

InsTech - insurance & innovation with Matthew Grant & Robin Merttens
InsTech
Bringing together the best technology and innovation for insurance and risk management together from around the world. Podcast hosted by Matthew Grant.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 28, 2024 • 26min
Sarah Woolliscroft & Wayne Calderbank: Synergy: Passionate about claims management (286)
In this episode, Matthew Grant sits down with Sarah Woolliscroft, Group Head of Operations & TPA and Wayne Calderbank, Group Data and Performance Director at Claims Consortium Group (CCG) for an exploration of the importance of technology in the claims industry and CCG's journey into the world of artificial intelligence.
Synergy originated as a solution developed internally by CCG to enhance its claims management processes but has evolved since its launch into a platform that streamlines the claims handling process to support customer service and business performance.
Key Talking Points Include:
The role of technology in the claims industry
The significance of passion and shared goals within an organisation
How measurable goals and targets within a platform can add value
The benefit of understanding the nuances of customer communication
Where Synergy is focusing its AI efforts next
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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 how technology continues to shape and improve the claims management process
Outline how generative AI can be leveraged to analyse customer sentiment
Identify the significance of measurable goals and shared passion within an organisation in achieving business targets
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 286 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.

Jan 21, 2024 • 42min
James Orchard, CEO: QBE Ventures: Driving strategic value through corporate ventures (285)
This week James Orchard, CEO of QBE Ventures, joins the podcast and discusses the shift in insurers' appetite for innovation, partnerships with startups, and the importance of collaboration in achieving strategic goals.
The conversation covers how QBE Ventures is making strides in data and AI, resilience, and growth in emerging markets, with interesting prospects for cyber coverage and embedded insurance. James also reveals his predictions for 2024, foreseeing consolidation and challenges in investment as well as a focus on AI and strategic partnerships.
An immensely packed episode, for everyone curious about how investing and insurance intersect.
Key talking points:
Exploring QBE Ventures and its investment strategy
The strategy and focus of QBE Ventures
The challenges and opportunities in the insurtech space
How QBE can become a start-up partner
Using AI for resilience
What QBE looks for - the culture of collaboration
Coalition of the willing
Predictions and expectations for 2024 in insurtech
As well as hearing about QBE Venures, Matthew and James touch on innovation from Cytora, Sixfold, CGG, GeoSmart Information, Tensorflight, Geosite, Beazley, Chaucer, Tokio Marine, hyperexponential, The Demex Group, and Clara Analytics.
To listen to Cytora's podcast with Andrew Horton, QBE Insurance's Group CEO, click here.
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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 potential developments and challenges the insurtech community will face in 2024
Define what resilience can mean to a company from a strategic perspective, and how investors can help support this
Identify what traits an investor looks for in a company
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 285 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.

Jan 14, 2024 • 35min
Garrett Koehn, CRC Brokerage & Gordon Wintrob, Newfront: Brokers using generative AI today (284)
This week, we return with Henry Gale as he caught up with Garrett Koehn, President of CRC Brokerage, and Gordon Wintrob, Co-founder and CTO of Newfront. The discussion covers the potential of generative AI for insurance brokers, with real-world examples of brokers using AI right now.
Garrett and Gordon talk about how generative AI can improve the customer experience and discuss which AI solutions are better to build or buy.
Listen to this episode to find out more about how “we are all going to become tech companies”.
Talking points include:
Exploring the use of AI in insurance brokerage - real-world examples
Using AI to direct risks to the underwriters most likely to write it
How brokers using generative AI helps underwriters
Using AI to spot gaps in coverage from contracts with insurance requirements
The future of jobs in the insurance industry - supercharge your professionals
Updates on insurance and AI start-ups you should know
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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 how generative AI can be included in workflow processes for brokers
Specify how generative AI is currently being used in insurance, and where it could be developed and expanded
List the positive and negative aspects of developing your own AI software as opposed to adopting a third-party provider
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 284 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.

Jan 10, 2024 • 31min
Colville Wood & David Fearne: Cognizant: The power and surprises of generative AI in practice (283)
Colville Wood and David Fearne from Cognizant discuss the practical applications and benefits of generative AI in the insurance industry. They explore how generative AI can automate manual tasks, optimize processes, and provide valuable insights for underwriters. The key to successful implementation is finding balance between AI and humans. They also touch on data privacy and security considerations. Overall, generative AI has the potential to streamline workflows and improve operations in the insurance industry.

Jan 7, 2024 • 29min
Jamie Crystal, CEO & Co-founder: MIC Global: Simple microinsurance for everyday risks (282)
In our first podcast of 2024, Jamie Crystal, CEO of MIC Global, discusses with Matthew Grant their aim to close the insurance protection gaps by offering insurance products tailored to the needs of underserved individuals, including income protection, identity theft protection, and incident coverage.
MIC uses a business-to-business-to-customer (B2B2C) model and all of its products are embedded within other platforms or services. MIC offers insurance products in various forms including embedded insurance methods, aiming to make the process simpler and more relevant to everyday life. Crystal highlights the company’s partnerships with brokers, digital platforms, and other insurance companies to distribute their coverage. The need for these products is global, Crystal insists, and not limited to specific demographics or regions.
Key Talking Points Include:
Understanding the concept of microinsurance
The problem MIC is solving - access to affordable products
The role of embedded insurance
The future of MIC and the insurance industry
Closing the insurance protection gap
If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
Visit MIC Global here.
Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives
InsTech is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to any InsTech podcast, 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 what is the insurance protection gap and how it can be remedied
Summarise how an embedded insurance product operates and how it can help consumers
Identify key industries where there is an under-insurance problem and why that is the case
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 282 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.

Dec 31, 2023 • 1min
InsTech is away but the AI never rests (281)
The InsTech team is taking a break and we’ve outsourced this week’s short podcast to ChatGPT. But fear not - humans will be back in the loop next week.
Interested to find out more about how insurers are using AI. Sign up to our Generative AI newsletter here.
If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co

Dec 29, 2023 • 36min
Partners’ Chat - Storm clouds and silver linings (280)
This Christmas Eve, we bring to you our last Partners’ Chat of the year. Robin Merttens and Matthew Grant reflect on the year and the developments we’ve seen in insurance, particularly those set to define the industry in the next year. As always there are things to celebrate, and some things to be grumpy about.
Talking points include:
Our increasing understanding of what can or cannot be automated
M&A and MGAs - how they fared this year
Recognition of interdependence in insurance
War exclusions - what are they and why were they relevant in 2023?
The data in the hands of risk managers - how can we use it?
What to do when there is no capacity available
Love for wines
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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 what Smart Follow is in insurance, particularly its evolution in algorithmic underwriting practices
Identify the positives and negatives of collaborations and acquisitions in the insurance industry
Summarise the importance of the untapped potential of Risk Manager data, and how practices can change to accommodate the data
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 280 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.

Dec 17, 2023 • 38min
Bas de Goei, Director of Growth Marketing: Instabase: The AI application platform for unstructured data (279)
Instabase offers technology solutions to extract information from unstructured data and automate processes. This week Matthew Grant speaks with Bas de Goei, Director of Growth Marketing at Instabase about how generative AI is helping the insurance industry tackle its pain points, and specifically “give people time back to do things that are uniquely human”.
To find out more about how Instabase can specifically help you, visit the AI Hub where you can trial various data extractions from your own documents.
Key talking points:
Upside down startup - the beginning of Instabase and its journey in insurance
The proof is in the statistics - listen to Instabase’s case examples.
Why democratising automation is important.
Where will generative AI go next? The potential for collaboration.
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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 importance of changing and adapting a business model to operate successfully and cater to the insurance market
Describe the impact automating and integrating AI into underwriting workbenches can have on a company and its growth
Summarise some of the methods AI is being used in the insurance sector and how this can evolve in the future
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 279 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.

Dec 10, 2023 • 20min
James Gillespie & Grant Dewar: Aon Strategy and Technology Group: Progress, Partners, Plans and Prog Rock (278)
This week we hand over the mic to Robin Merttens as he talks to James Gillespie, Head of Pricing, and Grant Dewar, Client Services Director at Aon’s Strategy and Technology Group (STG).
In this episode, they discuss the evolution of Aon STG in the 18 months since it was created, what has been learned and what clients are seeking. It goes on to describe the body of services and resources it is building and the scale of its ambitions.
Key talking points include:
How the role of insurance brokers is changing
The development of the Aon STG ecosystem and plans for that
What the data model of the future looks like and how a conjoined approach through the whole value chain could transform insurance
The strength of what Aon can offer when the brokerage and STG join forces
How the size of the group has attracted new business, not deterred prospects
Nostalgia for 70’s prog rock music, art and design
Why everyone should do Lego in their spare 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.
To find out more about InsTech, our membership and offerings visit www.instech.co or contact us hello@instech.co
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 changing role of insurance brokers, moving beyond traditional risk placement to providing value through data and analytics
Summarise some of the methods for integration of technology divisions, talent acquisition, and the adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning in the insurance sector
Describe the concept of ecosystems in the insurance industry and how partnerships and collaborations contribute to creating a comprehensive solution for clients
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 278 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.

Dec 3, 2023 • 41min
Beyond the headlines: revealing the stories behind the insurance news (277)
Experts discuss exciting news topics in the insurance industry, such as Ki Insurance's new partnerships, the wide range of loss estimates from Hurricane Otis, and Howden Group's insurtech ventures fund. They also explore the shift from disruption to collaboration in the industry, the size and risks of wind turbines, and the potential of digitizing insurance policy wordings. The episode wraps up with a potential invite, commercial break, and call for listener input.