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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.

AI is an important part of everyday life, and is integral to many activities from algorithms on the internet to self-drive cars. This technology could be used within the insurance industry to drive innovation and to improve the overall customer experience, which will put you head and shoulders above the competition. Applications within the insurance industry If you think that introducing AI into your business has to be a big commitment to the level and impact of ChatGPT, you’d be wrong. There are many low-key ways of implementing AI which will have positive results for your business processes. There are three main areas where AI would be beneficial. Customer Experience Virtual Assistants - By introducing Chatbots or Virtual Assistants to your website customers will be able to get answers to the most frequently asked questions 24/7. They can then be guided through the insurance process, get help with common policy enquiries and receive basic trouble-shooting whenever they need it. Predictive Analysis for Pricing - Using AI-driven predictive analytics will provide easier, quicker and more accurate pricing based on customer risk and specific circumstances. For the customer this could mean quicker and more accurate quotes. Automated Underwriting - Policy approval times can be improved by introducing automated underwriting, which uses AI models meaning there will be more consistent decisions across the board. Fraud Detection Anomaly Detection – Machine learning algorithms can identify unusual data patterns and can flag them as potential fraudulent claims, quicker than could be caught manually. Social Media Monitoring – It can be surprising what fraudulent activities can be picked up on social media if you have the time and capacity to monitor it. This is where AI tools can help. They can monitor social media and help to verify claims or flag them as potential fraud. Behaviour Analysis – Often people behave according to type and with the help of AI it is possible to analyse historical customer behaviour data which could help to detect fraudulent claims. Claims Processing Automation of Routine Tasks – Not all tasks need to be carried out by a human, and by automating routine tasks like data inputting and document verification can speed up the claims process as well as freeing up your staff for more skilled work. Image Recognition – AI can be used to assess images of damaged property which automates another time consuming part of the process as well as speeding up the claims procedures. Predictive Analytics for Claims Handling – It is possible to use predictive modelling to determine claim complexity and to allocate resources accordingly. This can speed up the claims process and enable your staff to be more productive elsewhere within the business. How to get started In order to be innovative in your approach to customer service and claims processing you don’t need to implement all of these suggestions in one go. In fact introducing AI in just a couple of places can vastly improve the customer experience, enabling your business to continue growing. However, choosing the right AI tool to use, knowing how to implement it and how to ensure it is accurate can be a daunting task if going alone. Wouldn’t it be useful to speak with people who have already introduced AI 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 need. For more information speak to a member of the team today.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I’m working as an independent consultant offering expertise in a number of areas; primarily Customer Experience but also marketing, comms, programme management and operational transformation. How long have you been an expert of Camelot? 10 months. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? Verisk road test, refining their pitch of a new tech model. Really enjoyed helping them, like editing in real time! I also love the Insurtech clinics, of which I’ve done many. It is so interesting and I love being able to help people build on their ideas. Area of expertise Customer Experience in the widest sense, which to me includes culture change, operational transformation, programme management, internal and external comms and all kinds of data and insight to inform where to improve. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role I am super proud that I’ve led CX at three very different insurers (Aviva, LV= and ManyPets) who were at completely different stages so required quite different approaches, from transformation of legacy to propositions to supporting rapid growth. How long have you been doing this subject/area 20 years! Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high point that you’ve worked on? My most recent projects have been working with start up insurers doing discovery work to help them assess what they need to prioritise.  As always there’s so much for them to do and limited time and resources. I have really enjoyed these projects as it uses my varied skills and enables the start ups to get clarity that is sometimes hard to see from the inside when you’re so close to something. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? My ability to improve CX and EX whilst also reducing costs and improving efficiency. People think this is a myth, but in my view it’s the only way to do it. Bad experience costs money! I take the insight from those three areas and work on what creates improvement across the board. Do you have a Favourite quote? “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Any professional goals for the upcoming year? To do interesting work with good people, that makes a difference and pays the bills plus a bit more! And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? Being a part of Camelot has been invaluable to me as I’ve been starting out on this consultancy path. It can be a bit overwhelming at first and I think I’d have felt quite lonely if I didn't have Camelot to connect with.

Katie Crook-Davies, Managing Director of consultancy, Tabei, tells us all about life and health insurance and her mission to protect more people through market-leading propositions and faster processes. What is your role since leaving corporate life? I’m the Managing Director of Tabei, a consultancy supporting the life and health insurance sector across proposition development, actuarial and data science and marketing. How long have you been a member of Camelot? Since mid 2019. Area of expertise? Life insurance proposition development, actuarial services, marketing and PR. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? National Account Manager at Vitality (possibly the first actuary to join the ‘dark side’ of sales… but don’t quote me on that 😉). How long have you been doing this subject/area? 12 years. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? Proposition development and innovation for one of the UK’s largest insurers. Life proposition development for large UK mutual insurer operating in the advised market. Marketing support for global MarTech business supporting digital distribution for life insurers. Content marketing for UK protection advice firms. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? Tabei combines 20+ years of actuarial expertise with a keen eye for marketing and customer experience – a combination I believe is essential in delivering life and health insurance solutions that customers really want! Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? Launching our new actuarial software, t+1, was a huge professional high point for me. It’s four years in the making and I’m so proud of what this new technology can do and the potential transformation it can bring to the actuarial modelling space. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? It has to be diversity and inclusion! We need to get uncomfortable topics on the table, normalise them and create safe spaces for everyone to discuss openly. And of course, it’s not just the right thing to do, it makes absolute business sense – it’s really time to make D&I a strategic business priority! Please describe a challenging work scenario and how you resolved it? Naturally, being self-employed, I wear many hats and am often juggling multiple work priorities at any one time. I find this situation can fix me in the ‘doing’ and the day-to-day work, sometimes taking focus away from the bigger picture and important business strategy work. I’m continuously working to better manage this but it’s certainly a work in progress. For me, it’s never easy to say ‘no’ to things! What should everyone be reading/listening to? A shameless plug, but check out https://riskymix.uk/ if you’d like to learn more about D&I and hear thoughts from experts in this field on the work we can all do to make our industry a nicer place for everyone! Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? Do work that excites you, surround yourself with people who energise you, don’t calibrate to others’ measures of success, write your own story and, above all, never undervalue your skills and experience! Do you have a Favourite quote? “Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.” – Brené Brown Any professional goals for the upcoming year? This is an easy one – to spread the t+1 message far and wide and to continue to deliver seamless integration and exceptional service to existing clients. t+1 delivers more competitive pricing and better model cost control and we’re really excited to show everyone in the insurance industry the power that newer technology has over legacy actuarial modelling software. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network? My 12-year tenure in life and health insurance puts me in a unique spot as an independent consultant – I’ve developed a solid actuarial grounding in the sector and specialist technical expertise yet I’m also at an early enough stage that my thoughts and behaviors flow freely – I’ve not been shaped by decades in the corporate world, and instead present with fresh ideas and approaches that haven’t been tried before. Katie’s experience and technical know-how meant that she delivered work to a high quality. Katie was a trusted pair of hands, an absolute pleasure to work with and far exceeded my expectations. Claire Kelly – Head of Protection Product, LV= Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? As in many industries, I believe success comes from designing great products, pricing competitively and marketing effectively and this couldn’t be more true than for life and health insurance – products that are notoriously difficult to sell. Great proposition and customer experience, actuarial pricing capabilities and simple, jargon-free, communications will be a winning combination in this space – and it’s these three pillars that we specialise in at Tabei. Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or ‘give aways’ that you can give to fellow consultants? Try new things and encourage teams to think creatively and explore their curiosity. Embrace failure – see failure as a chance to learn. Step away from the pack to see brand new opportunities and apply your existing capabilities in exciting ways to develop a competitive advantage. Really put the customer at the heart of all proposition development work and never undervalue the importance of customer research. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? The life of an independent consultant can be a lonely one, but Camelot has allowed me to meet so many like-minded individuals from across insurance who are facing, or have faced, very similar challenges. I’ve been able to get invaluable advice and guidance from more established consultants, which I’m extremely grateful for, and hope to be able to do the same for the fresh talent entering this space.

In the current insurance market, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to stand out from the competition and it can be very tempting to fall into the trap of gimmicks. Whilst effective these are short-term solutions. Instead, why not investigate true innovation for your industry? Innovation doesn’t need to be big and flashy. It doesn’t require ping pong tables and bean-bags in the staff relaxation room, or great offers for new clients. Instead, innovation can be as simple as finding out what would make your service more appealing to your customers (current and prospective) and then finding a means of delivering this requirement. A common pain point with clients, for example, is their claims aren’t processed quickly enough, or there are delays due to difficult environmental or locational challenges. Rather than completely overhauling your entire processes to address this issue, you can implement some innovative technology. Such technology could be the introduction of drones into your business assets. Drones vary greatly in their application but essentially they are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be controlled by a pilot on the ground or remotely via a pre-programmed route. So, how can drones be used effectively within the insurance industry? Application of Drones There are various ways a drone can improve your customer service, processing times and health and safety including: Property and Damage Inspection - Drones can facilitate the inspection of property in dangerous or hard-to-access places, as well as following a natural disaster like a flood, wildfire or landslide. Deploying a drone to carry out the assessment will speed up the claims process as well as be able to collect more accurate data for the underwriting policies than could be possible if carried out manually. Using drones with sensors is also a much safer option for insurance company personnel in high-risk areas, meaning that insurers can proactively mitigate risks whilst at the same time processing claims. Claims Processing - By using drones adjusters can collect aerial and detailed shots of properties which may not be otherwise possible allowing them to assess claims more accurately but also remotely. This potentially could extend the catchment area of your ideal clients as well. Additionally, drone footage could also assist in investigating suspicious claims by providing visual evidence to verify the claim’s legitimacy. Improved Customer Service - This can include quicker response time to claims but also by providing real-time updates about property inspections and claim assessments. Considerations of Implementing Drones If you are considering using drones to streamline your claims processes and improve customer service there are a few considerations. Compliance - For security and safety reasons the use of drones in the UK is subject to strict regulations. Insurance companies must comply with these rules for safe and legal operations. Data Privacy - Handling the data collected by drones must comply with data protection laws. Therefore ensuring the secure transfer and storage of sensitive information is crucial and processes will have to be created for use. Initial Investment and Training - There is an outlay required for the equipment itself but also for staff training, as everyone using the drone needs to be licensed. However, this outlay will be recuperated through reduced operational costs and improved claims processing times. Of course, introducing new technology into such a traditional industry can feel like a gamble. Here at Camelot Marketplace we understand that and we are here to help. How useful would it be to speak with people who have already implemented innovative ideas in insurance businesses? What could you learn from their successes and more importantly their mistakes? Our members are all C-suite level executives with years of experience within the insurance business and will be able to provide you with exactly the support you and your business need. For more information speak to a member of the team today.

A global reinsurer sought expertise from Camelot for crafting their new digital strategy. They attended a workshop led by Camelot experts and engaged a team of three experts to further develop their strategy. The client wanted to refine their draft strategy before presenting it to their Board. They sought an external viewpoint from experts who had experience in conceptualizing and implementing digital strategies. The project involved examining previous efforts, clarifying objectives, understanding stakeholder positions, and adapting to remote work due to the pandemic. The Camelot experts acted as facilitators, providing valuable content, and integrating into the client team. They organized virtual workshops using collaborative tools and encouraged reflection between sessions. The workshops were designed to allow the client ample preparation time and encouraged real-time oversight. In addition to aiding strategy formulation, the team aimed to enhance the client's skills and confidence. Frequent review sessions ensured alignment with project objectives and allowed for necessary amendments. The collaborative effort resulted in the successful execution of the digital strategy project within timelines and budget, leading to the client formulating and securing approval for its strategy. The client also received resources for implementation, monitoring, and management, contributing to present value and future-proofing The client expressed immense satisfaction with the process and outcome, remarking that it offered tremendous value at a fraction of their customary expenses. If you have an insurance challenge or opportunity that could benefit from the insights of our experts and corporate partners, please contact us.

What does a beautiful meal have to do with business transformation? Transformation is a key phrase in everyone's mind right now, but it's not always smooth sailing. Gary Burke , one of our Camelot Experts has provided us with a key insight using a very simple dinner party example. Consider this…. If you enjoy entertaining and cooking for friends, you wouldn't think twice about having a handful of friends over for dinner at the weekend. However, if it wasn’t a handful of friends but a ten-course banquet for 100 people (it's still cooking and entertaining!) you'd recognise that a different set of skills and experience would be needed to do this successfully. Transformation is like a banquet, and if you approach it like 'cooking for friends', it's not going to end well. This simple example shows us how easy it would be to underestimate the complexities and challenges when undertaking a transformation programme. In today’s fast-paced and resource-constrained environment, making informed decisions and determining the right approach at the outset of any transformation initiative is imperative to avoid some of the all-too-common pitfalls.    Transformation programmes – business, digital, organisational or any other flavour of transformation – don’t traditionally have a great reputation for success.   A key factor for the lack of success is that what’s involved and the impact the transformation will have on the organisation is often underestimated. This can easily result in the wrong approach being taken and, before you know it, the problems start… possibly ending up with a board meeting some months later where you need to discuss the huge amount of money already spent, the lack of progress and how to get the programme back on track.   So how can we prevent this? At Camelot, we have over 150 insurance experts with C-Suite and senior experience. We are here to guide you through the intricate world of transformation. Our curated team of experts will dedicate their time to help you find the right way forward for your unique business needs. Here's what we offer: Expert Advice: We provide you with in-depth insights into how to approach transformational change, providing guidance, support and challenge so programmes can be set up for success. On your side: We provide access to independent experts who have real-world experience in transformational change and are on your side, acting in your best interests to help you make better decisions. Execution Expertise: We'll help you execute your transformation programme, steering clear of common pitfalls, and ensuring a smooth and successful journey.  Don't let the minefield of transformation overwhelm you. Choose Camelot as your trusted advisor, and together, we'll achieve greatness!  Contact us to find out how.

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I have co-founded and lead a digital marketing agency, Balance. We specialise in financial services, consulting on and managing Search and Social Media marketing, training, conversion rate optimisation and more. The rest of my time I’m an independent marketing consultant for SMEs and startups, which helps keep me sharp and give something back. How long have you been an expert of Camelot? Just under a year. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? No but I have done a couple of Insurtech clinics which have been very interesting. Area of expertise:- Marketing and Digital Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role:- Marketing Director of Admiral for 5 years. How long have you been doing this subject/area - 20 years What is your company name? Balance Do you have a website? www.thebalanceagency.com What is your LinkedIn profile URL? https://www.linkedin.com/in/consultantcmo/ Do you have a blog? My LinkedIn and https://www.thebalanceagency.com/insights/ Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high point that you’ve worked on? My professional high point to date was the Stay at Home Refund campaign at Admiral during Covid. We understood a few weeks before we officially went into lockdown that we would likely be facing an extended period of lower driving, and therefore the perceived value of car insurance would diminish at the same time people may start to struggle financially. After considerable planning, we were the first to give something back to customers. Living up to our brand positioning of Rewardingly Simple, getting over a thousand pieces of coverage and putting our brand as number 1 for consideration for the first time in its 30 year history. The campaign cost £110m but the brand business benefit exceeded that, but more importantly, it was the right thing to do. YouGov voted our marketing the best of covid, above the likes of Dominoes, various banks and other household brands. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I’m a marketer with an understanding of the application of classic strategy but an affinity for executing digital methods. Do you have a Favourite quote? “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former sell” Any professional goals for the upcoming year? Establishing Balance as the go to digital agency for financial brands. I will also be helping more fintechs and insuretechs with their growth. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? As I only started my own businesses in the last 12 months I’ve relied almost exclusively on my previous employer, employees and partner network, with no means outside LinkedIn to raise awareness of my skills and experience. Camelot not only gives me and extra channel but also enables me to become a better consultant through seeing others with excellent experience and enabling me to support up and coming businesses in the clinics. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I work as a NED (Non-Executive Director) for four insurance companies - one in Gibraltar and three in the UK. Plus, I do consulting for firms wishing to set up in Gibraltar How long have you been an expert of Camelot? About 8 months Area of expertise:- I am an actuary - numbers are my thing. Also I have expertise in governance and regulation. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role:- Director of Regulatory Operations at the Gibraltar regulator How long have you been doing this subject/area? 40 years What is your LinkedIn profile URL? Kathryn (Kitching) Morgan | LinkedIn Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high point that you’ve worked on? I set up a mentoring organisation where older women mentor younger women. I mentor several young women and I’m able to share my experience (good and bad) and help them. The problems don’t change, sadly. The Wise Women: Company Page Admin | LinkedIn We are always open to mentoring women - please message us. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? I’m an actuary that focuses on people Do you have a Favourite quote? …it would be too senseless after all for so many to have died while you live doing nothing with your life. (Charlotte Delbo) Any professional goals for the upcoming year? To keep a good work / life balance. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? It’s great to have the resources available, and also the comfort of knowing there are people to ask about things I’m stuck on. Plus, I like meeting new people. I can also support other women in the network which helps my goal of smashing the patriarchy. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect