, which benefits us as well”, says Joel as he charts his transition from Liberty Mutual to joining MediaAlpha, an online acquisition channel for digital insurance agencies.Joel shares, “Our primary vertical is property and casualty, but we also have health, life, medicare and travel,” and how the 160-strong team is using best-in-class analytics to help clients be smarter about acquisition and focus on lifetime value. He highlights the benefits on offer to both clients and end policyholders as well as the challenges ahead as MediaAlpha continues to scale. “Right now we're stuck in this hard market but we’ll accelerate out of it relatively soon. The biggest challenge for us is once the acceleration starts happening, we need to make sure we have the right people in place to help our partners.”Joel shares MediaAlpha’s culture and values, the value insurance knowledge brings and the extensive hiring process to ensure there’s a fit on both sides. “I can't tell you how many interviews I went through. I think we really put people through the wringer. It makes it sound negative but it really gives them a taste of what we are and we try to get a full feel for who they are.” Joel concludes by emphasising the foundations needed to scale an insurtech and what advice he’d give to executives looking to transition from insurance incumbent to a tech-driven business.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Having that alignment between culture and values between somebody joining the company and the company itself, is just huge.”Connect with Joel on LinkedIn or find out more about MediaAlpha The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Remote working and hybrid work environments have actually been really helpful in breaking down barriers between global teams”, says James as he shares the journey of growth at UnderwriteMe has been on over the last decade. Launched in 2012 as a marketplace to make life insurance easier to buy and sell, CEO, James and Head of North America, Brett Laker, discuss the rapid expansion the business has achieved in the UK, US and Canada as well as Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.&nbsp;They give insight in to the value proposition for carriers and customers and highlight the differences between the North American and UK &amp; European markets. Discussing the challenges to growth, James says, “The biggest challenge has been prioritising what we tackle first and picking the right markets. Particularly relevant now is recruiting the right people into the business, It’s always something that's fundamental to the company's success.”Emphasising the business’ cultural values of collaboration, curiosity and doing the right thing, James and Brett share the positive impact of remote-working and the value insurance knowledge brings to the team. “It's finding somebody who can bring all that knowledge, but also kind of change how they approach things”, says Brett. James and Brett conclude by sharing their advice to leaders looking to scale an insurtech or for people looking to move in to a more tech-driven business. “If you've got the right culture and you recruit people who believe what you believe, that's fundamental to your success”, says James. Connect with James Tait or Brett Laker on LinkedIn or find out more about opportunities at UnderwriteMe UK or UnderwriteMe North America&nbsp; The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Mission and purpose is becoming crucial. We are living in a very anxious world. We see that climate change will be a big change for humanity”, says Tanguy. The self-proclaimed insurance industry veteran shares his intrapreneurial journey with Oliver Wyman and AXA to co-founding Descartes Underwriting. Headquartered in Paris and with 12 offices across Europe, North America and APAC, the climate risk insurtech operates in 40 countries around the globe – helping protect clients against hailstorms, bushfires, floods, cyclones, droughts and heatwaves. Having raised USD$120m in its Series B funding round, Tanguy highlights, “When you’re a start-up and backed by VC or private equity, you have more time to think about how the company may look like in 3,5,7 or 10 years.”Tanguy clarifies how Descartes are competing with established industry incumbents and the benefits they provide to clients. “If we just look at the corporate segments in the USA it takes an average of 550 days between the declaration of loss and claim payments. It's a very long and painful process, full of litigation. In our case we use external data sources and we make sure the policy is transparent and that we stick to claim payments within five working days.”He discusses the challenges ahead for the industry and maintaining the firm’s cultural values with high growth plans across the globe, as well as the value insurance industry knowledge brings to the team. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Connect with Tanguy on LinkedIn or find out more about Descartes Underwriting The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“You have to employ part of your week to build connections, digitally or physically”, says Rodrigo. With the tsunami of technology impacting the financial services sector in 2012, Rodrigo used his banking and tech background to establish networks and ecosystems to connect investors, start-ups and corporates. “To start with, it was more about connecting people in person. With the pandemic, we realised that the physical ecosystems needed to change. It’s very, very difficult to scale businesses physically.” Before launching the global platform, Rodrigo set about identifying all the fintech and insurtech solutions worldwide. Finnovating now has 10,000 active companies from 150 countries, providing a matchmaking service to start-ups, scale-ups, investors and corporates.&nbsp;&nbsp; Rodrigo outlines the benefits on offer and gives his thoughts on the future of the insurance space, highlighting new products, models of distribution and solutions. He emphasises the value insurance knowledge brings and the personalities best suited to a platform like Finnovating, stressing the importance of a global outlook, ambition, agility and humility.&nbsp; Rodrigo underlines the lacking digital skills when recruiting from the insurance industry and urges us to be curious around new tech, trends and business models. “It's important to be able to change and transform yourself to the new digital world of opportunities.” &nbsp;Connect with Rodrigo on LinkedIn, email [email protected] or find out more about Finnovating &nbsp;The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We want to improve the profitability of carriers, but also help employers by keeping as many of their employees healthy and happy and working as long as possible”, says Tom. Tom shares his journey from childhood obsession with computers to 10 years on machine learning and AI projects at Google, before co-founding EvolutionIQ in 2019. Based in NYC with a current full-time team of 55, the bodily injury claims insurtech is offering transformative reductions in combined ratios for carriers as well as significant reductions in the number of people moving from short-term to long–term disabilities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the business moves forward to international expansion, Tom highlights the challenges of hiring and the length of the sales cycle as a result of carriers being new to AI. “Hiring for AI and data, we have a very high bar. We hire one out of 10,000 applicants. That's been tough.”&nbsp;Tom explains how EvolutionIQ is maintaining its cultural values as it expands in to overseas markets with similar regulatory environments. He concludes by sharing his advice to fellow insurtech founders. “Find something you’re truly passionate about. It needs to be something you're willing to spend seven days a week on for the first couple of years. And listen very, very carefully to the carriers. Every carrier has a different way of doing things.”Connect with Tom on LinkedIn, email [email protected] or find out more about EvolutionIQThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I think the first step was real conviction in my mind”, says Steve as he describes his journey to co-founding Branch, the Columbus, Ohio-based auto and home insurance insurtech. Steve shares how important it was to find a credible tech co-founder, how the structure of the business is obligated to social good as well as shareholder value and how they use tech to benefit their community of clients. &nbsp; He highlights the growth the business has achieved since its launch in 2018 and the challenges of scaling a start-up and adding 240 ‘Branchers’ in the last 6 months alone. Describing the cultural values – or roots as they call them – Steve emphasises the importance of having a clear mission and pruning the tree as well as the value those with insurance industry experience bring. “We like everybody to be challenging the status quo and each other in a positive way, with positive intent.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Steve offers advice to anyone looking to scale an insurance business, and says, “If you've got a clear problem to solve which becomes your mission, you've got the right team and you've got the right capital, I think you’ll be off to a great start.”Connect with Steve Lekas on LinkedIn or find out more about Branch.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable in the insurance industry. The pace of change has accelerated to a degree that we've never experienced. Consumer expectations are changing at pace that we can't comprehend ”, says David. On the podcast, Shannel Clubb and David Mamane discuss their career trajectories, moving in to leadership roles and their biggest achievements.“I didn't have a five year plan”, says Shannel. “I just focused on the client, made sure we had excellent client delivery and built great relationships with the senior executives on those accounts.”“The one thing that's been key is taking a lot of risks”, adds David. Shannel and David outline the insurance consultancy services offered by RSM, the world’s 5th largest accountancy firm and discuss what insurance businesses need to do to attract and retain the very best talent. They share their thoughts on industry disruption, embracing digital and the challenges ahead for insurance leaders, emphasising how those transitioning in to the insurtech space need to play the long game. &nbsp;&nbsp;In conclusion, David highlights the critical importance of modularity, proving the use case and offering a plug and play solution when looking to scale a start-up insurance business. &nbsp;Shannel encourages us to, “Do something different and don’t be afraid to fail”Connect with Shannel and David on LinkedIn or find out more about RSM USThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I heard this phrase once that you should hire for slope not intercept, hire for the direction people are headed, not necessarily the absolute level that they are at today”, says Spike. On the podcast this week, Newfront’s CEO &amp; Co-Founder, Spike Lipkin and Chief People Officer, Amy Steadman discuss combining human expertise and technology, structured data, managing the growth of the business and the increased pressures on frontline managers with remote-working. Rated as one of the top 40 US brokerages, they share how the 800-strong team is working with clients from app developers to food-producers, the vision for the business moving forward and how they are ‘thoughtfully and intentionally’ maintaining their cultural values as the employee-owned business continues to scale. Amy highlights how Newfront is addressing burnout and providing long-term opportunities at an inflexion point for the insurance industry. &nbsp; “I think a great culture in any environment has to strike the balance between high care and high performance. The high care piece was really highlighted in recent years with everything that's been going on”, says Amy. Reach out to [email protected] or [email protected] or find out more about Newfront The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying &amp; attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via&nbsp;[email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright&nbsp;Insurance&nbsp;Search&nbsp;2022 – All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;