Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance

In this Greatest Hits episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with Sam Lewis, VP of Product, Engineering, and Data at Cytora, about how agentic AI is reshaping insurance workflows. They explore the shift from manual, fragmented processes to seamless, stateful systems that use memory and context to manage end-to-end submissions. Sam explains why the real barrier to digitization has been behavioral, not technical, and how designing for zero workflow disruption drives adoption among brokers. 
The conversation unpacks how AI agents increase underwriting capacity, improve responsiveness, and enable more consistent risk selection. They also discuss intelligently routing submissions, closing data gaps through enrichment, and freeing underwriters to focus on judgment-based decisions. The result is a more scalable, efficient, and accessible insurance ecosystem powered by always-on automation and intelligent orchestration.
Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we’ll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.
To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.

Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.

Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo
20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek Masojada
Implementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's

What if you could double your underwriting capacity without doubling your headcount? The answer lies in transforming how people, processes, and technology work together.
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with Kirsten Charlton, VP Operations and Transformation at Nationwide, where she leads operations and transformation in commercial underwriting for middle markets. Kirsten explains how to balance scope with speed, use the Model Office approach to test changes before scaling, and build a transformation team driven by curiosity. She also explores why executive sponsorship, continuous dialogue, and dedicated transformation teams are essential to lasting success. From measuring benefits without chasing perfect attribution to navigating the human side of digital transformation, Kirsten shares practical insights for leaders looking to turn ambitious change programmes into measurable business outcomes.
Kirsten Charlton is Vice President of Operations and Transformation for Commercial Underwriting at Nationwide, where she leads large-scale transformation initiatives across middle-market operations. With over 20 years of experience, she specialises in process improvement, organisational change management, and technology implementation within commercial insurance. Kirsten pioneered the Model Office framework, which tests changes in a live environment to reduce implementation risks and validate operational benefits before wider rollout. Combining expertise in risk management and insurance with a strategic, operational mindset, she builds collaborative teams that translate business strategy into measurable results.

Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we’ll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.
To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.

Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.

Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo
20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek Masojada
Implementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's

Insurance is becoming more complex, but the way the industry works doesn’t have to be. In this compilation episode of Making Risk Flow, Juan de Castro and Jake Harding bring together insights from Luke Bills of Liberty Mutual, Patrick Meehan of Dun & Bradstreet, Simon de la Hoyde and Mark Varley of AddressCloud, and Ann Haugh of AXIS Capital to explore how technology can remove friction across the insurance value chain.

From eliminating repetitive data entry and rekeying to enabling submissionless quoting, trusted identity, real-time APIs, and richer risk data, the conversation examines what it takes to build genuinely connected insurance workflows. The guests explore how AI can move beyond improving inefficient processes to fundamentally redesigning how work gets done, while allowing underwriters and brokers to focus on judgment rather than administration.

The result is a vision of insurance where data flows seamlessly, decisions build on previous work, and technology enables people to focus on understanding and managing risk.
Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we’ll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.
To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.

Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.

Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo
20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek Masojada
Implementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's

What if the biggest opportunity for insurance AI isn't better automation, but better data?
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Jake Harding sits down with Patrick Meehan, Senior Solution Director at Dun & Bradstreet UK – Insurance Services, to explore why trusted business data, entity resolution, and continuous monitoring are becoming critical to the future of commercial insurance. They discuss why insurers need to move beyond fragmented, policy-by-policy snapshots toward a shared view of the customer across underwriting, claims, compliance, and renewal. 
Patrick also explores the hidden concentration risks within seemingly diversified portfolios, the challenges of building and maintaining data infrastructure at scale, and why insurers should start with measurable business problems rather than massive enterprise data projects. Tune in to discover how connected data can reduce duplication, improve risk visibility, and help insurers build workflows designed for AI.
Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we’ll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.
To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.

Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.

Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo
20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek Masojada
Implementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's

What if the future of insurance isn't about bigger consolidation, but smarter specialization?
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro sits down with Igno van Waesberghe, Managing Partner at Aquiline, to explore why MGAs and specialized brokers are reshaping the industry, how AI is fundamentally changing personal lines distribution, and the key strategies that separate durable insurance businesses from the rest. Packed with candid insights on broker consolidation across the Atlantic, the rise of alternative capital, and where real value is being captured in AI-enabled platforms, this conversation cuts through the hype to reveal what actually drives success in modern insurance. Tune in to discover why specialization, talent alignment, and technology integration are the real competitive advantages reshaping insurance today.

Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we’ll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.
To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.

Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.

Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo
20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek Masojada
Implementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's