Beyond the Desk with Mark Thomas

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Vandana Bhatia , Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and globally experienced technology transformation leader, currently shaping strategy and innovation in the insurance sector. Her journey from building early chatbots in India to leading transformation for tier-one insurers across the US, UK and Europe is a fascinating...

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with David Greenwood , Chief Operating Officer at IQUW , a leading Lloyd's specialty underwriter. David shares a rich account of his extensive career, from his early days at the National Rifle Association to his pivotal roles at PA Consulting, Barclays, Tesco Bank, and beyond. Known for his expertise in transformation, David dives i...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , Mark Thomas sits down with Al Robertson , CTO of ICE InsureTech , to discuss his journey from a passionate developer to an influential technology leader in the insurance sector. Al shares candid stories from his early days at John Lewis Partnership and RSA, through to taking the leap into the startup world and building transformative insurance platforms. With o...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, host Mark Thomas speaks with Nicki Tang , Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Tokio Marine HCC . Nicki shares her fascinating journey into insurance technology leadership, key career decisions, lessons from overcoming challenges, and invaluable advice for aspiring leaders. Key Topics Covered: Nicki’s early career decision-making and initial reluctance to enter th...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with Reno Daigle , CIO and Head of Business Transformation at CNA Hardy . Reno shares an inspiring journey from his early ambitions of practising law to becoming a global leader in insurance technology and transformation. He discusses pivotal career moments, how an MBA shifted his career trajectory, and the vital role of embracing cha...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with Matt Griffiths, Head of Cloud at Pheonix Group to explore his fascinating career journey from retail banking to becoming a leader in cloud and technology within the insurance sector. Matt shares insights into the evolution of his career, the challenges he has faced, and the key lessons learned along the way. Key Topics Discussed:...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with David, a seasoned Chief Data Officer with a rich background in consulting and insurance. David shares his professional journey, the pivotal decisions that shaped his career, and his thoughts on the evolving role of data in the insurance sector. From his early days in South Africa to leading data strategy in major insurance firms...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with Andrew Passfield, CEO and co-founder of ICE Insuretech, to discuss his remarkable journey from trainee underwriter to leading a successful InsurTech business. Andrew shares his career story, pivotal moments, lessons learned, and insights on how ICE became a key player in the insurance technology space. They also explore how ICE g...

In this episode of  Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas interviews Sandra Lewin, a transformation and operations expert, consultant, and host of the successful  100 Women in Insurance  podcast .  Sandra shares her fascinating career journey, from growing up in Poland to navigating the Lloyd’s market, moving from broking to transformation, and eventually launching her own consult...

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Desk , where we take a deep dive into the careers of influential leaders in technology, transformation, and operations within global insurance and insurtech. In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with Pablo Bawdekar , a seasoned Chief Architect with extensive experience in insurance and Insurtech. Pablo shares his career journey, f...

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Desk , where we take a deep dive into the careers of influential leaders in technology, transformation, and operations within global insurance and insurtech. This week, host Mark Thomas sits down with Sumesh Vijayakumar, Head of Claims Transformation at Beazley , to explore his journey to leading transformation initiatives in the insurance sector. In this i...

In this episode of Beyond the Desk , host Mark Thomas sits down with Giles Baxter , CIO for Europe at Brown & Brown, to explore his remarkable career journey in technology, transformation, and leadership within the insurance sector. Giles shares his personal story, from starting in chemistry to entering tech by chance and how he navigated roles at Accenture, RSA, and other pivotal organisation...

Beyond the Desk is THE insurance careers podcast. The first episode is launching on Tuesday, 28th January. Watch full-length episodes on YouTube and connect with us on Linkedin for more content and insights.