Beyond the Desk with Mark Thomas

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Usha Badrinath, Group Chief Data Officer at Mosaic Insurance , to explore her unconventional career journey, the rapidly changing role of technology in insurance, and what AI could mean for the industry over the coming years. Usha’s career has taken her from computer science and coding in India, through an MBA and technology consulting,...

What does it take to build a successful career in underwriting when you don't follow the conventional route? In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Underwriting Special , Sanj Vagad sits down with Jana Ratanjothy to explore her unconventional journey from law and claims into underwriting, and the experiences that have shaped her career along the way. Jana shares how 36 rejection letters eventually le...

What does it really take to build a successful career in underwriting? In this episode of Beyond the Desk Underwriting Special , Sanj Vagad is joined by Adam Curran, Chief Underwriting Officer - Specialty, HDI Global, to explore his career from an unexpected start in insurance to senior leadership within one of the market’s major specialty businesses. Adam shares how an initial opportunity at Alex...

What does it take to build a successful career in underwriting? In this episode of Beyond the Desk Underwriting Edition , Sanj Vagad is joined by Charles Boorman to explore a career spanning broking, D&O, financial lines, underwriting leadership, turnarounds and the MGA market. Charles shares how he first fell into insurance before discovering that specialising in D&O was the turning point...

What can we learn from the people shaping the future of insurance? In this special highlights episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas brings together some of the most insightful moments from conversations with senior leaders across the global insurance industry. Across the series, guests have explored everything from leadership and career development to AI, underwriting, talent, culture and the c...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, Underwriting Mini Series, host Sanj Vagad sits down with Scott Bailey, Head of Global Cyber Underwriting at CFC. Scott looks back on a career spanning 25 years in cyber insurance, from joining Click for Cover (later CFC) as employee number two in 2001, through spells at CNA Hardy and Markel, to his return to CFC three and a half years ago. Along the way, he shar...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Underwriting Edition , Sanjeev Vegad sits down with Mark Fellows , Divisional Director, Financial Lines, International at Westfield Specialty, to explore a career that spans claims, underwriting, leadership, and multiple successful business builds across the London insurance market. Mark shares how he accidentally fell into insurance after university, why a move...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Sanjeev Vegad is joined by Talbir Singh Bains , founder of Volante Global and one of the insurance industry's most respected entrepreneurs. Talbir reflects on a career spanning QBE, Willis Re, Swiss Re, Dual and the creation of Volante, sharing the lessons that shaped his leadership philosophy and entrepreneurial mindset. The conversation explores how to b...

In this special Beyond the Desk: Underwriting Edition , host Sanjeev Vegad sits down with Simon Jackson , CEO of Amwins Underwriting, to discuss what it takes to build high-performing underwriting teams, embrace calculated career risks, and lead through one of the insurance industry's most transformative periods. Drawing on leadership experience at Amlin, Beazley and now Amwins, Simon shares the l...

What does it actually take to go from growing up in one of Glasgow's most deprived areas to becoming a CEO in the insurance industry without a university degree, without a clear plan, and without ever making CEO your goal? In this episode of Beyond the Desk, Mark Thomas sits down with Chris Barclay, CEO of Superscript, for one of the most candid career conversations the show has delivered. Chris t...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Sally Peace , Chief of Staff and HR Director at Apollo, to discuss an unconventional career that has spanned actuarial science, catastrophe modelling, operations, business planning, HR and executive leadership. Sally shares how embracing opportunities, rather than following a rigid career plan, helped shape her journey into one of the m...

Episode Description In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by John Wingate , Chief Technology Officer at Envelop Risk, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming insurance and why technology should enhance people rather than replace them. John shares his fascinating journey from developing software for Rolls-Royce jet engines and military systems to leading one of t...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Carys Lawton-Bryce , Chief Operations Officer at Markel International, to explore her unconventional journey into executive leadership. From growing up in South Africa to leading large-scale operational transformation across one of the insurance industry's leading organisations, Karis shares how curiosity, calculated risk-taking and a...

From a working-class upbringing in South Derbyshire to Chief People Officer at Howden, Kirk Southern shares the experiences, lessons and leadership principles that have shaped his career. In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Kirk discusses his unconventional route into HR, why curiosity and humility have been the biggest drivers of his success, and how the role of the Chief People Officer has evol...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, Mark Thomas is joined by Nigel Walsh, Global Head of Insurance at ServiceNow. Nigel shares his journey from writing 210 letters trying to secure his first position at the start of his career to key leadership positions at some of the world's leading firms, including Capgemini, Deloitte, Google and his current position at ServiceNow. The conversation explores Nig...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Chris Pearce , Chief Data Officer at esure. Chris shares his fascinating journey from a childhood love of video games to leading one of the UK’s most advanced data and AI transformations in the insurance industry. We explore Chris’s academic path from mathematics to a PhD in epidemiology, his early career spanning banking, automotive, a...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by David Clamp Founder of The Camelot Network, a network of independent consultants serving the insurance sector. From apprentice electronic engineer to insurance transformation leader and founder of a thriving network of 150+ independent experts, David Clamp’s career path has had some key milestones and changes in direction. In this episo...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Daren Rudd , Head of Insurance Business and Technology Consulting at CGI. Daren is a self-proclaimed "non-traditional CTO" whose route into insurance technology started not with a computer science degree, but a geography course and a job in marketing. Daren's path is a masterclass in curiosity, resilience and leadership that prioritises...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas by Paul Butler , newly appointed CTO of Hiscox Re & ILS and former CTO of Hiscox London Market . Paul’s journey is anything but typical. From writing code as a teenager on a ZX Spectrum to launching tech for startups in Borough Market and leading reinsurance innovation at one of the most recognised names in the London Market, his story is full o...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Krishnan Ethirajan , Chief Digital & AI Officer at Mosaic Insurance. Krishnan shares his fascinating journey from studying neural networks in the 1980s to leading cutting-edge AI initiatives in the global insurance sector. With a background that spans academia, consulting, and executive leadership, Krishnan's career is anything but...

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas is joined by Ketan Motwani , COO at Arch Insurance , for a rich and refreshingly candid conversation about career reinvention, resilience, and rising through transformation. From rebelling at school in India to being parachuted into boardrooms in the UK, Ketan’s story spans military training, software engineering, Deloitte consulting, and exe...

In this weeks episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Arvinder Mudhar , Group CIO of IQUW , whose career spans investment banking, global tech transformation, and the intricacies of the insurance world. From his first lines of BASIC code in East London to leading IT strategies across Mumbai, Geneva, and now London, Arvinder's journey is anything but typical. Key topics that we disc...

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Hélène Stanway independent advisor and former Head of Digital & Innovation at AXA XL. With a career spanning more than 30 years across reinsurance, operations, digital innovation, and data, Hélène has carved a truly unique path through the insurance industry. In this wide-ranging conversation, we unpack her zigzag career jo...

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Sally Ng , Change and Technology Delivery Director at RSA . Sally shares her remarkable journey - from arriving in the UK as a child with no English language skills, to becoming a leading force in transformation delivery within one of the UK's most historic insurers. We explore her early creative passions, how growing up in a f...

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Hasani Jess , Group CTO at Aventum Group. Hasani shares his fascinating journey from an early love of technology (sparked by an old-school typewriter that his mum brought home!) through a career spanning global consulting firms, banking, healthcare, luxury retail, travel, and now, speciality insurance. We cover pivotal career m...