The Leadership in Insurance Podcast - Insurtech & Innovation

Hosted by Alex Bond

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320

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Jul 2026

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About the show

The insurance industry gets better through sharing innovation. On the Leadership in Insurance Podcast we speak to insurance thought leaders that are changing the game. The LIIP is a podcast helping Insurance professionals, Investors and supporters learn what it takes to achieve and succeed in the global insurance industry. We specifically look at what it takes to build a modern insurance business and how great teams are built, we share their stories to educate and inspire change to help build the future of insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 recent

July 6, 202637 min

CompScience's Josh Butler: Better Data, Better Safety, Better Underwriting

What happens when you bring self-driving car technology to workplace safety and what does it mean for the future of insurance?In the latest episode of The Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Josh Butler, Founder & CEO of CompScience, to explore how AI and computer vision are fundamentally reshaping workers' compensation underwriting and loss control.Josh shares how CompScience was born from a personal moment — a family member's construction site accident — and how the same technology that powers autonomous vehicles is now helping carriers finally understand workplace risk at a level that was never before possible.The results speak for themselves. Customers are seeing injury rates drop by 20-30% — not by replacing loss control professionals, but by giving them the data and authority to act as true consultants rather than just salespeople.On what's driving CompScience's success, Butler is clear:"Leaders need to get hands-on with AI to understand the challenges and opportunities. You can't just watch from the sidelines."Josh and Alex also dig into the wider market landscape: how advances in LLMs and agentic AI have transformed who can build software, why problem-solvers are now more valuable than coders, and the regulatory risks that keep him up at night.A fascinating conversation for anyone at the intersection of AI, safety, and insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 29, 202639 min

Data First, AI Second: Stan Smith, Founder & CEO of Gradient AI

In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Dan Briselden sits down with Stan Smith, CEO and founder of Gradient AI — one of the fastest-growing AI platforms in the insurance industry — for a wide-ranging conversation on data, decisioning, and what it actually takes to build something that sticks in this market.Stan is a six-time startup veteran who came to insurance not from the industry itself, but from a deep belief that machine learning could solve problems most insurers didn't yet know how to articulate. His route in — through Milliman's franchise model and a patient, trust-first approach to data partnerships — is one of the most instructive origin stories in InsurTech.In this episode, Stan and Dan explore:🔹 How Stan leveraged Milliman's brand to unlock carrier data at a time when no one was handing it over — and why that decision became the foundation of Gradient's competitive moat🔹 The real ROI numbers: from single-digit millions on smaller books to 10x returns confirmed by clients' own internal data science teams and why Stan measures success by value delivered, not just revenue earned🔹 How Gradient navigated the journey from MGA-focused startup to large carrier partner, and why the warmest first carrier deals came through MGAs using their paper🔹 Where AI is genuinely replacing human effort in insurance and where Stan believes human judgement will always be the differentiator, from complex claims to nuanced underwriting calls🔹 The governance and bias challenge in AI-powered underwriting, and why Stan thinks regulators will increasingly focus on what data models are fed, not just how they workStan also shares his vision for where Gradient is heading next — from individual healthcare lines like Medicare Advantage and MedSupp through to disability and life — and why he believes there has never been a better time to be building AI in insurance.If you work in underwriting, claims, or insurance technology — or if you're trying to understand what AI adoption actually looks like at scale across the carrier and MGA market — this episode is packed with hard-won insight from someone who has been building in this space for over a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 22, 202631 min

From Fintech to Insurtech: Nolana’s Ty Zamkow on his Journey into the Lloyd's Market

Ty didn't set out to disrupt insurance. He built his career at Google and Amazon, launched a fintech company and then found himself staring at one of the most fragmented, manual-heavy industries in the world.He saw an opportunity. So he built Nolana.In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Ty, Co-Founder & CEO of Nolana, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to bring AI into insurance operations.Ty shares how Nolana's AI-powered platform is tackling the complexity of claims processing — across voice, email, and chatbots — with a product built in three layers: an operating system for AI agents, a suite of pre-built agents, and a customisable agent builder for insurers who want to go further.They also get into:✅ Why the Lloyd's market is ripe for AI and uniquely challenging✅ How voice AI is changing the way FNOL is captured and understood✅ The team's experience inside the Lloyd's Lab accelerator programme✅ Their bold vision: same-day claims payouts, self-serve processes, and better loss ratios through smarter automationWith a small but mighty team of six and a growing list of mentors from AXA, Hartford, and Lloyd's itself, Nolana is one to watch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 15, 202628 min

Tanner Hackett, CEO at Counterpart: Why Awareness of AI Isn't Enough

This week, host Alex Bond sits down with Tanner Hackett, CEO of Counterpart, a management liability and professional liability MGA that has written 35,000 policies for small businesses and raised $106 million to take on the inefficiencies baked into traditional insurance.Tanner's background isn't in insurance — it's in technology. He built and sold companies in e-commerce and marketing tech before turning his attention to this industry. That outsider perspective shapes everything about how Counterpart operates.In this episode, they cover:→ Why the insurance industry now has collective awareness of AI's importance — but awareness and action are very different things→ How being built AI-first from inception gives Counterpart a different starting point to legacy carriers→ The case for flatter organisational structures and why giving people more information and autonomy leads to better outcomes than traditional hierarchy→ What's driving rising claims severity and frequency and how business pressures on small companies are feeding through into losses→ Counterpart's expansion into financial institutions coverage, and the product-launch infrastructure they've built to move fasterTanner also reflects on the unique challenge facing small businesses as AI becomes unavoidable and why he believes insurers should be doing more than just providing coverage.Well worth your time, wherever you sit in the industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 8, 202627 min

What InsurTech 1.0 Got Wrong — Martin Fagioli, Foliume

What if the broker channel — often written off as too traditional, too slow, too analogue — is actually where AI's impact on insurance will be felt most?Alex sits down with Martin F., co-founder of Foliume, to explore exactly that question in this week's episode.Founded in 2022, Foliume is on a mission to reinvent insurance distribution by putting AI at the centre of how brokers and agencies work — reducing the administrative burden that consumes their days and giving them back time to do what they do best: build relationships, understand risk, and serve customers.Martin breaks down Foliume's dual AI approach — assisted tools that keep brokers in control, and autonomous systems capable of handling customer interactions end-to-end across channels like WhatsApp — and explains why getting that balance right is everything.The conversation covers:🌍 Why Spain was the proving ground and why the UK is next💰 Foliume's recent funding round with PitchDrive and Telefónica🤖 Why AI is creating a genuine opening to challenge the legacy software houses that have long dominated the broker market📈 The $3 trillion opportunity Sequoia identified — and what it means for insurance distribution"InsurTech 1.0 was about distribution. This wave is about relationships."A fascinating episode for anyone thinking about where AI, brokers, and the future of insurance distribution intersect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 1, 202632 min

Will Ross, CEO of Federato: Why Layering AI on Legacy Systems is Holding Insurance Back

 This week, host Alex Bond sits down with Will Ross, co-founder and CEO of Federato — the AI-native core platform transforming the full insurance policy lifecycle, from underwriting to claims and billing.Will and his Stanford AI research co-founder built Federato on a simple but bold premise: AI should support high-value human decision-making, not just cut costs. And they're putting that conviction to the test.In this episode, Alex and Will discuss:🏗️ Why legacy "old core" insurance systems can't be fixed by bolting AI on top and what a genuinely AI-native alternative looks like📈 The results that speak for themselves: one client saw a 2.2x increase in quote volume, an 89% reduction in time to quote, and improved high-appetite risk selection from 1 in 10 to 6 in 10, all within 90 days💰 Why Federato raised $100 million in Series D funding from Goldman Sachs even though they didn't need the capital🔄 How the conversation around AI in insurance has evolved from cost-cutting to genuinely transforming outcomes🤝 Why Will believes in being radically honest with clients about the scale of change required and why that's built trust rather than lost itThis is a conversation about what it really takes to modernise insurance from the inside out and why incremental change isn't going to cut it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 25, 202631 min

Stephen Stonberg, Tabit: Bitcoin on the Balance Sheet

This week, host Dan Briselden sits down with Stephen Stonberg, CEO & co-founder of Tabit Insurance — a company bridging the world of Bitcoin and the balance sheet of a regulated insurer.Stephen shares how Tabit is using centuries-old Lombard lending principles to do something genuinely new: bringing Bitcoin onto an insurance balance sheet — dollarising it, holding it securely, and opening up a fresh source of capital for an industry that's long relied on the same investor pool.In this episode, you'll hear Stephen's take on:Why Barbados is a top-10 global captive domicile and why that matters for cryptoThe tax problem that stops Bitcoin holders from generating yield and how insurance solves itWhy the insurance industry is the hardest audience to convince (harder than capital markets)How AI is already reshaping how Tabit thinks about distribution and staffingThe new insurance lines that don't yet exist and who's going to build them"The insurance industry needs new capital. Bitcoin holders need yield. It's not rocket science — you just need all the right ingredients." — Stephen StonbergWhether you're in reinsurance, capital markets or just watching the crypto-insurance space evolve, this is a conversation worth your time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 18, 202633 min

Beyond the Expo Floor: Scout InsurTech, MGAs & the AI Revolution

In the latest episode, host Alex Bond sits down with Chris Luiz, the founder behind one of Insurtech's most community-driven conferences: the Scout InsurTech event in Columbus, Ohio, which has grown to over 80 startups and nearly 500 attendees this year.What makes the Scout InsurTech conference different:🚫 No expo floor, no paid mainstage slots, no junior salespeople filling seats🤝 Structured networking designed to create real business interactions🎯 Decision-makers only — the kind of room the bigger Vegas and New York events can't replicateWhat else they cover:💡 The real state of MGA innovation — where VC has pulled back and where opportunity still exists in parametric and embedded insurance💰 Why a PE-style model might suit MGA builders better than traditional venture capital🤖 How AI is levelling the playing field between large tech-forward carriers and mid-sized mutuals — and what that means for the next decadeWhether you're building an MGA, thinking about where smart capital should go next, or simply want a front-row seat to where Insurtech is heading, this episode is a genuinely honest conversation from someone who has been at the heart of the community for years.#LeadershipInInsurance #InsurTech #MGA #AI #Insurance #Podcast #ScoutInsurTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 11, 202623 min

James Thom, CPO at Vertafore: Why Playing it Safe is the Biggest Risk in Insurance's AI Era

This week, host Alex Bond sits down with James Thom, Chief Product Officer at Vertafore, the insurance technology company powering agencies, MGAs, and carriers across the US and Canada.James brings a fascinating perspective: from consulting at McKinsey to leading product at scale, he's seen first-hand why making the leap from recommendation to real-world implementation changes everything.In this episode, we get into:💡 Why AI transformation requires more than piecemeal adoption — and why the companies going all-in are seeing 2x–3x productivity gains🏗️ How Vertafore's new Velocity AI platform is embedding AI natively into the tools insurers already use every day🔄 The "human plus" moment — giving every individual a team of AI agents to multiply their impact⚖️ How regulation shapes product development in a highly governed industry — and why that's not a bad thing🤝 Why the build vs. buy debate has come roaring back, and how smart operators are thinking about their "secret sauce"James also opens up about what's kept him at Vertafore for eight years — and it speaks volumes about the community they've built.Whether you're in insurtech, distribution, or just fascinated by how AI is reshaping industries from the inside out, this one is well worth your time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 4, 202630 min

"No More Time to Wait: Kyle Nakatsuji on Taking AI from Clearcover to the Whole Industry with Dearborn Labs”

What does it take to make AI work in insurance, not just in a pilot, but in production?In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Alex Bonds sits down with Kyle, founder of Clearcover and the newly launched Dearborn Labs, for a candid conversation about the realities of AI adoption in the insurance industry.Kyle brings a rare perspective: a decade of building one of insurance's most tech-forward carriers, and now a mission to bring those hard-won lessons to mid-market insurers everywhere. He shares how Clearcover achieved over 90% of claims intake through AI agents and 93% of policies found digitally - and why getting there was far harder than it looked.In this episode, Kyle and Alex explore:🔹 Why traditional AI pilots are "a bridge to nowhere" and what truly embedded implementation looks like instead 🔹 The "last mile problem" holding insurers back from real AI value 🔹 How mid-market carriers and MGAs are being underserved by legacy consulting models 🔹 What it takes to embed AI directly into production workflows, not just bolt it on 🔹 The mindset shift required to move from cost centre to P&L impactWith AI capabilities evolving at unprecedented speed, Kyle's message to the industry is unambiguous: "there's no more time to wait." The technology is ready. The hard part is making it fit the business - and that's exactly what Dearborn Labs was built to solve.Whether you're a carrier, MGA, or insurance leader trying to cut through the AI noise, this episode is essential listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.