ACORD annually identifies the year’s Top InsurTech Leaders by evaluating vision, execution, and outcomes. Even during this past year of unprecedented challenges, the insurance technology community continued to drive growth and change throughout our global industry.
Once again, ACORD is proud to present our InsurTech Leaders list in conjunction with Alchemy Crew. ACORD and Alchemy Crew have identified four key threads across the insurance technology industry that continued to drive innovation and transformation throughout 2021.
Collaboration: Working and growing together is at the core of business models driving change and differentiation in InsurTech. Leaders in this sphere embrace the benefits of small yet mighty startups and larger, more established players by bridging the gap and encouraging transformative collaboration. Solution providers, carriers, and brokers alike have discovered that the most effective pathways to innovation are often founded upon communicating unique industry needs and co-developing alongside trading partners throughout the process. Through this method, business informs new technology and vice versa.
Inclusive InsurTech: Since its establishment, the insurance industry has historically provided and preserved positive futures for both itself and the communities it serves. Today’s industry aims to offer the same security for new generations. These leaders are driving much-needed change by making the insurance realm more accessible, whether by amplifying opportunities through their own hiring and retention practices, or by expanding insurance into traditionally underserved markets. They provide equal access to opportunities and resources to those who might otherwise be marginalized or excluded, meeting their own needs while ensuring a brighter future for all.
ESG: Building on developments of the past year, 2022 will be the year for ESG in insurance – Environmental, Social, and Governance metrics applied by companies to improve the way they deliver on sustainability requirements, with major changes affecting most countries around the world. Insurers are looking for solutions enabling them to improve operations, design and launch new products and services, and enhance supply chains. We have seen many non-InsurTech companies making a major impact in insurance, as well as a few InsurTechs diving into sustainability and providing insurers with data and underwriting capabilities to make an impact in reducing climate change.
Digital Business Ecosystem Builders: Robust networks, global digitization, and interconnected systems are no longer a luxury in the industry – they are necessities for efficiency and growth. These ecosystem-conscious leaders are driving the acceleration of cutting-edge innovation while utilizing the global power of network effects by strategically embracing “coop-etition” with their industry counterparts. They have also widened their scope of collaboration beyond the insurance industry, tapping into new and diverse resources of expertise and insight.
ACORD and Alchemy Crew have chosen the 2021 Top InsurTech Leaders for each of these four key areas. In alphabetical order within each category, they are:
Collaboration:
Wendy Aarons-Corman President & CEO, OWIT Global
Yann Barbarroux Co-Founder & CEO, Otonomi
Eliron Ekstein Co-Founder & CEO, Ravin AI
Matthew Grant Partner, Instech London
Steve Hicks Product Lead, Lloyd’s
Nicole Kellenberger Global e-Admin Lead, Swiss Re
Anurag Shah Co-Founder & CEO, Aureus Analytics
Raghav Tanna Co-Founder & CEO, Tarmika
Inclusive InsurTech:
Christie Downs Co-Founder & CEO, Handdii
Antony Elliott Head of Digital R&D, Zurich
Brandon Mathews Founder & CEO, Stonestep
Jason McDermott President & CEO, Chisel AI
Steven Mendel Co-Founder & CEO, Bought by Many
Nonso Opurum Founder & CEO, SOSO CARE
Julio Pernia Co-Founder & CEO, Bdeo
Damien Philippon Co-Founder & COO, Zelros
ESG:
Gabriel Glynn Co-Founder & CEO, MākuSafe
Richard Gunn COO, hyperexponential
Jonathan Jackson CEO, Previsico
David King Co-Founder & CCO, Artificial
Anthony Peake Co-Founder & CEO, Intelligent AI
Robert Reville Co-Founder & CEO, Praedicat
Digital Business Ecosystem Builders:
Quentin Colmant Co-Founder & CEO, Qover
Joe Dainty JV Transformation Director, Xchanging Insurance Services, a DXC Technology company
Sebastien Gaudin Co-Founder & CEO, CareVoice
Olivier Jaillon CEO & CPO, Wakam
Rob Schimek Group CEO, bolttech
Eric Schuh CIO & CFO, ELEMENT
Ian Summers CEO, Specialty Business Solutions - Verisk
2021 presented the insurance world with unique challenges that highlighted previously existing issues within the industry’s increasingly digital landscape, creating a sense of urgency and accelerating change. The fundamental realities of the modern digitized ecosystem continue to prompt technological evolution. These leaders will play a key role in driving our industry forward.
