Beyond the Desk with Mark Thomas

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...

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.