InsTech - insurance & innovation with Matthew Grant

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. You can also contact Will Bonner 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 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.

With generative AI, engineering excellence and legacy system resilience all under one remit, what does it take to lead digital transformation at one of the world’s largest reinsurers?

In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Pravina Ladva, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re, to explore what it means to drive impact through innovation at scale.

Pravina shares how Swiss Re is helping clients get more from their data, reduce underwriting time and prepare for a future shaped by new technologies. It’s a conversation about strategy, change and what it really takes to turn curiosity into impact – without losing sight of operational fundamentals.

Key Talking Points:

• Embracing GenAI responsibly – how Swiss Re encourages experimentation while prioritising outcomes
• From concept to scale – why small wins in underwriting can deliver real value for clients
• Beyond the hype – using traditional business cases to prioritise AI use cases
• Redefining talent – how today’s underwriters and technologists are becoming one and the same
• From ingestion to insight – why data infrastructure still matters in an AI-native world
• Making the business case – why AI productivity gains must go beyond speed
• Building co-pilot confidence – what it takes to upskill thousands of employees globally
• Thinking top-down – how Swiss Re balances experimentation with bold, disruptive thinking
• From engineering to impact – how core IP and differentiated services shape tech investment
• What insurers need to consider – why translating technology into strategic value is the real differentiator

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 Pravina Ladva 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:

• Measure the early productivity gains seen from AI-assisted engineering and claims assessment processes.
• Specify the criteria used by Swiss Re to prioritise AI and digital transformation use cases.
• Explain the role of talent development and cross-functional collaboration in enabling successful technology adoption.

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 356 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 happens when one of the world’s largest brokers and a digital-first underwriting platform team up to rethink risk trading?

In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Sasa Brcerevic, Head of Portfolio and Delegated Strategy at Aon, and Ed Howkins, Chief Growth Officer at Artificial Labs. Together, they explore the evolving dynamics of wholesale broking, why now is the moment to digitise trading relationships and how insurers can stay competitive in a rapidly transforming landscape.

The conversation offers a timely lens on the market-wide shift toward digital trading – not as a future ambition, but as an active and necessary response to competitive pressure. From the rise of underwriting-as-a-service to brokers leading platform innovation, this episode unpacks what insurers and brokers should be doing now to stay relevant.

Key Talking Points

• Digitising the broker–underwriter interface: why transaction execution, not just placement admin, is the next frontier
• Strategic momentum: how digitisation moved from side project to boardroom priority across carriers and brokers
• Competitive catalysts: why fast movers are already capturing flow and shaping future adoption curves
• Platforms not portals: how Artificial is helping brokers remove friction while giving carriers underwriting optionality
• A new breed of carrier: exploring the shift from balance sheet-first models to digital risk transformation
• The data dividend: why data-rich submissions are changing how insurers allocate capital and differentiate themselves
• Incremental innovation: what makes today’s efforts different from past false starts and what good adoption looks like
• Reimagining broking: how Aon is investing in technology to build its future operating model
• Sustainable advantage: why the biggest long-term gains lie in improving service, not just margin
• Time to jump in: why delaying digitisation could leave carriers and brokers on the outside looking in

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 Ed Howkins and Sasa Brcerevic 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:

• Describe how digitising wholesale broking can improve transactional efficiency and reduce operational friction.
• List the key challenges and opportunities in modernising risk trading processes between brokers and carriers.
• Explain how intentional digital adoption differs from previous waves of insurance market innovation.

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 355 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.

How can insurers make accurate loss estimates before adjusters are on the ground, and why does it matter?

In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Will Bonner, Chief Operating Officer at McKenzie Intelligence Services (MIS), about how the company uses satellite data, open-source intelligence and human expertise to deliver early insights on catastrophic events. From wildfires in California to civil unrest in the Pacific, the conversation explores how insurers are responding faster, setting more accurate reserves and navigating uncertainty in real time.

The episode also highlights the practical challenges of relying on public data sources, the growing role of brokers in geospatial intelligence and how MIS transitioned from a centrally funded Lloyd’s service to a solution used by 80% of syndicates. With real-world examples and lessons from other domains like defence and disaster response, this is a grounded look at what it takes to turn raw data into operational decisions.

Key Talking Points:

• Intelligence before access – how MIS delivers building-level damage assessments before roads reopen or planes can fly
• From imagery to insight – why expert human analysis still outperforms automation in post-disaster response Scaling trust – what it takes to become a Lloyd’s elective service for catastrophe intelligence
• From fires to frontlines – how MIS tracks 50,000+ buildings in wildfire zones to anticipate claims before they’re filed
• Beyond Lloyd’s – what global carriers and brokers are asking for as MIS expands into the US and beyond
• Stress-testing your stack – why reliance on single public datasets could leave insurers exposed in 2025
• Real-time relevance – how MIS is turning horizon scanning into an actionable, insurer-led signal layer
• Experiment, iterate, evolve – what MIS has learned from testing edge ideas like mobile phone data and evacuation mapping

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Will Bonner 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:

• List the types of natural and man-made events MIS monitors, from wildfires to geopolitical conflicts.
• Specify how reliance on single-source public datasets could create systemic risks for insurers.
• Identify the workflows and use cases where insurers benefit most from horizon scanning and rapid event monitoring.

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 354 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 if underwriters could instantly triage submissions and reduce time spent on repetitive admin, without changing how they work?

Matthew Grant speaks with Matt McGrillis, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Send, to explore how the company’s underwriting workbench is embedding AI into core workflows to help underwriters write more business, more profitably.

Now on its third feature with InsTech, Send has evolved from an early-stage start-up to one of the UK’s leading underwriting platforms. Matt shares how Send’s latest innovations including agent workflows and AI-powered triage, are making decision-making faster all while running quietly behind the scenes.

Key Talking Points

• How Send is digitising complex underwriting workflows to reduce friction and increase speed.
• How agent workflows are breaking down underwriting into manageable AI-driven tasks.
• Send’s triage tools helping underwriters prioritise high-value business in real-time.
• Why GenAI is less about disruption and more about quiet, seamless transformation.
• How Send balances “build v buy” to offer agility without sacrificing functionality.
• Why clients working with Send are seeing faster quote turnaround and improved broker response.
• The importance of automating the “boring bits” so underwriters can focus on value.
• Matt’s prediction on why AI agents and not flashy features will drive the next wave of adoption.

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Matt McGrillis 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:

• Describe how AI agents are transforming underwriting workflows by automating repetitive tasks and enabling faster decision-making.
• Specify the types of underwriting tasks best suited for AI agents and automation.
• Identify key challenges insurers face when adopting AI tools and how Send supports clients through that transformation.

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 353 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.

Attracting and retaining talent in the London Market is an evolving concern, with the PwC CEO Survey revealing that 93% of respondents either recognise the need to change or are already adapting their strategies to address it. Let’s discuss how!

In this special podcast episode done in partnership with PwC, we invited Anna Craston, Senior Manager, to host a panel discussion to explore the critical trends shaping talent management in the London insurance market. 

She’s joined by fellow PwC colleague Simone Ritson, Phoebe Thomas from CFC, Jacinta Chiang from WTW and Alfie Holt from Marco Capital to share their firsthand experiences and insights.

Together, they discuss how companies can build inclusive cultures, the shifting expectations of new talent and what organisations must do to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. This episode dives deep into why attracting diverse talent is just the beginning and why inclusion, development and purpose are the real keys to retention.

Key talking points:

• Understand why changing employee expectations are reshaping the London insurance market.
• Learn how AI, automation, and technology are driving new workforce capabilities.
• Explore the historic challenges in attracting diverse talent to the London market — and how that's starting to change.
• Examine the impact of culture, career growth, and leadership development on employee retention.
• Discover the importance of outreach programs to schools and universities in broadening insurance career awareness.
• Hear why inclusion, not just diversity, is critical for long-term workforce engagement.
• See how mentorship, reverse mentoring, and visible career pathways can support retention.
• Get practical ideas for fostering inclusion, from flexible working to cultural days and accessible networking events.

For more information, you can read PwC’s Transforming the London Market report. 

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 current challenges and evolving expectations around attracting and retaining talent in the London market.
• Explain how diversity and inclusion initiatives can move from hiring strategies to meaningful cultural change that fosters retention.
• Identify the most effective strategies companies can use to make the London insurance market more appealing to diverse, next-generation talent.

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 351 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.

The ultimate insurtech podcast crossover.

In this episode, Matthew Grant is joined by Rob Beller and Lee Boyd, co-hosts of the FNO: InsureTech Podcast, for a cross-continental conversation on what they’ve learned after more than 300 episodes spotlighting insurance innovation. Rob and Lee share insights from their day jobs at Alacrity Solutions and discuss the realities of claims management in the US, the cultural differences they notice when visiting the London Market and why podcasting has become one of their most valuable tools for professional growth.

Also joining the conversation is InsTech’s own Zoja, stepping from behind the mic to offer her take on what makes a great guest and why we still don’t hear enough female voices on insurance podcasts.

Whether you’re new to podcasting, thinking of launching your own, or just looking for a better way to understand the insurance ecosystem this episode is full of practical takeaways, thoughtful reflections and just a little bit of holiday light-show talk.

Key Talking Points

• Building the FNO InsureTech Podcast: how a marketing idea became a 300-episode archive 
• From Texas to California to London: Rob and Lee reflect on the cultural contrasts between US and UK insurance markets
• How podcasting helps build relationships and shape industry perspectives
• Defining a great guest: why passion, personality and storytelling beat corporate scripts
• Podcasting as learning: how hosting guests has improved leadership skills and business understanding
• Behind the mic: tips for being a good guest
• The power of partnership: how two co-hosts keep things creative, balanced and fun
• Industry outlook: one prediction each for how AI, customer experience and economic change will shape the year ahead
• Advocating for diversity:why we need to hear more female voices on insurance podcasts
• Think big, start small: why building global networks starts with showing up, listening and sharing ideas

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Rob Beller and Lee Boyd 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:

• List the qualities that make a guest engaging and memorable on an insurance podcast.
• Define the role of podcasting in creating community and promoting innovation within insurance.
• Specify the differences between UK and US insurance markets from the perspective of claims professionals.

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 351 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.