InsTech - insurance & innovation with Matthew Grant & Robin Merttens

Insurers have had fair warning: the hard market is softening, and those still relying on legacy tech may soon feel the chill. So what does it take to stay competitive as conditions turn? In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined once again by Dani Katz, Co-founder and Director of Optalitix, for a sharp analysis of what’s changed since their last conversation and why now really is the time to fix the roof. Dani brings a clear message: the winners in this market cycle will be those with disciplined pricing, strong data infrastructure and the ability to move fast. And while AI is starting to play a role, it's the fundamentals (clean data, integrated platforms, empowered underwriters) that remain essential. In this conversation, Dani shares insights on: Why too many firms delayed digital upgrades during the boom The signs of market softening and what that means for pricing teams What “minimum viable tech” looks like in 2025 How underwriters can be brought on the journey, not left behind The difference between automating and augmenting decisions Why data pipelines matter more than AI hype How Optalitix is responding to demand from both UK and global insurers They also touch on industry psychology: the lingering suspicion of new tech, the cultural lag behind modern tooling and why many firms still struggle to turn innovation into impact. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Dani Katz on LinkedIn to start a conversation! Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Define the role of AI in underwriting workflows, distinguishing between automation and augmentation. Identify common cultural and structural barriers to technology adoption across insurance organisations. Summarise how insurers can use data-first strategies to gain a competitive edge during market transitions. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 366 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

At its best, parametric insurance delivers clarity when volatility strikes. But scaling that promise takes more than models: it takes real claims data, market feedback and the ability to solve for both reinsurers’ confidence and cedents’ earnings risk. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Matt Coleman, Chief Risk Officer at The Demex Group, a reinsurance MGA using a new modelled loss index to reshape how the market covers severe convective storms, one of the fastest-growing sources of weather-driven loss. Our conversation picks up where our previous webinar left off, and explores how Demex has grown distribution, secured broker support and validated its approach in a live risk environment. In this conversation Matt touches on: Why 2025 has already seen above-average tornado, wind and hail activity and how recoveries are already flowing How Demex’s RCR Re cover mimics indemnity but pays out on a modelled index Why omitting sensors and relying on robust weather and claims data reduces basis risk The advantages of training models on cedents’ actual ground-up claims, not diluted industry averages What reinsurers want in secondary peril covers and how Demex packages risk to match that appetite Why broker engagement has been critical to growth, and what their clients are asking for What it means to build in response to a genuine market problem not just to push a technology Along the way, Matthew and Matt talk about why carriers are willing to share granular claims data when the product is strong enough and why early validation matters in parametric. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matt Coleman or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Specify the role of brokers in distributing innovative reinsurance solutions and educating cedents Identify the challenges and advantages of building a reinsurance product in direct response to market demand Explain why reinsurers prefer weather-driven indices over indemnity-based uncertainty If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 365 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

What does it take to rebuild after disaster as a business leader, a homeowner and a policyholder? Garret Gray has spent his career trying to improve how insurers and property owners respond to damage. As President of Insurance Solutions at Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) and founder of Next Gear Solutions, he’s been at the centre of building tools for claims, risk assessment and recovery. But this year, the conversation became personal. A wildfire tore through Garret’s neighbourhood in California, forcing an emergency evacuation and leaving his home heavily damaged. That experience has shaped the way he thinks about risk, resilience and the urgency of modernising the systems we rely on. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Garret about what he’s learning, not just from running a technology platform, but from living through the very risks his business is built to address. Garret reflects on: What the industry often underestimates about “secondary” damage and long-tail claims Why speed not just coverage is critical in claims response How Cotality is using AI to streamline damage assessment, measurement and documentation Where underwriting still falls short on using granular property data effectively The potential for aerial imagery, building code data, and mitigation scoring to improve pricing The evolving role of regulators, particularly in high-risk states like California He also shares what it takes to keep innovation alive inside a larger company and why so many of the original founders of acquired businesses are still working alongside him today. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Garret Gray or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: List the ways AI and automation are improving claims workflows, from measurement to estimate validation. Measure the impact of faster claims processing on overall loss severity and policyholder experience. Specify the data and tools required to assess property-level risk more accurately, including aerial imagery and local building codes. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 364 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

Why has claims innovation taken off in personal lines, but still lags behind in specialty? It’s a question that many in the market have asked and in this episode, a panel of senior experts set out to answer it. Hosted by Andrew Pedler, Vice President at Reserv, this special discussion brings together three experienced voices from across the claims and consulting landscape: Chris Payne (Partner, EY), Andy Stevenson (Consultant Director, PwC), and Patrick Hayward (Claims Lead, Altus Consulting). Together, they examine why some of the biggest efficiency gains in motor and home claims haven’t yet translated into specialty and what needs to change to unlock that value. In this conversation, the panel explores: Where personal lines have succeeded: distribution, automation,and data enrichment Why claims in specialty remain complex, fragmented and harder to automate The structural and cultural barriers to innovation including litigation risk and lack of direct customer engagement How changing expectations and regulatory pressures are creating momentum for transformation What a “claims workbench” might look like and how it mirrors trends in underwriting The panel’s insight is clear: meaningful claims transformation in specialty is less about chasing point solutions and more about rethinking the role of claims within the wider enterprise from managing portfolios to improving capital efficiency. Whether you're trying to improve claims operations, justify technology investment, or just understand what’s actually happening in the market, this is an honest and thought-provoking discussion with people who know the space inside out. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Describe the key differences between personal lines and specialty claims processes, including complexity, litigation exposure, and stakeholder roles List the technological advancements successfully implemented in personal lines claims and assess their relevance to specialty markets Measure the impact of improved data ingestion and automation on claims processing efficiency and decision-making If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 363 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

What does it take to build an MGA that not only launches but lasts? Tim Quayle has spent the past decade answering that question, not in theory, but in practice. As CEO of OneAdvent, a London-based MGA incubator and service platform, he’s helped launch and scale more than 15 underwriting businesses and seen plenty more that didn’t make it. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks to Tim about the real ingredients of MGA success. Not the glossy pitch-deck version, but the messy, pragmatic reality: why experience matters, what investors are really looking for, and how the market has matured in the last ten years since the “InsurTech” label first emerged. In this conversation, Tim shares: Why most early-stage MGAs underestimate how long things take and how much they’ll cost What’s changed in capacity and investment appetite, and why “grown-up plans” are now a must The risk of pushing too hard, too fast and how to preserve credibility with stakeholders Why deep insurance experience still outweighs tech fluency in this market The myth of radical disruption and why incremental improvement is the better bet How OneAdvent is investing in AI and data to better support underwriting teams across its platform We also explore broader themes: the shifting dynamics between MGAs and capacity providers, the evolution of embedded insurance, and why many promising innovations still struggle to gain traction in such a regulated, relationship-driven industry. You can join Tim Quayle in person at our upcoming MGA Half Day event on July 15th. Tim will be moderating a panel on the key ingredients for a winning MGA, alongside Adam Kembrooke, Founder and Managing Director, Amiga Specialty, Jacqui Ferrier, CEO, Carbon Underwriting and Tomos Ashfield, Chief Development Officer, The Ardonagh Group.  With only a few tickets left, sign up now to be able to join us for what is shaping up to be the biggest UK gathering focused entirely on the delegated authority market this year. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Explain why radical disruption often fails in insurance, and how incremental innovation leads to sustainable business growth. List the core capabilities MGAs need to present a “grown-up” proposition to capacity providers and investors. Identify the key components of a data-driven MGA operating model and how platforms like OneAdvent’s OneView can support underwriting performance. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 362 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

Enhanced underwriting has become one of the most talked-about shifts in the London Market, but it’s also one of the least clearly defined. In this episode, we share a live panel discussion from our Enhanced Underwriting event, featuring: Colum D’Auria, Canopius Rob Jarvis, Tokio Marine Kiln Tessa Wardle, QBE The conversation begins with a basic question what exactly are “portfolio solutions”? and opens up into a broader exploration of how insurers are adapting to new forms of delegated authority, rising data expectations and the growing influence of broker-led facilities. Our speakers touched on: How different firms define and implement portfolio underwriting The emergence of tracker facilities and their potential to reshape market dynamics Why algorithmic platforms are gaining traction, and where they still fall short The role of live exposure data and the practical barriers to using it well How underwriters can maintain control and accountability in increasingly automated environments What comes through clearly is that many of the most innovative teams are thinking beyond product and pricing and focusing instead on how underwriting structures, controls and data flows can support long-term performance. If you want a clearer view of how underwriting is evolving beneath the surface and how leaders across the market are responding this episode offers a window into the practical realities behind the strategy. You can also read our event write-up: “Enhanced Underwriting: How the London Market is Turning Theory into Practice”. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.  Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Define what “portfolio solutions” means across different insurers in the London Market context. Describe how broker facilities and tracker portfolios are influencing underwriting practices and market concentration. List the key components that distinguish smart platforms and algorithmic underwriting from traditional models. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 361 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

At its core, insurance underwriting is about judgment: making sense of messy information, pricing for uncertainty and doing it at speed. Technology and AI should make that easier, but is it really the answer to underwriting’s most persistent challenges? In this episode, Robin Merttens speaks to Guillaume Bonnissent, CEO and founder of Quotech, a platform built specifically for underwriting teams. Guillaume brings a rare combination of perspectives: he’s a former underwriter who became a technologist and his company reflects that crossover. We begin by reflecting on the past 12 months: what’s changed since Guillaume was last on the podcast, and why Quotech’s strategy of building for niche underwriting teams has started to gain serious traction. In this conversation, Guillaume talks about: Why underwriters still spend far too much time retyping data The real promise of AI in ingestion and why it’s finally deliverable The structural shift from generic platforms to class-specific solutions Why "build vs. buy" debates rarely make sense for MGAs How to build systems that record data usefully, not just store it Why AI can’t fix bad inputs, and what that means for underwriting teams We also dig into broader trends: how emerging tech is shifting the role of underwriters, whether AI really is a disruptor or just another tool and why so many companies are still struggling to make basic data available for decision-making. What emerges is a sharp portrait of a market in transition, one that’s slowly waking up to the need for class-specific tools, data-first workflows and AI that’s genuinely useful. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Guillaume Bonnissent on LinkedIn to start a conversation! Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Explain the limitations of building in-house technology solutions within MGA and insurer environments. Define the role of recorded underwriting data in enhancing future pricing and risk selection. Identify the ways AI is being realistically — and usefully — applied to solve practical problems in underwriting today. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 360 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

At its best, insurance is about clarity in uncertain times. Pricing that reflects reality. Promises that hold up when things go wrong.  In this episode, I speak with Todd Rissel, CEO and co-founder of e2Value, an independent company that has spent the last 25 years helping insurers and homeowners understand the real cost of rebuilding property, and the wider economic forces shaping those numbers. Todd brings both practical insight and long-term perspective. Our conversation begins with a simple observation: 2024 was a rare profitable year for home insurance in Florida. But Todd quickly places that in context, explaining why a single good year doesn’t undo a decade of structural challenges and why insurers need to think in five-year cycles, not one. In this conversation Todd touches on: Why rising tariffs and global uncertainty haven’t yet impacted replacement costs but might soon What the “small losses” teach us about insurer performance, far more than catastrophic ones The challenges of modeling severe convective storms, and why not everything can, or should, be reduced to a model The limits of funding-driven innovation in InsurTech, and the long-term discipline it takes to survive without external capital The launch of e2Value’s new Structure Insurance Score, developed in partnership with WTW, and what it tells us about using AI responsibly in underwriting Along the way, we talk about barnominiums, regulatory experiments in Louisiana and the difference between forward-looking valuation and backward-looking pricing. Todd’s perspective is shaped not just by data, but by experience. He’s someone who believes in the purpose of insurance, but also understands the commercial pressures it faces. And he makes a compelling case that good data, applied thoughtfully, is still the foundation for everything this industry does well. If you’re interested in where insurance pricing, risk and property data are heading next - or just want to hear from someone who’s spent decades building quietly essential infrastructure, this is a conversation worth your time. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Explain how the Structure Insurance Score, developed by e2Value and WTW, contributes to more granular underwriting of structural risk. Identify the regulatory challenges arising from policyholder-directed valuations in certain U.S. states, such as Louisiana. Specify the data considerations required to apply AI effectively in insurance valuation and pricing. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 359 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

Underwriting is undergoing a fundamental shift. As technology matures and data becomes more accessible, insurers and brokers are rethinking how they deploy capital, manage risk and respond to client needs in real time. In this special episode of the InsTech podcast, recorded live at our event “The growth of Enhanced Underwriting — the opportunity and the role of technology in realising it”, Robin Merttens is joined by Clyde Bernstein from Aon, Hayley Spink from Chaucer and Ed Howkins from Artificial. Together, they discuss how the market is embracing enhanced underwriting, why insurers are investing in digitisation at scale and how technology providers are helping unlock new levels of efficiency and accuracy across the value chain. Key Talking Points Learn how Aon is rethinking broking strategy from the ground up through enterprise-wide transformation. Understand why legacy systems are holding back innovation and what it takes to modernise at scale. Explore how cross-functional teams and external partners like Artificial Labs are accelerating progress. Hear why both brokers and carriers moving in sync is key to realising enhanced underwriting at speed. Discover how Chaucer is building cloud-native infrastructure and data strategy to support smarter decisions. Find out how technology is shaping the future of underwriting roles and changing team structures. Understand the risks of fragmentation as broker portals multiply across the market. See why consistent data standards are essential to making digitisation stick. Learn how enhanced underwriting supports speed and accuracy—especially in softening market conditions. Get insight into why now is the moment for insurers to translate strategy into execution and long-term value. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn.  Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Specify the role of consistent data standards in enabling seamless broker-carrier collaboration. Explain how digitisation helps insurers maintain underwriting discipline in soft market conditions. Define enhanced underwriting in the context of today’s capital deployment strategies. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 358 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

Pravina Ladva, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re, is at the forefront of digital transformation in the insurance industry. She discusses how generative AI can streamline underwriting processes, emphasizing small, impactful innovations. Pravina highlights the importance of a cultivated culture of curiosity while balancing traditional business metrics. She also explores the evolving role of underwriters and technologists, and how data infrastructure remains crucial in an increasingly AI-focused world. Upskilling employees globally to embrace these changes is key.