Podcasts - Insurance Journal

‘Authenticity Travels Well’

Jennifer Palmieri is chief people officer at Westfield, which certainly isn’t a regional p/c carrier anymore. She has witnessed growth in specialty lines and international risks. It’s nearing $5 billion in revenues and 4,000 employees. We checked in with Jen on how human resource strategies are playing out. “My leadership philosophy centers on authenticity, shared accountability and purpose,” she says. “That means being able to lead with transparency and deeply listening. And to really understand what motivates people. When that happens, you see people flourish and develop and transform companies, businesses, cultures in an exceptional way.” Listening is something Jen prioritizes daily. “We live in a highly distracted world. One thing I learned early in my career — and it’s an old leadership philosophy — is, ‘Be here now.’” The employer brand is on her mind as well, especially with talent needs and expectations differing by region. “Employer branding in a competitive talent market obviously is essential. We like to reflect on our purpose. Being authentic — that travels well.” With five generations working side-by-side, she notes that “each brings something valuable. Boomers have deep experience and history and perspective. Younger people are highly digital and focused on flexibility. How do we create a culture that honors the differences and… creates something that we can all harness together?” So Westfield fosters mentorship across generations. Finally, Jen advises younger professionals: “Be more curious, ask more questions, ask more about ‘the why.’ Be more thoughtful and intentional about your work.” The post ‘Authenticity Travels Well’ [https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/26060/] appeared first on Insurance Journal TV [https://www.insurancejournal.tv].

Live from Applied Net: Geico and AI Observations

On this installment we tee up three segments from our onsite discussions at Applied Net 2025, a leading insurance tech conference held recently in Vegas. First: Why was the Geico Gecko basking in the crowd at an independent agent channel exhibit hall? This is intriguing! Take a listen as another direct-response carrier takes an interest in appointing agents. Next, insuretech expert, advisor and pundit Mark Breading joins On Point to reflect on AI’s impact on the industry. Are we heading toward a future where the traditional carrier model becomes obsolete? Or will it adapt and thrive? Mark weighs in. Finally, Brenna Johnson, an executive with agency management system EZ Lynx, walks us through how AI can free up producers and agency service staff for “hero work” — instead of busy work. The post Live from Applied Net: Geico and AI Observations [https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/26057/] appeared first on Insurance Journal TV [https://www.insurancejournal.tv].

Understanding the Best in People

Bringing out the best in workplace teams is a passion for organizational consultant Emma Corcoran. On this episode she outlines her journey at Selective Insurance to provide a shared customer experience program for appointed agencies as well as policyholders. Emma discovered the joy of helping teams evaluate customer research and outline actionable steps to improve the experience. She helped producers and CSRs work more closely together. Today, Emma’s programs cover DiSC, a behavioral assessment on communication preferences and styles, which is useful for firms working through a merger; Kolbe, which measures how you accomplish things when you’re free to be yourself; and design thinking, a non-linear, iterative process for teams to solve difficult problems. Emma also has a passion for bringing other insurance women together. Overall, 60% of industry professionals are women, yet the ratio flips to 40/60 for women in leadership positions. Her first meeting in 2017 brought 20 agency women together. “The vulnerability was really, really cool in the room,” she says. “They felt they could all share. It was all about lifting one another up.” Emma expanded the reach as Covid required virtual programming. The group grew to 800 women. The post Understanding the Best in People [https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/25710/] appeared first on Insurance Journal TV [https://www.insurancejournal.tv].

MGA No Longer a ‘4-Letter Word’

Lloyd Yavener, president and COO of Sutton National Group, believes in the future of delegated underwriting authority. It wasn’t always that way. “MGA was a four-letter word when I first got into the business,” he says on this recording. “It was a broker model, which was to write more insurance, while the underwriter’s goal was to write more business profitability.” Over time, program administrator and MGA models emerged with “highly sophisticated” underwriting and compliance talent that originated in the traditional insurance market. “It looks just like an insurance company without the balance sheet,” Lloyd says. Moreover, the MGA model has been able to adapt quicker to emerging risks. Sutton writes homeowners in cat-prone areas as well as trucking, contractors, ocean and inland marine, and some other specialty lines. Listen as Lloyd shares his thoughts on leadership and working with others, just like with a well-tuned band. The post MGA No Longer a ‘4-Letter Word’ [https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/25818/] appeared first on Insurance Journal TV [https://www.insurancejournal.tv].

Humans and AI Fight Fraud Together

Claims fraud is getting more sophisticated. Carriers can fight back with AI to sift through huge amounts of data and find patterns, says Ashley Fong, VP with Carpe Data. Injury fraud thrives in areas where strong legal networks, high population density, heavy tourism, economic hardship, and legal loopholes create opportunities for fraudulent claims to flourish, Carpe Data research finds. Younger adults are more likely to commit fraud; riskier behaviors and cultural pressure to overshare on social media channels are likely reasons. “Insurance fraud is a costly and a persistent problem,” Ashley says. In 2023 alone, an estimated $300 billion was lost to fraudulent claims—equivalent to 10 Hurricane Helene disasters, she notes. Advances in technology are essential, but ultimately human judgement and creativity will continue to be needed to mitigate fraud, she says. “Human roles will evolve to areas that require more brainpower, judgement, creativity—things that a computer can’t necessarily do. Traditionally, carriers reviewed only 4% of open claims with a manual, rules based, tedious and expensive process. But with AI and human intervention, insurers can generate 10 times the reviews.” The post Humans and AI Fight Fraud Together [https://www.insurancejournal.tv/videos/25708/] appeared first on Insurance Journal TV [https://www.insurancejournal.tv].