Building Tomorrow's Insurer

Everyone in financial services is being told to move faster on AI.
Boards want innovation. Teams want automation. Regulators want stronger governance.

The problem is that most organisations are trying to balance all three at the same time.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Davy Ek, a senior leader with more than 20 years’ experience across operational transformation, ...

Why do insurance executives keep funding AI pilots that never reach production — and what does it actually take to break the cycle?In this episode of Building Tomorrow's Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with James Benham, Founder and CEO of JBK and Terra, to diagnose the structural reasons AI transformation stalls in insurance organisations and what it takes to move from proof of concept to full-s...

What does it actually take to embed financial services into a platform?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, Nigel sits down with Michael Nuciforo, founder of Thriday (now part of Tyro), to explore how fintech platforms are reshaping distribution by owning the customer workflow.

This is not a conversation about theory. It’s about execution.

Michael shares how platforms like Thriday integrate banking, accounting,...

When a single virus can wipe out computers worldwide in 24 hours, who picks up the pieces?

Meena Wahi, Australia's first cyber insurance broker and founder of Cyber & Data Risk Managers, reveals how the cyber insurance landscape has evolved since 2013—and where it's headed next. From the CrowdStrike outage that shocked boards worldwide to the fragmented nature of supply chain risk, Meena breaks down why cyber resilience i...

Are you still trying to figure out if agentic AI is hype or reality?

Alex Taylor, Global Head of Emerging Technology at QBE Ventures, cuts through the noise in this no-nonsense conversation about what's actually working in insurance AI - and what's failing spectacularly.

Discover why agentic AI isn't just "fancy RPA," how insurers are running shadow mode tests to prove AI can outperform human underwriters, and why the real barrier i...

As insurers look ahead to 2026, one question looms large: how do you stay trusted, relevant, and competitive in a world shaped by platforms, AI, and rising customer expectations?

In this standout end-of-year episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, Kanopi Founder & CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman is joined by Emma Fawcett, CEO of Compare Club - Australia’s largest independent comparison platform.

Emma brings a rare perspect...

Payments might be the least glamorous part of insurance — but they’re one of the most powerful levers for customer experience, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Ed Wiley (Head of Growth, Monoova) and David Greene (Chief Commercial Officer, Monoova) to unpack one of the most overlooked transformation opportunities in insurance...

What happens when you build one of Asia’s most successful digital insurers—then decide to start over?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, Walter de Oude, Founder and CEO of Chocolate Finance (and previously Founder of Singlife), joins Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman for an honest conversation about risk, reinvention, and the blurry lines between banking, insurance, and asset management.

Walter shares h...

How do you grow a business fast—without losing what made it special?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Katie Stranaghan, Head of Financial Lines at High Street Underwriting Agency, to explore how High Street scaled from a small family business to one of Australia’s leading underwriting agencies while keeping people and culture at the core.

Katie...

Underwriting agencies are evolving fast — balancing growth, culture, and technology while staying relevant to brokers and customers.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Marc Crossman, Executive GM of Distribution and Strategy at UAA Group, to unpack what it takes to lead transformation in today’s market.

Tune in as Marc shares:

• Why distribution...

How do insurers balance innovation with an ever-tightening web of regulation?

In this episode, host Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with award-winning litigator and regulatory specialist Kezia David to unpack the forces reshaping insurance in Australia and beyond.

Kezia shares:

• Why ASIC’s crackdown is changing every stage of the policy lifecycle

• The biggest blind spots insurers still face—and how to address them

• How inn...

Insurance for small businesses has always been complex, expensive, and underserved. But what if technology and partnerships could change that?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Eric Mignot, Founder and Chairman of +Simple, to explore how one of Europe’s most ambitious digital brokers is reshaping SME insurance.

From CFO at Suez, to leading Hiscox, to launching +Simp...

Insurance policies aren’t just complex - they’re overwhelming. For brokers, underwriters, and customers alike, navigating thousands of pages of wording can feel like an impossible task.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Jasmin Flori-Hess, Co-Founder of Raindrop, to explore how her startup is tackling one of insurance’s most overlooked challenges: policy...

When disaster strikes, speed and coordination make all the difference.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Sam Ratcliff, COO of InsureBuild, to explore how technology, logistics, and human connection come together to transform claims.

From building a nationwide subcontractor network to deploying RPA and machine learning in repair management, Sam shares how InsureBuild is st...

What if the future of broking isn’t automation—it’s craftsmanship?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with John Warburton, CEO and Co-Founder of Konsileo and Co-Chair of InsurTech UK. From cutting his teeth in regional branch offices to building a tech-driven brokerage with a people-first model, John shares a refreshingly human take on the futu...

When climate volatility rises, the need for fast, transparent insurance has never been greater.

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman speaks with Lynn Roehrig, Head of Business Development at Descartes Underwriting, about the growing role of parametric insurance in a world where natural catastrophe (nat cat) risks are accelerating.

They unpack how parametrics shift the conver...

SMEs make up 97% of businesses—but they’re often underserved, misunderstood, or stuck in analog experiences. Can insurance meet them where they are?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman sits down with Skye Theodorou, Co-founder and CEO of upcover, to talk about building a digital-first insurance platform that empowers small business owners through speed, simplic...

What does it take to transform restaurant insurance into a data-rich, tech-forward experience that truly supports small businesses?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman is joined by Bill Deemer, Head of Insurance at Rainbow, to explore how his team is redesigning small business insurance from the ground up. From launching in high-risk markets like Texas to building a platfo...

In an era where insurance must do more than protect—it must empower—how are insurers rethinking the role of data, compliance, and design?

In this episode of Building Tomorrow’s Insurer, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman is joined by Aurora Voss, co-founder and CEO of Zemble, to explore how insurers can move from monolithic systems to modular, intelligent experiences. From reimagining claims workflows to em...