Humanizing Insurance

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, Howard Benge of the Insurance Museum returns to the podcast to explore the life and legacy of Dr Nicholas Barbon, one of the most important and least understood figures in insurance history. Best known as the father of fire insurance, Barbon was far more than that. He was a physician, a property developer, an economic thinker, a pamphleteer, an MP, and a ma...

Alan Demers spent 24 years at Nationwide, building a career in claims, leadership and innovation before stepping out to found InsurTech Consulting. In this episode of Humanizing Insurance , we talk about what claims teaches you about people, pressure and decision-making, and why it remains one of the most misunderstood parts of the industry. Alan reflects on a career spent largely inside one organ...

Tony Cañas is one of insurance’s most distinctive voices: recruiter, podcast host, community builder, and, increasingly, magician. In this episode, Tony joins Humanizing Insurance to talk about the winding route that took him from wanting to work in computer science to falling into insurance after the 2009 crash, building Insurance Nerds and Profiles in Risk, and eventually rediscovering a childho...

In(surtech) Vogue: Rory Pyke Rory Pyke didn’t plan to work in insurance. He studied graphic design, interned at Vogue , built a custom trainer business (complete with a Dragons’ Den application), bought property in St Helens, and was on the verge of opening a wine bar before COVID changed everything. Today, he’s VP Global Partnerships at Insurtech Insights, sitting at the centre of the global insu...

David Cabral has worked across more corners of insurance than most of us will ever see - Bermuda, the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas - spanning claims, underwriting, leadership, and now senior advisory work at the Bank of England. In this conversation, David shares why he believes claims is the best place to start any insurance career , how he deliberately built breadth through “sidewa...

Risk, Liability & Event Insurance with Freddie Sparrow What happens when a music festival founder becomes an insurance entrepreneur? Freddie Sparrow is the co-founder of Vento Insurance , a specialist event insurance broker serving festival organisers, conferences, trade shows and the wider events supply chain. Before launching Vento, Freddie ran a 5,000-person music festival — managing venues...

Ola Jacob – Director of Business Development, Global Parametrics Insurance has a storytelling problem. Not because what we do isn’t meaningful — but because we don’t always explain it in human terms. In this episode, I’m joined by Ola Jacob from Global Parametrics. We start where we always do — with the person. From dreaming of an Ironman-style “Jarvis life” to studying Human Computer Interaction...

What do wartime staff magazines, colonial underwriting rates, and a forgotten female trailblazer reveal about the history of insurance? In this episode of Humanizing Insurance , I’m joined by Mollie Horne, archivist at Aberdeen Group , to explore what insurance archives uncover about the people behind the policies. We step into Second World War staff magazines , read letters from employees on acti...

Episode summary In this episode of Humanizing Insurance , Daniel Grimwood-Bird sits down with Tim McCosh, Founder and CEO of Yokahu — an MGA and digital marketplace for worldwide parametric natural catastrophe and extreme weather risk insurance. Tim shares the very human reality of building a startup while becoming a new dad to twins, his unexpected route into insurance, why he left broking after...

Episode summary This one’s a deliberate tangent. Not away from insurance, but out to the place where the industry comes together to argue, learn, sell, build… and occasionally rethink itself. My guest is Bill Harris , co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of InsureTech Connect (ITC) — the largest gathering of insurance innovation in the world. We talked about how ITC started (including the very “s...

Engineering Communities: Paolo Cuomo When Paolo Cuomo planned for a life designing and building tangible things - bridges, buildings, “real stuff” - he didn’t expect to fall for an industry that makes nothing you can touch. But in the grey areas of specialty risk and the human handshake of EC3, he found something else: a place where engineering discipline meets portfolio uncertainty, and where com...

Changing Perspectives: Simon Hayes When markets softened and box-ticking took over, Simon Hayes didn’t chase “cheapest.” He doubled down on stories that change perceptions. From Royal Marines officer training to aviation broking at Lloyd’s, Simon learned early that insurance is a people business. The real leverage wasn’t a rate card, it was narrative: helping underwriters see the full picture, tur...

Knight of the (Insurance) Round Table: David Clamp When corporate life no longer fit, David Clamp didn’t just change jobs, he changed the way people in insurance connect. After decades in engineering, tech, and banking, David found himself questioning whether his work still aligned with his values. What began as a career crossroads at 50 became a personal quest for purpose - and ultimately, the cr...

Philosophy in Insurance: Bryan Falchk What happens when you mix philosophy with insurance? You get a conversation that slows things down - that asks not just what we do, but why we do it. In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Falchuk , founder of Insurance Evolution Partners , President & CEO of PLRB , author, TEDx speaker, and one of the genuinely good humans in our industry. We talk about t...

Brewing a Legacy: The Story of Edward Lloyd with Howard Benge, Director of The Insurance Museum Three hundred years before global markets and skyscrapers, there was a man with a coffee pot and an idea. Edward Lloyd didn’t come from money. He wasn’t an underwriter, a broker, or a banker. He was a London coffee-house owner in the late 1600s, serving merchants, ship captains, and traders in a city st...

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood Bird engages in a compelling conversation with Curtis Goldsborough, a dynamic figure in the insurance industry known for blending humor with insightful industry commentary on platforms like LinkedIn.  Curtis shares his unconventional path into insurance, starting from his early aspirations in computer science, through ministry, media, a...

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood-Bird welcomes Tee Barr, Director of Product - Geospatial at Verisk Extreme Event Solutions and a part-time lecturer at Northeastern University.  Tee shares a comprehensive overview of their 25-year career in geospatial information and how their passion for geography led them to unexpected roles, including significant stints in defence a...

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood-Bird engages in a profound conversation with Mark Huxley, a seasoned expert in the insurance sector with nearly 50 years of experience.  Mark delves into his beginnings in London's East End, his unexpected entry into the world of insurance, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. He shares insights on the evolution of the i...

In this episode of 'Humanizing Insurance,' host Daniel welcomes Alex Bond, founder and Managing Partner of FinPro and host of the 'Leadership in Insurance' podcast.  Alex shares his journey in the insurance industry, from starting at RSA to founding his own recruitment company, FinPro. He discusses the cultural differences between the UK and US insurance markets, the importance...

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel sits down with Astrid Malval-Beharry, Founder and President at StratMaven.  Astrid shares her journey into and through the insurance industry - from earning her MBA to navigating career changes and relocations. She highlights the power of building a strong professional network and emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of your work-life b...

Humanizing Insurance Host Daniel is joined today by Ema Roloff who is the Co-founder & Chief Growth Officer at Roloff Consulting. In this episode, Ema shares her mindset behind implementing effective strategies that drive businesses forward. With experience both inside and outside the insurance industry, she brings a wealth of insight that she is eager to share through her business. She’s espe...

In today's episode of Humanizing Insurance, Daniel speaks with Sri Ramaswamy, Founder & CEO of Charlee.ai.   Sri shares how her fascination with data led her through a variety of industries before finding her place in the world of insurance. Nearly two decades later, her passion for driving meaningful change in the industry is stronger than ever. Her fierce determination serves as an insp...

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood-Bird is joined by Avi Baruch, Co-Founder and CPO of Previsico.  Avi discusses his career journey of going from an academic background to entering the insurance space by co-founding Previsico. He addresses the many challenges and motivations along the way, while providing some unique insights into how to navigate the insurance industry a...

Today, Humanizing Insurance host Daniel is joined by Amy Cooper, Founder and CEO at RISE.  In this episode, Amy discusses her experience with insurance, from coming across a career opportunity within the industry by chance to founding a community based organization which empowers early career professionals. Amy's story is a great one to listen to if you are looking for inspiration and advice...

In this episode, Humanizing Insurance host Daniel is joined by Joshua Cruce, Chief Strategy Officer at Vector Risk Solutions.  Joshua shares his powerful journey from military service to strategic leadership in the insurance industry. After a service-related injury, he began volunteering to help clean up homes after hurricanes - an experience that ultimately led him to discovering the word of insu...