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In such a well-established, steady industry like insurance it is easy to continue to do things the way they have always been done. However, with the speed that the world, culture and sensibilities change, maintaining the status quo can in fact leave you far behind your competitors. This therefore means the role of modern insurance leaders extends far beyond risk management and financial protection. Increasingly, stakeholders are scrutinising insurance companies not only for their profitability but also for their commitment to social responsibility, inclusivity, ethical practices and community engagement. Stakeholders include a broad range of individuals from shareholders, employees seeking a supportive and inclusive workplace, and local communities looking for responsible corporate citizens. Recognising and responding to the needs and expectations of these stakeholders is paramount for insurance leaders aiming to build trust, loyalty, and long-term sustainability. Social Responsibility Initiatives There are various initiatives which can be introduced to address stakeholders’ expectations whilst at the same time ensuring your business promotes inclusivity. These include: Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives  – Implementing robust diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives within the organisation is crucial. This includes establishing D&I training programs, setting diversity targets for recruitment and promotion, and fostering an inclusive culture where employees from all backgrounds feel valued and respected. Employee Wellbeing Programs  – Prioritising the health and wellbeing of employees by offering comprehensive wellness programs, mental health support services, flexible work arrangements, and work-life balance initiatives improves morale and productivity but also strengthens the company's reputation as a caring and responsible employer. Community Engagement Programs – Engaging with local communities through volunteer programs, sponsorships, and partnerships with non-profit organisations can promote positive social impact. Such engagement can include supporting initiatives related to education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and social welfare. Supplier Diversity Programs  – Promoting supplier diversity by partnering with a diverse range of suppliers, including minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses fosters economic empowerment within diverse communities and enriches the supply chain with varied perspectives and expertise. Ethical Investment Practices  – Adopting ethical investment practices can involve aligning investment portfolios with socially responsible criteria. This may include avoiding investments in companies involved in controversial industries and instead focusing on sustainable and socially responsible investments. Transparency and Accountability – Maintaining transparency in business operations and communicating openly with stakeholders about corporate practices, policies, and performance promotes honesty within your business. This builds trust and credibility among stakeholders and demonstrates a commitment to accountability and responsible governance. Customer-Centric Approach  – Prioritising the needs and concerns of policyholders by offering transparent and fair insurance products, providing excellent customer service, and actively seeking feedback to continuously improve products and services demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and reinforces trust in the company's brand. Environmental Sustainability Initiatives – Implementing environmentally sustainable practices, such as reducing carbon emissions, promoting energy efficiency, and minimising waste generation is a great starting point for adopting eco-friendly behaviours. Additionally, you could offer insurance products that incentivise and reward policyholders for also adopting eco-friendly behaviours, such as green home or electric vehicle insurance. None of these initiatives are quick fixes and can take some time to implement into your business practices and of course don’t need to all be introduced in one go. Putting together a social responsibility plan with a workable time scale could be enough to set you apart from the competitors and reach stakeholders’ expectations.   But where do you start? Which are the most effective initiatives?   Wouldn’t it be useful to speak with people who have already implemented social responsibility into their businesses? How much do you think you could learn from their successes and more importantly their mistakes? This is where Camelot Marketplace can help. We ensure that our members are all C-suite level executives with years of experience within the insurance business. This means they will be able to provide you with exactly the support and guidance you and your business needs.  For more information speak to a member of the team today.

What is your role since leaving corporate life? I’ve been doing a huge variety of things, volunteer work, fixed term  contracting, and working for myself. Corporate life wasn’t bad, it gave me a great foundation both on the work as well as personal front, but the world is a big place and I wanted to experience more, for example working at Lloyd’s of London was amazing, working with an Indian outsourcer was interesting, and working for myself has been empowering. How long have you been a member of Camelot? I met David Clamp while contracting at Generali, he invited me to the second ever Camelot face to face event and I’ve been with them in various forms ever since, Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? Yes, I’ve participated in a number of these, it’s really interesting to see how Corporate Partners try to put themselves in the shoes of others and present as if they know what it’s like to be in those shoes.  Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail, but that’s why these are so important, they’re a safe space where failing is learning, and with the help of our experts the learning becomes easier. Area of expertise? Continuous improvement. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? Head of Lean for Zurich Global Corporate EMEA - I never planned for such a role, I was just grateful that I could travel across Europe trying to help others find time to do their work.  A manager I once had told me the best jobs are the ones that haven’t yet been created, and that you should demonstrate the need for them.  I was running a training session in Switzerland when I got an email from HR with details of my new title, which was in fact a totally new role, one that I’d create for myself without knowing. What is your LinkedIn profile URL? https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cameron-969341b/ How long have you been doing this subject/area? All my life! Since I was a child I have been asking my Mother ‘why? And I haven’t stopped – the only difference is that now I ask ‘why?’ to other people and I have given my mum a rest! Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? Have you ever been in a role where someone somewhere has obviously put a lot of effort into creating a role profile, and then over time you get given lots of new work? This work slowly accumulates, eventually taking over more and more time, giving you less time to do the work that was described in your role profile as needing experience of.  The work I enjoy, and have done a lot of, is when I’ve asked these questions, quantified how much time this other “stuff” takes up, and then ask “why on earth are you spending so much time on work that doesn’t make value of your experience?”.  We then problem solve to reduce this work, allowing people more time to do the stuff they should be doing. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I keep things simple, speak a language and use terms everyone understands so that we can all collaborate and contribute towards successful outcomes. Someone once said to me “working with you is easy”, I like to think that’s why. .Please describe a challenging work scenario and how you resolved it? A continuous improvement expert walks into the Paris office of a French Chief Operating Officer (COO)/ Chief Claims Officer (CCO), and the first words he says is “I’m here to fix your problems”. The COO/CCO took this personally, “what do you mean, fix my problems? How do you know I even have any? I suggest you leave”. Biggest problem I ever created, and then fixed, 10 years on and now working for different companies we still have regular catch ups. What should everyone be reading/listening to? A classic is The Goal by Eli Goldratt. It’s a very easy to read story about continuous improvement and bottlenecks. Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn. I’m a running addict but I believe even running has become over-complicated. This book is about Finn, who moves to Kenya to learn how the Kenyans were so successful, and the answer was…they kept it simple. Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? Don’t be afraid to keep things simple. People hide behind big words and technical phrases like an invisible cloak protecting them from people like me who ask ‘why? (a lot)’. I guarantee there’s many others thinking why but never asking – how will you ever learn if you don’t do this? Do you have a Favourite quote? “Run fast, run alone, run far, run together” – (African proverb). This quote sums up everything that was wrong with my life, and what is now the secret to my success. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? Because demand on staff is increasing all the time, and staff are saying they don’t have time to keep up with demand - I can help with that. And… Last but not least, how does being a member of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? “Camelot adds value not just to my business but to my life. I really appreciate the diversity of views, expertise and experience within the network, the stimulating discussions we have, the learnings I take away, and the support I get during harder times. I love the fact that I’m able to come up with some strange ideas and never feel I’m laughed at – people will see these ideas as opportunities and build on them, creating outcomes very quickly which I’m proud to say I’ve been part of.”

The insurance business is all about mitigating risk. But this can become particularly difficult when looking at environmental risks which can be unpredictable. However, by embracing environmental sustainability and implementing innovative solutions, insurance companies can enhance their resilience, as well as contributing to the transition towards a low-carbon economy. Specific environmental risks can include: ·       Climate Change – This is something that is contributing to increased insurance claims and can include rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and sea-level rises. Such events can lead to property damage, crop losses and infrastructure disruptions. ·       Natural Disasters – Tied in closely with climate change, the increase in hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes can pose significant risks to insurers, resulting in large pay-outs for property and casualty claims. ·       Biodiversity Loss – Declines in biodiversity can impact ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and supply chains, leading to potential liabilities for insurers and businesses dependent on natural resources. Integrating Environmental Sustainability Identifying these environmental risks and integrating environmental sustainability into your insurance business can be crucial: Underwriting  – Incorporating environmental factors into underwriting processes enables insurers to assess and price risks accurately, as well as to consider the potential impact of climate change and natural disasters on insured assets. It is also possible to offer specialised insurance products to address emerging environmental risks, such as renewable energy insurance or parametric insurance for weather-related events. Risk Management  – By identifying and mitigating environmental risks, insurers can reduce their exposure to catastrophic losses, strengthen resilience, and maintain financial stability. Through developing robust risk management strategies, scenario planning, stress testing, and disaster preparedness initiatives you will be able to enhance resilience to climate-related events. Investment Strategies  – Incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions allows insurers to support sustainable initiatives, avoid stranded assets, and enhance long-term financial performance. It is also an opportunity to engage with investment partners, asset managers, and rating agencies to promote transparency and accountability in ESG disclosures and reporting. Strategies for Environmental Resilience Knowing that you need to mitigate environmental risks is not the same as actually implementing specific strategies. Insurance companies can integrate environmental sustainability into their practices through various strategies across different areas of their operations. Parametric Insurance  – Parametric insurance products offer predefined pay-outs based on specific environmental triggers, such as rainfall levels or temperature fluctuations, providing faster and more predictable coverage for climate-related risks. Green Bonds and Investments  – Investing in green bonds and sustainable infrastructure projects can support renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate adaptation initiatives, aligning insurance portfolios with environmental sustainability goals. Climate Risk Modelling and Analytics – Leveraging advanced data analytics and climate risk modelling tools enables insurers to assess the potential impacts of climate change, develop scenario-based risk assessments, and enhance resilience planning. Collaborative Partnerships   – Collaborating with governments, regulators, scientific institutions, and industry stakeholders facilitates knowledge sharing, innovation, and collective action to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. Insurance-linked Securities  – ILS instruments, such as catastrophe and resilience bonds, provide alternative risk transfer mechanisms for insurers and reinsurers to transfer climate-related risks to capital markets, thereby diversifying risk exposure and increasing capacity for climate risk coverage. Where to Next? Here at Camelot Marketplace, we are able to introduce you to professionals who have integrated environmental sustainability into their insurance processes, and are more than willing to offer you advice and guidance on the best way to get started, pitfalls to avoid and models to follow. All of our members are C-Suite level executives within the insurance industry and could provide exactly the collaboration that you need. If you would like to find out more about how you can join please speak to a member of the team today.

What is your role since leaving corporate life? A former multi-year C-Suite operator in a £350m UK insurtech, as Simon Hughes Advisory Ltd, I’m passionate about helping insurtech start-ups navigate the UKGI space and turn their ideas into money. I’m equally dedicated to helping established insurance companies fix the operational problems they face that are getting in the way of growth. I do this through consultancy, mentoring and non-exec engagements. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? If so, which and can you remember what the themes were and how you enjoyed helping them? It was a pleasure to be part of the Camelot Road Test expert panel helping Cloudsoft to validate and refine their go-to-market proposition and strategy. Cloudsoft’s proposition is, by its nature, a technically complex one. The panel helped Cloudsoft to consider how its benefits could be clearly and crisply articulated to the UKGI market, with focus on specific areas of market relevance and messaging. Area of expertise? Business Transformation Setting and Executing Strategy Coaching and Mentoring Employee and Customer Engagement Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? COO of Open GI. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? In 2019 and 2020 I led the business in its understanding as to what  the real drivers of performance were. I was able to support the operational leadership to redesign how processes, people, and systems were interacting to deliver more predictably, quickly and with better quality. That resulted in a 15% cost reduction and a 24% revenue uplift, adding £2m to the bottom line inside the first year. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? 14 years spent at Board level in one of the UK’s largest insurtech businesses.Spanning both sales and operational roles has given me a 360o set of experiences, both from directly facing into customers, but also from then running operational delivery and support to the same businesses and people. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? You never stop learning and the last 12 months were a huge one for me in that regard. Through a hands-on exposure to Systems Thinking, I came to realise that the performance a business is getting is because of the “systems” within it. A combination of roles and people, but also processes and technologies. How all these parts interact will determine performance. It is generally the non-people aspects that create the most headwind in terms of performance. Talent is often constrained by the conditions “imposed”. The experience changed the way I think, behave and lead. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? Trust…the public’s trust in the industry, both private individuals and corporate entities, but also the trust relationship between insurance businesses and their staff, during and in the wake of the pandemic. Please describe a challenging work scenario and how you resolved it. Successful transformation and leadership of a large, 50-strong sales organisation. Reinvented an outdated and under-performing function to become a more data-led, consistently successful business unit that met or exceeded annual sales targets and developed stronger relationships with its clients over consecutive years. Consistently secured new sales capital contract values of £5m annually, protecting and growing annualised total client revenue value of £18m year-on-year. What should everyone be reading/listening to? “The Practice of Adaptive Leadership” by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Marty Linsky is a book all leaders, at all levels, should read in my opinion. And it’s never been more relevant. Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? Understand your business and its performance using data, not opinion and anecdote. Coach and encourage individuals to also understand without giving them the answers. Encourage innovation and experimentation through trust. The perfect is too often the enemy of the good. Do you have a favourite quote? This in the context of leadership: “Be in the work, but not in the way.” Any professional goals for the upcoming year? To see the 18 years of experience gained in corporate life translated into practical and demonstrable help for other businesses. Helping people to turn their ideas into money, and to fix the operational problems that are stopping business from growing will be genuinely rewarding for me. My goal is to give something back to the industry that’s been so good to me for so long. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network? I have a proven track record, through multiple roles of “fix, grow and accelerate” strategic execution. I’ve evidenced an ability to influence, help set and communicate top-down strategy, but to also get into the work to support bottom-up delivery to ensure it connects. And to help people think and behave differently for themselves to support sustainable and long-lasting transformation. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? In a less-certain and more changeable world, adaptive leadership and systems thinking will play a significant role for those businesses and individuals who thrive. Both have shaped my thinking, behaviours and approach to leadership and transformation since 2017. Any stats/results to show off your proud moments? 4 years leading 300 people across 3 countries, delivering to and supporting 27,000 end users (2017 – 2021) Consistently delivered £5m in annualised new sales (2007 – 2017) Grew annualised revenue year-on-year to £18m (2007 – 2017) Improved delivery and increased revenue by 24% and reduced operating expenses by 15% (2017 – 2018) Supporting operational leaders in their ability to understand performance, redesign systems, structures, and processes to deliver better outcomes for their customers. Through revenue improvement and operational expense reduction, delivered business benefit of £2m in first year and a measurable increase in customer advocacy (2020 – 2021) Supported multiple business sale processes as a key member of Executive teams. Played an active role in due diligence with acquiring parties through application of knowledge and experience of both the business and the industry. Including an initial £172m Private Equity-backed MBO (2006), subsequent private sale (£272m in 2007) and further repurchase by Private-Equity (£300m+ in 2014). Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or giveaways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses? Solution providers to the insurance industries Be clear on value and the role you can play in creating it. That said, don’t fall into the trap of thinking UKGI is “different”. You do need to understand some of the fundamentals of distribution and market dynamic, but many of the challenges it faces are not unique. If you can clearly articulate value, you don’t need intimate knowledge (but the basics are a table-stake). Know what matters to the participants and ensure your proposition and messaging is aligned. Insurance businesses – startup/scale ups Don’t let your business model or strategy be constrained by what you think the market needs today, or even 5 years from now. The pace of change, and impending change, is accelerating. Start with consumer need, or the future thereof, both personal and corporate, and ensure it’s reflected, Insurance businesses – established Beyond strategy, be sure you understand what the real drivers of performance are. Use objectivity and data, not opinion and anecdote. Listen to the people who actually do the work. Then understand it. And take time to listen to what actually matters to your customers. Then connect the two and let the people who do the work also improve the work for the benefit of your customers through innovation and experimentation based on trust. And you’ll win and so will your customers. Other consultants Be genuine and authentic. Know and be honest about what you’re good at, and what you’re not so good at. But be clear that you have experiences and skills that are valuable. Anything else you think Insurers, solution providers to the insurance industry or potential members would find useful? Camelot provides unique access to a resource pool of experienced UKGI Senior Leaders with experience that I suspect is unprecedented. And the value of that experience is exponential based on its diversity. And… Last but not least, how does being a member of The Camelot Network help you/or add value to your business? “In simple terms, Camelot has given me access to a wide and diverse resource base of experience, skill and knowledge.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? For the last 10 years, Sarah is an expert in advising companies in Hyper Growth phase on how to achieve their Pareto’s Principle AKA 80-20 Rule. Helping them find the 20% to focus on that will achieve 80% of their 100% Year-on-Year growth results. She helps firm align their activities across marketing, sales, CRM & product to achieve their targets in the most effective way. Previous roles - Ex-Head Growth for Coverly & Chief Marketing Officer for Social Value Portal. How long have you been an expert of Camelot? She has been an Camelot Expert for coming up 5 years. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? Yes, many and she was even on the first one Camelot hosted. Key themes: When you’re so close to the business, It’s easy to focus and all the features and functionality you’ve worked so hard to develop & miss obvious things prospects need to know What problem you solve for the sector & for the job title of the decision maker/ ideal customer The need to quantify the value of the problem you’ve solved for others, make it easy for the prospect to work out what the investment will achieve for them. Case Studies & Testimonials are critical & much more valuable that your biased opinion Demonstrate you understand what the industry wants/needs, ask your prospects or get expert insights from groups like Camelot. Refine your value proposition, ideal customer profile into a succinct few lines, so anyone would be able to explain what you do or identify your ideal client. Keep the initial slide deck short, and aim to ask more questions and find out about them Minimise use of buzz words low-code / no-code… so what, how much do you save or improve a business? Area of expertise? Scale-up Growth including B2B SaaS, insurance and other sectors. She provides ongoing advisory/consultancy & Mentoring services to CEOs, Founders, head of marketing & Sales. She’s your go-to person in Helping firms achieve 100% year-on-year growth, By helping them find which are the areas/strategies the businesses need to focus on to achieve their targets. She helps them find “What 20% of activity to focus on… that will achieve the 80% of Results” and… Achieve targets faster Achieve more with less resource, effort and time Achieve more with the same budget Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? Ex-Head Growth for Coverly & Chief Marketing Officer for Social Value Portal. How long have you been doing this subject/area? For nearly 25 years Sarah has been helping all sizes of business achieve their growth ambitions. From big brands like Honda, EA Games, Callaway Golf, to recently funded scale-ups. A big portion of her career has been in digital marketing, but the last 10 years she’s realised to be effective product and sales functions need to be aligned with marketing. She hates wasting money and resources. What is your company name?  Sterling Bright Ltd. Do you have a website? www.sterlingbright.co.uk Unique Camelot link for google tracking: https://www.sterlingbright.co.uk/?utm_source=Referral&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Camelot_spotlight_referral What is your LinkedIn profile URL? https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjoyuk/ Do you have a blog? https://www.sterlingbright.co.uk/blog?utm_source=Referral&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Camelot_spotlight_referral Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high point that you’ve worked on? ESGTech - B2B SaaS measurement platform. Post Series A funding. Audi and strategy development to Growth. Achieved 68% YoY growth, 108% target, ARR 62% to 100+% increase, 401% increase in organic traffic in 2yrs, 7,000+ MQLs & business doubled in value in 1 yr. Coverly B2B / D2C - InsurTech Growth Strategy & implementation - Achieved Growth targets and Reduced cost of acquisition (CPA) by 72%, Growth achieved 4x greater than nearest competitor in 25% of time.🏅Brand of the Year Award finalist & 🏅InsurTech of the Year award finalist. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I help businesses find their 80:20 rule. Where to focus their efforts & the easiest way for the business to achieve their goals in the most cost-effective way. I help them balance working towards the 5 year strategy whilst achieving the short-term financial targets. I look at their team’s processes, what they’ve achieved & find the opportunities. She’s passionate about businesses spending time and money wisely, focusing on solving customer problems and making sure your budget and plan focus on short term & long term objectives. Do you have a Favourite quote? Before you scale, make sure you’ve maximised the conversion potential at each stage of the sales cycle first. Why waste money on finding new leads & knowingly putting them through a leaky sieve! Any professional goals for the upcoming year? To achieve more work-life-balance. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? Being part of the Camelot Network is so valuable to me. I’m able to collaborate with other like-minded experts in their field enabling me & add value to my clients. It’s also great to have a network to bounce ideas off.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? After +30 years working on the solution provider side of insurtech, I am now an independent advisor to insurance organisations and solution providers. I am genuinely excited to be able to use my years of experience of what works and what doesn’t to guide businesses to success faster and more reliably. It is proving to be immensely fulfilling and I feel I am giving back something to an industry which has been extremely good to me over my career to date! How long have you been a member of Camelot? I left corporate life in the summer of 2021 and immediately joined Camelot. I have known some of the existing members for many years so it was a great opportunity to re-establish connections, as well as meet new people with a variety of different skills and backgrounds. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? I have been a panel expert and I’ve critiqued go-to market plans and given guidance and insight to insurance organisations and individuals which took me decades of hard fought experience to learn. Area of expertise? Strategy, Sales and Marketing in insurance technology. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? Director of Insurance EMEA at Pegasystems for almost a decade working with virtually every major insurer in Europe. How long have you been doing this subject/area? I started work as the marketing manager of an insurance broker software house that dominated the commercial lines broker market in the late 1980s. Since then, I have worked in technology, management consulting and outsourcing, but it has always been focussed on the insurance industry. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? Working at Pega when it grew from 1,500 staff to 6,000 staff globally and broke through the Unicorn $1billion turnover ceiling. The Digitalisation of the Motor Insurer’s Bureau. The transforming of Vivat from a traditional to a digital, customer centric,future-proof insurer. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I listen well, communicate clearly and can apply a deep understanding of how to successfully transform insurance organisations, leveraging technology. I also mentor people to avoid making the same mistakes I have learned from. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? When I left Pega, I was frankly staggered at the number of people who got in touch to thank me for the help I had given them, some going back decades. I have never had to approach anyone for work since, it has all come from relationships, recommendations and referrals. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? Ethical data and AI transforming the industry’s reputation from a bunch of boring, untrustworthy brands to an industry generating recognition and incredible brand loyalty through proactively protecting people and their assets every second of every day in a highly personalised way. What should everyone be reading/listening to? Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed – Absolutely brilliant! Do you have a Favourite quote? “Efficiency is doing the right thing. Effectiveness is doing things right” – Peter Drucker Effectiveness always has more impact than efficiency. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network I have been there, done it, made the mistakes and learned the lessons. As one customer said to me “I am standing on one side of a minefield and I want to be on the other side. You are the only guy who knows how to get me there without blowing up” I’m also a lot of fun! Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? Vendors need to do a better job of selling technology. Insurers need to do a better job of deciding who can help them in the huge challenges ahead. Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or give aways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses. Solution providers to the insurance industries Stop talking about how your widgets and gadgets are better than the next guy – nobody cares! Fall in love with the problem you are solving. Don’t fall in love with your solution. You need to start listening to and acting on the art of the possible and pushing your boundaries. First mover advantage is building up to tsunami proportions in insurance right now. Someone will come along and break your industry if you wait too long to act. And… Last but not least, how does being a member of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? Connections, personal support, professional advice from very competent people and a lot of fun along the way!

Being innovative doesn’t require new technology, new infrastructure, extensive staff training and a large initial outlay. What it does require is a change in thinking. Thinking about how to use technology, which is already out there, already in our clients’ homes, on their phones and on their wrists.   It’s time to introduce the Internet of Things (IoT) into your customer experience, claims processing and general business processes.   What is the Internet of Things?   The Internet of Things comprises the interconnected devices that many people already have in their homes, from Alexa, to dashcams to Fitbits. All these things are gathering untold data about the users, which often are ultimately our clients and can make data collection for claims processes easier, quicker, and more reliable.   How can IoT be used in Insurance?   On a very simplistic level IoT can be used to collect data about clients’ driving behaviour, their health and the level of home security which can be used not only in customising insurance policies but also for verifying claims and generally improving the customer experience. However, there is more to the benefits of IoT than that.   Risk Mitigation  - IoT devices such as smart sensors can be used to monitor and collect data on insured properties, vehicles, or individuals. This real-time data can be used for more accurate risk assessments, leading to better underwriting decisions. By analysing IoT data, insurers can identify patterns and trends that help predict potential risks such as early signs of water damage or fire which can help insurance underwriters make better informed decisions.   Usage-Based Insurance  – Telematics devices in vehicles can provide data on driving behaviour, including speed, distance, and braking patterns. This can be used to provide personalised usage-based insurance policies taking their specific behaviour into account and reducing risk to the insurers.   Claims Processing  - IoT can provide real-time data on incidents which can speed up claims processing as well as providing more accurate data.   Preventative Maintenance  – It is possible to use IoT devices to monitor the condition of insured assets such as machinery or buildings which can help with highlighting preventative maintenance opportunities. This can reduce the number of claims due to equipment failures and breakdowns.   Health and Wellness Programmes  – With more and more people wearing devices to monitor different aspects of their health it is possible to use this data to offer personalised health insurance plans and incentivise policy holders to adopt healthier behaviours.   Fraud Detection  – IoT devices can also be used to identify unusual patterns which could be an indication of fraudulent activities. For example, if a connected home security system reports a break-in, insurers can then cross-verify the claim with other data sources to detect potential fraud.   Customer Engagement  – Using IoT data makes it possible to offer incentivised discounts to clients, for example for those who use smart home devices for security and safety. Not only will it reduce risk, but it will also improve customer relations.   Environmental Monitoring  - IoT data can monitor environmental conditions and provide early warnings for natural disasters which can be used by insurers to manage risks associated with weather events, as well as promoting proactive risk management.   In many cases the actual hardware is already in place in people’s homes, cars and businesses which means there is limited outlay for your organisation to use this data which is already being collected.   It’s also not necessary to put all these IoT innovations in place at once, and instead you could focus on one aspect of your business that could be improved and start there.   However, it can be difficult to know how to get started, which is where Camelot Marketplace can help. We can put you in touch with people who have already introduced IoT into their business practices. Camelot ensures all our members are all C-suite level executives with years of experience within the insurance business meaning they will be able to provide you with exactly the support and guidance you and your business need. For more information speak to a member of the Camelot Marketplace team today.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I am a Business and Leadership Coach specialising in helping… 1. Managers and leaders in the insurance sector deal with the challenges of transitioning into a new role, building confidence and presenting the best version of themselves. 2. Entrepreneurs building their businesses, strategy, managing time, prioritising and delegating. 3. People at the beginning of their careers working out what they might be best suited to. Area of expertise? Coaching and Mentoring. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? Leader of the Insurance Groups at three City law firms, RPC, Eversheds and Waltons & Morse. How long have you been doing this subject/area? Five years. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? Working with the CEO of a new specialist MGA on how to prioritise, recruit a COO and restore some work life balance. Helping a broker develop his management and leadership skills following his recent promotion to lead a team of 40. Supporting an underwriter following promotion to lead his class in Europe. Steering a head of IT away from doing and towards delegating and making time for himself and his own growth. Supporting a senior broker with the transition to leading a team of 800 people Helping a finance director appreciate some drawbacks of his communication style and helping him develop an interested, inclusive and less challenging approach What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I combine positivity, warmth, humour, experience and empathy with challenge and support – whatever it is, it seems to work! Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? Receiving the following feedback from a client who, when we started, was thinking of leaving his job. By having conversations with his boss he realised that promotion was possible and a few months later he got what he wanted. “When I first spoke to David I was treading water career-wise, unsure of which path to take next. Within 6 months I had a new motivation, a new energy, and I had been promoted to management. David’s coaching played an instrumental role. David’s coaching focused on discovering my strengths and then listening intently to my complicated mess of mixed thoughts before sculpting out a credible plan of action. David has an ability to cut through complexity like a surgeon with a scalpel, which meant that together we turned my mess of ideas into a coherent career plan which played itself out over the course of a few months. David’s coaching style is receptive and personal – a light touch which keeps revealing and re-revealing its value in your day-to-day career when you least expect it.” We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? What we can do to support individuals’ mental health. Please describe a challenging work scenario and how you resolved it? It’s not just about business…The feedback one of my clients received from his superiors following his promotion to Head of Underwriting indicated a need to improve the way he behaved at board and management meetings. He often came across as disengaged, not interested and slightly embarrassed; he would fidget and mumble. My client understood how he came across (unintentionally) when under pressure and that this was due in part to a lack of confidence, understanding and focus. Underlying the lack of confidence was his home life, which was unravelling and contributing to a torrid time. We had to walk this elephant round the room and, although uncomfortable at times, by doing so it helped unlock the block. After three sessions he had transformed his performance and presence at board meetings. Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? Camelot members are in a privileged position to have the independence, time and experience from our prior corporate lives to help others in all sorts of different ways that weren’t available to us before. So let’s use it! Do you have a Favourite quote? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Any professional goals for the upcoming year? To get repeat business from three more insurers or brokers. To help young people and continue to provide free coaching to charity leaders and those less fortunate than me. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network? Having worked in the Market all my professional life I understand how it works. I am very lucky to be a very good listener with high empathetic skills which, combined with my experience, wisdom and insight, enables me to offer solutions, support and guidance that unblocks my clients’ blocks. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? Coaching  should be available to everyone at the various testing points of their careers, whether at the start, mid point or at the top of their working life. It pays dividends to provide coaching to junior and middle management. A few sessions can save months of anguish and wasted energy – the cost benefit is off the scale. Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or giveaways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses? Play to your strengths and manage your weaknesses. Don’t kid yourself about what you’re good and bad at. Get real and then work out how to focus on your strengths and what you enjoy and delegate your weaknesses. CliftonStrengths Assessment is a quick and easy way to get a look at yourself. All of my clients find it very helpful. Insurance businesses – startup/scale ups I have seen start ups fail as a result of the founder working all hours and not being able to get perspective and seeking support and challenge Coaching is one very good way for founders to test their priorities, review their strategy, maintain focus and achieve a good work life balance – and it’s more fun than going to the gym! Check out my website for examples of my work and some testimonials. Insurance businesses – established Coaching also provides support and learning when your people take on a managerial or leadership role and need to learn to thrive at doing the stuff they have never been trained to do. Moving from being a high quality technician to a leader is not easy for some. And… Last but not least, how does being a member of The Camelot Network help you/or add value to your business? It’s wonderful to be part of an insurance sector network where all the members are keen to help and support each other. I joined in June 2021 and wished I joined eighteen months ago, when I was starting my business.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I sit at the intersection of operations, emerging technology and data in the Lloyd’s and London Market. That unique combination enables me to help organisations create future focused operating models using new technology and data solutions, including sensor technology to make more data-informed decisions that (most importantly) supports the human. How long have you been an Expert of Camelot? 2 years. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? I have supported 3 road tests.  I enjoy being able to help organisations refine their pitch and go-to-market offerings by providing honest feedback that is not corporately dressed up.  This transparency is far more helpful to organisations as they make their way in the insurance market. Area of expertise:- Underwriting Operations and Emerging Technology - Internet of Things and sensor technology, London Market transformation and Blueprint Two Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role:- VP, Global Head of Technology Innovation at AXA XL How long have you been doing this subject/area? Because I’ve had roles across several different functions, I’ve got a good end-to-end experience of all parts on the insurer value chain - 29 years and counting! What is your company name? HMLS Consulting Ltd What is your LinkedIn profile URL? https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-stanway Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high points that you’ve worked on? Gap analysis of three technology solutions who want to enter the Lloyd’s Market & Blueprint Two Supporting a corporate partner in their Blueprint Two journey Helping Brokers and Carriers navigate Blueprint Two Driving the adoption of IoT in the Commercial Property market Market scan & supporting the discovery phase for a new Outwards Reinsurance application Market research into the data & technology pain points for delegated arrangements What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I’m a continuous learner and a proud generalist so I know a little about a lot of subjects! That means that I can strategically assess operating models and technology solutions across people, process and data – how these connect, where the gaps are and how to transform. Do you have a favourite quote? Never change to be accepted by others.  Stay weird. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? When you leave corporate life, you no longer have a ‘work family’, Camelot brings that work family and a network of people you can ask for help and that support you.  We all lift each other up which is important when you’re all independent.

Context A prominent international insurer approached one of our ‘experts’ as they sought to enter the UK SME marketplace.   Our expert, an experienced COO and CEO with great market insight, knew that by harnessing the collective expertise of Camelot, he could deliver a high quality, market leading piece of work that the client desired. Impressed with the experience within the Camelot team, the client commissioned a project to look at the ROI on a potential investment of up to £75m. Problem Statement A major commercial and specialty insurer aspired to rank among the top 10 most profitable insurers globally. Their goal was to enter the UK SME market, aiming for a 6% market share within 5 years, despite lacking prior experience or market presence in this sector. What We Did Once the project started it took 4 weeks to mobilise a team of Camelot experts. They then spent 5 weeks producing a detailed market study (400 pages) and presented it to the Exec team and agreed on the best strategic options to 'build out' in the Design Phase. The team included: Ex Head of Pricing Ex CIO Ex Marketing Director Ex SME Product Head Professional Insurance consultant with specialist experience in market disruption All goals and deadlines were met, and the global CEO acknowledged that the engagement of experienced practitioners at Camelot had helped save them from an investment of between £35-75 million that had no guarantees of success. Resulting Business Benefits. The detailed research, data and strategy guidance delivered what the Insurer needed and concluded that the level of investment needed did not meet their current plans.  The project work has provided the Insurer with the guidance needed for their ongoing UK strategy, which they are continuing to implement today. See how Camelot helped a re-insurer with a digital strategy here

2023 was another year of global turmoil. But turbulent times spark innovation. As the industry rises to meet these challenges, it is forced to innovate to find new and exciting ways to mitigate the impacts on end customers (and the bottom line). We’ve seen great leaps in innovation in the last year, particularly in Generative AI. And new products, solutions, and businesses emerge committed to driving the industry forward. Nevertheless, underwriters have been under extreme pressure to carefully select and manage the risks on their books, as well as looking ahead to predict what might happen next. They can’t afford missteps in the current market cycle, which although shows signs of softening across some specialty lines of business, remains hard in areas such as property reinsurance. Insurers aren’t quite out of the woods yet. The key to adapting and responding to these challenges is data, and the ability to access insurance and risk information in real time. Smarter use of data will unlock untold potential for underwriters, enabling them to stay ahead of the market and remain competitive. Data underpins many of the 9 insurance industry trends Send technologies expect to see over this year. We share a summary here, but for the full report visit Send here Trend 1: AI is the norm now, what’s next? It wouldn’t be a trends article without the mention of Generative AI (Gen AI), a buzzphrase of 2023 that shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. But we must acknowledge that AI in insurance isn’t a new phenomenon, it’s here and has been for a long time. AI is already a game-changer for commercial and specialty underwriters with practical uses ranging from machine learning to spot patterns in claims data, optical character recognition (OCR) to interpret data from various sources, and natural language processing (NLP) to read documents and contracts. Trend 2: The year of the API Underpinning many of the trends, and the bonds that hold the insurance ecosystem together, the Application Processing Interface (API) will become more important than ever in 2024. Trend 3: Talent – the rise of the generalist The acceleration of technology, the application of AI, and the increased prevalence of digital underwriting will inevitably lead to a shift in the skills needed to be an underwriter. This is part of a wider cultural shift in how we think about and transact insurance. Trend 4: Collaboration is the new competition Collaboration and partnership will be key to success in the coming year. The underwriting evolution can’t happen if disparate groups of people and businesses work on their own pockets of innovation. This will only lead to systems and technologies that don’t talk to each other or drive holistic benefits for the wider insurance industry. Trend 5: Market softening: Cyber in 2024 Despite a number of high-profile cyber incidents at the beginning of 2023, the tide appears to be turning on the cyber market. Last year saw stabilisation in rates and the return of capacity to a market that has been beleaguered with challenges as underwriters and their clients struggled with how to manage the growing, complicated risk. Trend 6: Emerging risks – what’s next? It’s unlikely we’ll see too much change to the top risks in 2024. Geopolitical conflict, interest rate volatility, regulation, cybersecurity and ESG are all likely to feature high on the risk radar. But how can insurers predict and manage the next big emerging risks? And what should risk managers be on the lookout for? There is no doubt that rapidly evolving threats ( and opportunities ) are on the horizon. However, how insurers identify and respond to these greatly differs as they consider their risk tolerance thresholds. Trend 7: A proactive approach to managing climate change risk We continue to be surprised by the rate of climate change and the natural disasters it sparks. In 2023 we witnessed some of the costliest catastrophes around the world including Hurricane Idalia in the US, wildfires in Canada, Typhoon Doksuri in the Philippines and the devastating earthquake impacting Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. We’re likely to see more of the same in 2024, and with losses surpassing hundreds of billions of dollars globally, the industry must begin to adopt a more proactive response to extreme weather events. Trend 8: The hard insurance market persists While 2023 saw easing conditions for certain lines of coverage, the overall market remains hard. Aside from CAT losses and the wider economy, several factors contribute to the hard market. These include inconsistent underwriting profits, mixed investment returns, inflation and the cost of reinsurance. Trend 9: Investment in underwriting Finally, we’re experiencing a tangible shift in investment from claims and post-bind to pre-bind technologies that improve the underwriting experience, facilitating profitable growth and increased efficiencies. Conclusion 2024 is set to be another busy year for underwriters, and we expect to see intention turn to action as the industry embraces solutions to some of the biggest challenges it faces from AI, to the economy, to climate change. To read more detail about the above trends, please visit Send now

Gary Burke, an expert in Transformational Change, is a very active Expert of Camelot and was a key speaker at our first ever Camelot Live event on Innovation. In 2023 he published ‘A Transformation Lens’ which became a #1 bestseller on Amazon and has received dozens of 5-star reviews – the below give an idea of what people think of it: "The most practical guide to successful transformation I have read" "A must have for both exec teams sponsoring transformations and those embarking on a transformation lead role" If you’re in the UK you can read more or buy a copy here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781337845. If you’re outside the UK just search for ‘A Transformation Lens’. Gary’s broad ranging industry expertise and his engagement in Camelot are both widely appreciated. Read on to learn more about the man who rings in the changes… So, in a nutshell: what do you do, and enable your customers to do? The point of any transformation (be it business, digital or any other flavour of transformation) is to bring about a step change in a company’s operation and performance to deliver different and better outcomes. It’s complex stuff and can involve significant changes to the company’s business model and/or its operating model (both of which are sometimes poorly understood) so the challenges and complexities involved, and the impact transformational change has across all parts of the organisation are often underestimated. This can easily lead to costly failures, both financially and reputationally, so I help companies deliver transformational change successfully, and there are two main aspects to what I do. Firstly, I work with leadership teams to help them better understand what’s really involved so the decisions that are made at the outset of any transformation programme regarding strategy, direction, prioritisation and investment etc are informed decisions. This helps to ensure that transformation programmes can be approached and subsequently executed in the right way, avoiding the common pitfalls and reducing programme risk and cost. Secondly, I get involved with the execution and delivery of transformation programmes. This may be in a leadership role (eg programme director) or in an advisory role, acting as a critical friend, providing guidance, support, oversight and challenge to the programme sponsor or board. I also work with solution providers and insurtechs to help them better understand how their products impact their clients’ business operation (not just their IT) and, since publishing ‘A Transformation Lens’, I’ve been invited to speak at various corporate events and conferences – most recently at the British Computer Society and The Insurance Network (TIN London Market). What are some recent projects you’ve worked on? Alongside the speaking events, recent activity has included working with an insurance broker helping them re-platform and introduce new ways of working (expanding their digital offering etc) and with an insurer to review their operating model as they scale their business. Outside of the insurance sector, I’ve been helping a health care company develop their change capability and improve their business planning process. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I’ve worked across a number of sectors although a lot of my career has been spent in the insurance industry. Although starting my career as a student actuary, I’ve been working in the transformation and change space since the mid-1990s in a variety of project, programme and head of change roles, for companies, consultancies and solution providers – so I’ve seen things from all side of the fence. It’s this rounded experience and the ability to keep the big picture in view whilst also appreciating the detail, an innate curiosity, a pragmatic common-sense approach, and the confidence to ask the stupid questions and challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire to establish clarity and ‘make things work better’ that gives me my USP. What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? It’s impossible not to mention AI…. however, alongside all the talk of what it is, isn’t, and may or may not be able to do now and in the future, we need to remember that lots of hard work has gone into developing the products and solutions being discussed – they didn’t just magically appear!  Companies in the insurance industry, many of which struggle with legacy technology, siloed operations and poor data, will need to address these issues to take advantage of any such solutions. Getting the basic foundations in place, particularly understanding the organisation’s operating model, is critical… there are no silver bullets! So, what’s one workplace challenge you have overcome? Programme recoveries are always interesting as in my experience a major factor is that the fundamental things just haven’t been done – akin to building a house without putting in the foundations, and then wondering why it falls down!  With the recoveries I’ve managed I’ve always taken a pragmatic approach to reset and refocus the programme – re-engaging stakeholders, getting control over costs, re-clarifying outcomes, objectives, scope and benefits, and ensuring that activity is aligned to appetite and capability. What should everyone be reading/listening to? My book of course! 😊 “A Transformation Lens: The savvy business leader’s approach to transformational change” - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781337845. “Drunk Tank Pink: The subconscious forces that shape how we think, feel and behave” by Adam Atler - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1780745834 Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? “Keep it simple” immediately springs to mind. Companies can sometimes overcomplicate things, lose sight of the big picture and end up with solutions and outcomes that don’t address the real issues and what’s really needed. There is another that I’d like to share… the scenario being a company that’s about to embark on a transformation programme, and the three questions that the exec sponsor should be able to answer before contracts are signed with solution providers and consultancies: Q1. What outcomes do you want, ie. what will the organisation look like, what experience do you want customers to have post-transformation? Q2. Why do you want these, ie. what problems are solved / opportunities taken advantage of and how do they align to the organisation’s strategy? Q3. If I asked your leadership team colleagues Q1 and Q2, would I get the same answers? Do you have a Favourite quote? “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar” – Helen Keller “I won’t be the one to be bound by the sound of if only”.  Okay, it’s a lyric rather than a quote but I like it! It’s from the song ‘If Only’ by Hazel O’Connor from the Breaking Glass film soundtrack. Any professional goals for the upcoming year? I’m passionate about changing how transformational change is approached, executed and delivered, as programmes should be more successful than they often are. Building on the success of my book, my professional goals are to continue speaking at events to raise awareness of how to think about transformation in a more holistic way and continue to add as much value as I can to clients, whether that be in an advisory or leadership/execution capacity. And… Last but not least, how does being an Expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? Being an Expert of Camelot has given me the opportunity to get to know some amazingly talented people working within the insurance sector and beyond.