FS Brew- Insurtech and insurance in the Middle East

In this episode, we spoke to Rob Schimek, the Group Chief Executive Officer of bolttech, the fast-growing international insurtech. He is responsible for the company’s development and growth around the world. Before starting bolttech, he held leadership roles with AIG, FWD, and Deloitte, and has an MBA from Wharton School. Rob spoke about the evolution of bolttech, and the varied strategic decisions taken, including their stakeholder mix and acquisitions of companies, as reasons behind its exponential growth rate! Given BoltTech's presence in over 35+ markets, we also discussed the strategies Rob employs to manage and adapt to different regional market dynamics and navigate regulatory challenges. We also discussed bolttech's distribution strategy and the current revenue models- 1] the embedded and 2] the insurance exchange. Must listen episode for insurtech founders looking to navigate the start-up landscape !

Renjit Philip:

In this episode of FS Brew, we explore trending insurance sector stories in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Topics include significant employee benefit changes in the UAE, developments in unemployment insurance, the implications of the BOTIM app acquisition, and the introduction of e-monitoring for car insurance in KSA.

The episode also gets into a discussion on the exciting potentials of Gen AI's application to insurance underwriting.

Lastly, we delve into the fresh rebranding of RSA Middle East to 'Liva' and a tie-up between Zurich and DIFC Innovation Hub.

Renjit Philip:

🔍 Exploring Corporate Venture Capital with SE Ventures

In a recent episode of the FS Brew podcast, Harald, the head of Venture Building at SE Ventures, shared some insightful perspectives on the role of corporate venture capital in shaping the future of FinTech.

SE Ventures, the corporate venture-building arm of Standard Chartered Bank, operates independently, focusing on areas that complement the banking sector. They have invested in about 25 portfolio companies and launched over 30 ventures in just five years! 🚀

The best approach for startups looking to partner with Standard Chartered Bank is through the SE Ventures bridge application. Patience is vital when dealing with corporates, but the potential rewards are significant. SE Ventures provides support around the business models, tech, and regulations during the incubation stage and continues to offer guidance post-incubation.

SE Ventures is particularly interested in startups that can complement the more significant financial services sector, focusing on the digital economy, SME and trade, digital assets, and sustainability and inclusion. They are also keen on Insurtech startups that offer embedded insurance and innovative credit scoring solutions.

Harald's advice to startups? Focus on revenue overgrowth and have a clear proposition that can complement the more significant financial services sector.

SE Ventures is not just about investment; it's about building a future where the customer is at the center of the proposition and banking is rewired to reconnect with society meaningfully.

For startups looking to make a significant impact in the financial industry, SE Ventures could be the partner you're looking for.

Renjit Philip:

Sure, here are some more details about the key highlights and learnings from the interview with Avinash Babur:

• Focus on the customer. Avinash says that InsuranceMarket.ae has built a strong reputation by listening to customers and constantly improving their products and services. For example, the company regularly surveys its customers to get feedback on their experiences. This feedback is then used to make changes to the company's products and services. As a result, InsuranceMarket.ae has a high customer satisfaction rate.
• Be innovative. Avinash believes that innovation is essential for any business that wants to stay ahead of the competition. He talks about how InsuranceMarket.ae has used technology to improve the customer experience and make it easier for people to buy insurance. For example, the company has developed a mobile app that allows customers to buy insurance on the go. This app has been very popular with customers, and it has helped InsuranceMarket.ae to attract new customers.
• Build a strong team. Avinash says that no entrepreneur can succeed without a strong team behind them. He talks about the importance of hiring the right people and creating a positive work environment. For example, InsuranceMarket.ae has a strong culture of collaboration and innovation. This culture has helped the company to attract and retain top talent.

Here are some more details about the advice that Avinash gives to entrepreneurs:

• Don't be afraid to fail. Avinash says that failure is a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey. He encourages entrepreneurs to learn from their mistakes and keep moving forward. For example, Avinash himself failed several times before he succeeded with InsuranceMarket.ae. He says that these failures taught him valuable lessons that helped him to succeed in the long run.
• Be patient. Avinash says that success doesn't happen overnight. He encourages entrepreneurs to be patient and persistent in their pursuit of their goals. For example, it took Avinash several years to build InsuranceMarket.ae into a successful business. He says that it is important to stay focused on your goals and not give up, even when things get tough.
• Don't give up. Avinash says that the most important thing for entrepreneurs is to never give up on their dreams. He believes that anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to. For example, Avinash had a dream of starting his own business since he was a child. He never gave up on his dream, and he eventually achieved it.

Overall, Avinash is an inspiring entrepreneur who has built a successful business from the ground up. His story is a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and innovation. If you're thinking about starting your own business, Avinash's advice is invaluable.

Renjit Philip:

The emergence of Chat GPT and AI technologies has brought about a revolution in the insurance industry. These tools offer promising solutions to the complexity of data-driven insurance operations. Chat GPT, a large language model, can create chatbots that can process claims, answer customer inquiries, and even underwrite policies. AI, on the other hand, can assist insurers in analyzing data, identifying patterns, and making informed decisions about pricing and risk. The integration of these technologies can significantly enhance customer service, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. It can also improve insurers' ability to manage risk, resulting in more accurate pricing and profitable underwriting.

The applications of Chat GPT and AI in the insurance industry are numerous. Chat GPT can automate the underwriting process, freeing up underwriters to tackle more complex cases. AI provides valuable insights to insurers about risk and assists in making informed decisions. Chat GPT can also automate the claims process, resulting in faster claims processing and improved customer satisfaction. Additionally, it can create chatbots that are available 24/7 to answer customer inquiries, reducing expenses while improving customer service.

The potential of Chat GPT and AI to revolutionize the insurance industry is enormous. These technologies can make insurance more efficient, effective, and customer-centric. They can personalize insurance products and services, prevent fraud, and drive innovation in the industry. In summary, the benefits of Chat GPT and AI in insurance are significant, and insurers must consider these tools' potential to improve their operations.

Renjit Philip:

FS Brew has been speaking to #venturecapital firms interested in #insurance and #insurtech space to know more about what it takes to pique their interest and get the fund in! In our first chat with a #venturecapital firm, we spoke with Ahmed Elgabri, an investment professional from Shorooq Partners, a leading #abudhabi based #vc firm with offices across #MENA and #pakistan. It was a super insightful conversation, and we even got to know the whole application process for an insurtech start-up to apply for investment and their turnaround time. We also spoke about the following:

💪 their ethos- to be founders' partners; Ahmed spoke with us in detail on 'deep' Shorooq Partners work with the founders

🌼 working with founders involves accessibility to Shorooq Partners' team itself, continuous access to partners and investors, helping build tech and team strengths, regional footprint and market access, and full support with fund-raising exercise

💸 criteria to evaluate start-ups: 🧑🏼‍🤝‍🧑🏿invest in the founders/ team who are close to the problem 🌐is the team solving a sizeable problem?🤝early signs of product-market fit, customer sign-ups ⌚Investment team to assess the start-up deck and get back within a month; investment ticket size between 1 to 3 mn $ for early-stage start-ups

📖 Shorooq Partners' interesting method to invest in an industry: thesis-driven sourcing! 📊 different trends within the #vc world, capital access, and focus on sustainable business models and lean and efficient operations management

👩‍💻 trends within the #insurtech space shaping each country within the region- from Egypt to KSA to UAE, maturity, and trends vary! 🧠 their exit strategy, and they remain on top of industry trends that shape their decision-making; many valuable lessons for budding #vc professionals! Check out the interview to know more! Finally, if you are an aspiring #insurtech founder, check out www.shorooq.com to access their application online and let us know how it goes!

Renjit Philip:

Here's our latest podcast episode with Gautam Datta from Watania Takaful! When we interviewed him a few weeks back, the freshly merged Dar Al Takaful PJSC and #Watania entity were on the verge of revealing their new name, which he makes reference to in the interview. We had a great time speaking to him about a no. of things, ranging from: 🕰️ the timeline of this seemingly complex merger; how it all panned out ⛳ the importance of having a singular company culture post-merger 📢 criticality of a good comms strategy and how Dar Al Takaful PJSC being Dubai- based and #Watania being Abu Dhabi based helped 🎰 crippling issues facing the industry such as the pricing/ discount culture which goes against the very grain of the insurance principle of probability 🙆‍♂️ how regulatory intervention to fix these issues means denting the confidence of the public towards the industry and raising credibility issues  🎯 new entity's PL and CL strategy ⌚ his approach to trends and insurtech- a matter of collaboration and using the services to ultimately drive superior customer experience 🦸🏻‍♂️ their evolving diversification plans which are highly dependent on emerging risks- cyber, pandemic-based, pension🔥 a fun rapid-fire Q&A at the end of the interview- getting to know his fav books, hobby, music band, and even his fav #middleeast city!   If anyone in the insurance sector is currently questioning the larger purpose of the industry, then this is the interview to watch to rekindle the 'power of protection' based on which this industry was formed. Link to the interview in the comments. Don't miss this episode! 👇#interview #power #ceo #insurance #collaboration #dubai #abudhabi#culture #strategy #customerexperience #podcast

Renjit Philip:

Happy Women's Day! 👩🏻‍💼 To commemorate this year's international women's day, we spoke with three leaders from the UAE insurance industry. We asked them about their approach to advancing gender diversity and inclusion within the industry, navigating complex situations, and their leadership style. We also discussed in detail some of the common challenges women face in the insurance industry, especially within the Middle East; we delved into some practical actions women can take and what the broader ecosystem can do for women to thrive in their workplace. It was a fascinating panel discussion, and we urge our listeners to tune in to know how each of us, whether we are a man or a woman or someone in a position of power, use the influence to build an equitable system. ☯️ Thank you, Mina Sahib, Caroline Bertrand, and Tanja Magas, for leading the conversation and making it an extraordinary episode! 👏

Renjit Philip:

In our latest episode, we spoke with Mohamed Seghir, CEO of HAYAH Insurance, UAE's recently branded insurance company that specializes in life, medical, and savings.   It was a delightful chat as we dug deeper into how Mohamed Seghir went about rebranding and redesigning the organization which was previously AXAGreen Crescent, before AXA Gulf's exit from the region. We spoke about HAYAH's ideal customer and the behaviors which drive their digital strategy, trends that are shaping the life & health insurance market, how AI shapes their product strategies, and how a cool & young organization cannot be run by one cool person or a single 'cool' department. 😁😎

Renjit Philip:

FS Brew spoke with Lars Gehrmann from QIC Digital Venture Partners and got exclusive details about the #MENA-wide #startup challenge they recently launched!   We also spoke to him about the gaps in the insurance ecosystem in the region for innovative insurtechs to take shape here and what is QIC Digital Venture Partners doing to fill those gaps. Through this #startup challenge leading up to a summit that is to take place in May this year, the selected start-ups will get access to RI capacity, venture-building support, and access to talent, amongst others! Listen in to learn more about this exciting #challenge!

Renjit Philip:

In our first episode of #FSBrewInternational for 2023, we speak with the passionate and exuberant, Rohit Nambiar, Group CEO of Tune Protect, based in KL Malaysia! This interview was a playbook on how to run an insurance company that is 'fit-for-purpose' in all aspects- customer, employee, business strategy, culture, partnerships...you name it, Rohit had clear views on what it takes to run a successful D2C and a parallel, flourishing B2B components of the business! Some of the things we've spoken in length are: - Tune Protect's Business model- their D2C proposition, reinsurance business which is spread across 60 countries and a white-labelled tech which is even present in the Middle East and used by leading airlines and travel agents! - Their D2C proposition in ML is focussed on Gen Z and millenials and hence their major workforce are from this generation! - Their work culture is to keep it 'fun and uncomfortable'...yes, uncomfortable! - Their laser focus since Rohit took over the business during COVID 2020, their NPS score for the employees has moved from -20 to +20 and the customer NPS score has moved from -14 to +38! - Moving away from traditional metrics like GWP, NEP, they track 4 key metrics closely- no.of customers added per month, are they buying more products, are they staying longer with Tune Protect and finally, is the average premium growing - Secret sauce- their digital capabilities and their ability to turn around a product to market in matter of days versus months taken by typical insurers - their role in Middle East and future plans - Interesting products such as consignment insurance and 14 variations to travel insurance product!

Renjit Philip:

UAE Insurance Market: 2022 Roundup and 2023 Predictions. Today we have a very special episode on how 2022 has been for the insurance companies in the UAE so far and potentially what that means in terms of how we will be ending the year and setting the tone for 2023. Has 2022 been one of the worst years for the insurers? Will 2023 be any different? To answers some of the burning questions, we have with us Navin Ghorawat, who is a senior manager at Badri Consultancy. Navin, in a recent event, spoke about the UAE Insurance market performance and drivers & findings. And we simply had to get him online to chat with us more about it.

Renjit Philip:

In FS Brew's latest HYPE episode, we deep dive into Open Insurance to understand:   - What is open insurance? - Who are the suitable partners who can benefit from open insurance - International examples & use cases - Business and technology readiness to build open insurance capabilities - Product lines and sectors that make sense for the region to benefit from open insurance  - Finally, the all-important regulations required to bring this concept to life!   #openinsurance #fsbrew #insurance #insurtech #embeddedinsurance

Renjit Philip:

Here's our interview with Walid Daniel Dib, Co-founder, and CEO of Hala Insurance, the OG millennial insurtech founder from the #UAE!  We spoke with Walid on many nuances and factors involved in running an agile insurance start-up brand like Hala:  🎯Hala's business model- tech seems like the starting point...surprisingly, it is not!  🔍Test & learn culture- using hypotheses versus assumptions to test & learn product fit  🤑How did they go about building their first set of customers...did the #cacstack-up?  🏝️That one 'trend' they are keen to develop... is exciting as it is micro-level penetration of insurance  💸Current VC and funding environment outlook for insurtechs ®️Regulatory wishlist to develop the market not just within the UAE but the Middle East as a whole  🔭Drawing inspiration from other markets like #India, #Singapore, and #EU countries and start-ups, he closely tracks

Renjit Philip:

Here's our #newswithanalysis episode after long! 💃🏻 In this episode, we've picked trending #news pieces from the #uae market exclusively, because there's just SO MUCH going on!  🎂Shory - (we had to start with this!), our review about the Shory digital experience so far, their 'socially invested' angle and more   📄Policybazaar UAE - tie-up with Adamjee Insurance UAE to provide exclusive #healthinsurance products to cater to the #Pakistani residents in the UAE and their family back home; 🏹SALAMA - Islamic Arab Insurance Co. - seemingly renewed strategy with multiple exclusive and interesting tie-ups; special shout-out to their #Kindness campaign #KindBeingsofDubai 🚀InsuranceMarket.ae™ By AFIA Insurance Brokerage Services LLC- many interesting activities like their partnership with Hero Motorcycle - UAE, and tie up with Dubai National Insurance (DNI) to create #pedalcycleinsurance; special mention to Avinash Babur ACII for TikToking to promote insurance awareness 📲Cardea- we dig deeper into this embedded insurance proposition provider, including their recent build for Petra Insurance Brokers LLC to create www.insured.ae

Renjit Philip:

Here's our #FSBrewInternational interview with Andy Ann, CEO of YAS MicroInsurance based in #HongKong. Fascinating conversation and a must-watch for all #insurers aspiring to target or innovate to attract #genz and #millennials as their audiences.  We spoke extensively on many aspects of a customer lifecycle and innovation including:   🔬Extensive customer research to understand the psyche of the #millennialsand #genz that YAS MicroInsurance is targetting- Andy shared some insights that were fascinating and hilarious! 😂   🏃🏻‍♀️Moving away from insuring people and their belongings to time and event-based insurance- a clear shift from a 'limiting' factor of population to a 'limitless' possibility of events 🔮Insuring digital assets, starting with NFTs! 🖼️ 🚴🏻‍♂️Building an ecosystem around each product proposition- hard work that pays off! 🌍Their global plans, including coming into the UAE market! 🤹‍♂️Their amazing progress in the embedded insurance space- including their tie-up with a local transportation company

Renjit Philip:

We spoke to Roopa Malhotra- Head of Customer & Digital, APAC, Zurich Insurance Group  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roopamalhotra  APAC is a hugely diverse, exciting and complex landscape to manage with each country having its unique strengths and opportunities. We dug deeper into what it takes to drive digital transformation in the region, building on insurtechs innovation and incumbent's distribution strengths to build a solid insurance business, the importance of people focus a key sauce to success and much more!!   Roopa Malhotra is the Head of Customer & Digital, APAC for Zurich Insurance Group, and became a member of the Zurich Regional Committee in March 2022.  Ms. Malhotra is responsible for driving the digital strategy across the region with customer-focused propositions across channel partners and digital ecosystem players.  Before joining Zurich Group, Ms. Malhotra was Head of Digital for Chubb Insurance in the Asia Pacific. Over the years in the industry, she has gained well-rounded expertise in different aspects, including Natural Catastrophe risk management, digital product development, and partnership management.  Ms. Malhotra started her career in India as a financial analyst with the leading hedge fund - D.E. Shaw Group, before entering the insurance industry and holding positions with AIG and MSIG.   A passionate Diversity and Inclusion champion, Ms. Malhotra was also recognized as one of the rising female leaders in the region by Insurance Business Asia in 2021.  Ms. Malhotra holds an MBA in Finance with certifications in design thinking for innovation, and she is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business from the University of Cambridge. She also actively volunteers at organizations like ‘All Hands and Hearts’ for disaster relief and Singapore’s ‘Alzheimer's Disease Association’ and is a fitness enthusiast.  #asia #zurich #motorinsurance #fsbrew #claims #insurance #lifeinsurance #healthinsurance

Renjit Philip:

In our first episode of #FSBrewInternational, we spoke with Nicolo Robba from Lifepal.  Lifepal is the no. 1 B2C #insurance #aggregator in #indonesia. Nicolo Robba is an e-commerce leader in the South East Asia region, and has held senior roles within Alibaba.com and Lazada previously before co-founding Lifepal.  Listen in to Nicolo as we dig deep into what it takes to create a leading insurance brand in one of the most dynamic countries in the world and fastest-growing insurance market (expected to reach $58bn by 2025).   They have a very strong customer value proposition and its success is evident in their whooping 536K followers on Instagram and 9 million monthly visitors to their #website- a feat that is tough achieve for any insurance brand!

Renjit Philip:

Check out our interview with wellx.ai founders, Vaibhav Kashyap and Javed Akberali! wellx.ai is the newest #healthinsurance brand in the UAE, rewarding its customers for leading a #healthylifestyle. We spoke in length about: 🧩wellx.ai's business model- its core components, the rewards system, and the business case behind it 🧑🏼‍🤝‍🧑🏿Customer acquisition process- how they acquired their first set of customers, what is working, and their renewed distribution strategy 🐾 Exciting partnerships they now have in place and their future diversification plans 🚦Start-up mindset, their outlook on the funding process in the region And finally, reach out to Javed Akberali if you are seeking to invest in a promising insurtech start-up in the region. The link to the full interview is in the comments section. #insurance #insurtech #fsbrew #uae #dubai #innovation #healthinsurance #funding #founders

Renjit Philip:

Here's our latest podcast episode, a power-packed conversation with Frederik Bisbjerg, Executive Director- Digital & Innovation with Daman - National Health Insurance Company! He's a well-known personality within the insurance industry and has specific and workable tips and insights into running a successful, digital-first insurance business in the region. Amongst a host of things, we spoke about:  🧩 Importance of breaking down the giant digital transformation plan into smaller, 3-month goals  📚Advice to Chief Digital Officers- keep educating your board; use metrics like customer effort score (CES) to articulate the impact  👩🏻‍⚕️Is there a solid business case for reward-based health insurance here in the UAE? Instead of annual rewards, will monthly or even weekly rewards work better?  🔐 Building cloud capability and two-speed IT  🚀Creating a modular architect to create #embeddedinsurance products that can work even in the #metaverse  🧪How to get the chemistry right between incumbent insurers and #insurtech   🐲And examples of organizations who have got it right across all components of digital transformation and CX Many insights and takeaways...this is one you can’t miss!  Also bonus- here is a link Frederik’s top 5 videos on transformation: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr66u13E7VFh5rU5XNCeASKDrcZURRw_x

Renjit Philip:

We caught up with Tanja Magas, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Democrance, a UAE- founded #insurtech with the mission to digitalize the value chain for insurers, brokers, and distribution partners.  Tanja digs deep into her role as the Chief Data Officer which involves a multi-layered strategy; she also spoke in length about how insurance is the best-poised industry to utilize the power of advanced ML technology to mitigate fraud.  We also discovered the many service offerings Democrance currently provides, apart from its original offering of #microinsurance.   If you consider yourself a data geek or you are an aspiring data officer, this is the podcast you should not miss! 📻 #insurance #podcast #analytics #ml #uae #data #technology

Renjit Philip:

Here's the much-awaited interview with LAVANYA MUNDAYUR, Chief Executive of The New India Assurance Co. Ltd., Dubai.   We spoke in length about various nuances within the #UAE and #India's insurance landscape and much more:  🔭 The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.'s storied history and its purpose of setting up an overseas branch in many countries including here, in the UAE 

🎯Commonalities and differences between the 2 markets and the impact of CEPA specifically for NIA 

🇮🇳 India, despite its insurance maturity and the longevity of the industry, the penetration rate is less than 2%; the opportunities that lie within and the strategies used to serve many 'Indias' within one India 

👩🏻‍⚖️ Shaping women leaders within the insurance industry and creating an environment for them to thrive is key

Renjit Philip:

Here's our conversation with the young, ambitious, and promising duo- Matthieu Etourneau and Talal M. A. from Royal Technologies Limited! They firmly believe to have cracked a profitable distribution strategy for #petinsurance and created a product that will be loved by the people of UAE and soon, the wider GCC. The 'wifi gods' were not with us during the interview, but the chirpy birds in the background and fantastic insights kept us going through this conversation.  Listen in to the full interview to know more about:  🐶 the lessons learnt from the downfall of petinsurance portfolio during 2000s in the UAE 👨‍👧what do the current pet parents want in their #petinsurance 🌳 creating a pet 'ecosystem' is the way to go?  And much more!

Renjit Philip:

Here's the much-awaited podcast with our guest, Hatim Maskawala, Managing Director, Badri Management Consultancy.  Hatim spoke with us candidly on many pressing topics that need #insurance industry's attention:   🚖 Motor portfolio running at 'below burn' rates- the knock-on effect of discounting heavily beyond the COVID lockdown period  👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Consolidation and M&A opportunities in the region  🎯 Demystifying IFRS17 and going beyond the 'jargon' intimidation   🔭 Focussing on commercial lines and being 'brave' to retain risk, versus depending on RI  🗂️Bringing underwriting sophistication through GLM and ML   And much more! Please leave us a comment, like, or share.

Renjit Philip:

Excited to share FS Brew's special interview with Neeraj Gupta, CEO of Policybazaar UAE!   Neeraj gave us many insights about PolicyBazaar and its DNA, which continues to shape the way they work.  We spoke in-depth about:  🌍 why PolicyBazaar chose UAE as their first overseas market to enter  👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 how they don't consider themselves as an insurance aggregator but a customer experience provider 🎯 PolicyBazaar's marketing mantra (great piece of info on how acquisition costs work for insurance!)   🔭 Their future expansion plans  And much more!

Renjit Philip:

A New Year and a new format- we are happy to bring you short pod bites with items of note, and leave it to you to decide if they are "Hype or not?". In this first episode of the year we cover: Tiktok for insurance.

Renjit Philip:

We spoke to Rachel Al Mughairi (RB Al Mughairi DipCII on LinkedIn ), Chief Engagement Officer from InsuranceMarket.ae We had an interesting conversation about all things customer and employee engagement, innovation in the UAE insurance market, and key metrics used by the aggregator. We even tackled the much-discussed topic of pricing in the motor insurance portfolio driven by the 'discount' culture. Questions and Topics: Day in the life of a Chief Engagement Officer.  Building an insurance brand in the UAE  Dealing with insurance competitors: aggregators and insurtechs (Beema & Hala) entering the market in full force.  What are some of things InsuranceMarket is investing in to remain on top of the customer expectations? Motor insurance pricing in the UAE and what role InsuranceMarket can play in creating a sustainable portfolio? Going back to your role, tell us 3 CX metrics and 3 digital sales/ marketing metrics that you value and monitor in your daily dashboard and many more...

Renjit Philip:

Here's the much-awaited episode with Varghese Skariah from RSA Middle East! We spoke in-depth about data in the context of the Middle Eastern insurance market: 🚀 the data maturity in the region and ways to improve ▶️ 3 main pillars Varghese Skariah focuses on at RSA Middle East 🌳 importance of building a sustainable insurance model versus the short-term model of playing the 'price game' 🚖 underwriting model of the future with the autonomous vehicles- the knowns & the unknowns And much more! #insurance #data #sustainable #middleeast #autonomousvehicles #underwriting

Renjit Philip:

We are excited to present FS Brew's next 'news with analysis' episode! ☕ In this episode, we have deep-dived into: - KSA's Saudi Central Bank – SAMA's draft rules on #insurtech set-up  - RAK Insurance's telematics survey for consumers to understand their preferences and behaviours 🚗 - Hala هلا's Home Insurance campaign review....use of both online and offline channels 🏠 - AXA Gulf's preliminary look as a GIG brand Gulf Insurance Group K.S.C.P  - On-going motor insurance campaigns' reviews, including Policybazaar UAE selling under the name Insurance Bazaar!?  Please leave us a like, comment, share, review if you like this episode. Please do subscribe to our podcast' it is available on all your favorite podcast platforms.

Renjit Philip:

Wecome to FS Brew! We are delighted to welcome Siddhaarth Iyer  (Head of Digital for Axa Middle East, to the FS Brew Podcast!    Sidd is a start-up guy turned corporate with a wide experience in creating amazing Digital journeys for customers across industries like Insurance, Agriculture, Healthcare, Government & Procurement tech. Sidd has been a Digital-tech guy throughout his career with a keen focus on customer/user experience and business innovation. Sidd holds multiple approved US innovation patents in the utility & tech space. In his relatively short 13 year career, products built by him have reached by more than 3mn users across multiple countries.   Sidd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddiyer/ Questions:  First of all, we like to understand more about how our guests get into their chosen profession. So tell us, how did you get into insurance?     How has COVID impacted your business in the ME? You dont have to take about numbers of course   We can see a renewed focus on Health and Life from your marketing efforts. Is that reflective of the customer demand for Health/ Life products? What are the business drivers unique to the UAE market in terms of products, customer choice, and regulations?   What do you think is the future business model for insurers in the UAE, considering several established players, aggregators and insurtechs in this space plus with the changing regulations?     Can you speak more about what it would take to succeed in Digitally Transforming an incumbent insurance company in the UAE market? What has been your experience to date   Who do you consider as your competitor in the market, and how do you go about differentiating your brand in this space?    What are the channels that you are using for acquiring customers and why?    Tesla announced in 2019 that it is launching its own auto insurance. What happens when this kind of manufacturer-led program becomes more prevalent?     What are your views about the partnership between insurance companies and insurtech space in the Middle East? Is it a matter of competition or collaboration?    Would you say that the sun is setting on the agency model to deliver UX designs to clients like AXA, considering this expertise has moved largely in- house? Team structure for digital. What are the top 3 digital metrics that you monitor closely when it comes to digital sales? What are the top 3 metrics that you monitor closely to track ROAS or mROI?    - Considering ‘digital’ as a space is ever evolving, how do you personally remain at the front of these changes? Can you give us some examples of technology adoption (such as IoT, blockchain, ML, AI) for AXA’s digital business especially in the bancassurance space?  Before we end, is there a message that you would like to send to anyone from the insurance industry in the UAE (outside of Axa /GIG). It could be a personal message or a business one...   Listen to this episode to know more. As usual, please leave us your comments, likes and shares.  Check out more at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fs-brew   Video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lrMacY5Ape8 #insurance #funding #dubaibusiness #uaebusiness #insurancebroker #insurtechs #financialservices #insurtech #fsbrew #interview

Renjit Philip:

Hello and Welcome to FS Brew's first fireside chat with industry leaders. I am Renjit Philip, I advise Startups on their digital business models, go to market strategies, funding and financials. I work with a Insurtech called Symbo, where we help insurers, brokers and agents in going digital.  For today's episode, we have with us two stalwarts from the Industry- Dr. Sanjeev Jha and Adrit Raha. Dr. SANJEEV JHA is the Founder & Principal of Strumng, a niche consultancy services focused on developing competencies of insurers, insurance brokers, distributors, service providers and emerging insurtech entities. He is a Consultant to Fairfax for their Asia operations and is actively involved in their insurance operations across high growth markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India.  Sanjeev is a Fulbright scholar in Management from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, and a PhD in Economics.  LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeevjha/ Company: https://www.strumng.com/ Adrit Raha is the CO-FOUNDER & CO-CEO at Symbo, one of the fastest growing insurtechs in the region. His focus is scaling the technology platform globally with partners across India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The platform supports agents, TPAs, brokers, corporates and insurers in the seamless purchase, distribution and administration of insurance across India and Southeast Asia. Prior to joining Symbo, Adrit worked with Global insurers like AIG & RSA across multiple markets and most recently leading a health-tech start up (Vivant) which was merged in to Symbo. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrit-raha-9b45451a/ Company: https://www.symboplatform.com/ Questions we cover: What are the main customer trends that you have seen in the industry during and beyond the COVID pandemic? What is the driving force for insurtech in the APAC region? How is your company helping solve the problems of the insurers in the region? How is technology transforming the insurance landscape in India & APAC? What do you about the relationship between insurtechs and insurance value chain players - how has the relationship evolved? How do you see the role of super Apps such as Grab / Gojek or Paytm in Insurance distribution? Is that going to increase or is it an attempt to emulate what has worked in the Chinese market (example Wechat)? When we look at companies like PingAn, there are tens of thousands of tech talent. Is this what the modern insurance companies will look like? How is the so called "war for talent" playing out in your startup and in the companies that you worked for? What does future hold for the insurtech and insurance industry?

Renjit Philip:

Hot serving of FS Brew is out! ☕ Welcome to the fourth episode of FS Brew!  In this episode, the hosts, Vidya Veerapandian and Renjit Philip have packed in a whole bunch of local news pieces that are trending:   - Beema Insurance impresses us with its breakthrough growth trajectory  - Oman Insurance Company launch an app for its customers  - hala Insurance is #upto something- find out more!  - AXA Gulf launch 20% flat discount motor insurance campaign & InsuranceMarket.ae™ By AFIA Insurance Brokerage Services LLC's BNPL with Spotii - Souqalmal.com's innovative financial awareness program for corporate companies Watch this episode to know more as we dive deep into some pressing issues such as the stress on Motor Insurance price war in the #UAE, quick stab on #KSA Motor Insurance landscape, and much more. #insurance #insurtech

Renjit Philip:

The next brew is in the house! ☕ Welcome to the third episode of FS Brew!  In this episode, the hosts, Vidya Veerapandian and Renjit Philip have scouted a couple of homegrown start-ups to highlight and packed a bunch of trending global news:   - Protect4less, an #InsurTech that provides mobile and gadget insurance, secures funding 📱 - Hippo Insurance, a start-up that sells home insurance in USA, takes the #spacs route (What is that? The hosts dwell into it) 🏠  - AXA Green Crescent launches Employee Saver Secure Scheme   - Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC)’s Wedding Insurance! 💍 - KLAIM.AI, a UAE- based medical insurance claim management a #saasplatform, secures funding  Hear this episode to know more. As usual, please leave us your comments, likes, and shares.

Renjit Philip:

Welcome to the second episode of FS Brew!  In this episode, the hosts, Vidya Veerapandian and Renjit Philip, have packed a whole lot of news that is trending in the UAE and globally:   - The hottest Ramadan Motor Campaigns in the UAE 🔥 - A new entrant in the Pet Insurance market 🦮 - AXA Gulf’s Travel Campaign and AXA and Rise's Campaign  - Amazon’s foray into insurance (after Google)  - BLINK by Chubb- an engaging young brand from a sizeable P&C insurer   Watch this episode to know more. Please leave us your comments, likes, and shares.  FS Brew is the region’s first platform that aims to discuss local, regional and international news, events, and happenings from the world of financial services and insurance, here in the UAE and the wider ME. 

Renjit Philip:

12th April, 2021: Welcome to the first episode of FS Brew, where we talk about interesting events, news and products from the world of insurance and financial services. Each of us have picked few latest market news and developments which we felt was interesting.  Podcast hosts: Renjit Philip (www.renjitphilip.com) : Startup Advisor & Head- Business Development for an Insurtech called Symbo Insurance. Vidya Veerapandian: CEO/Founder of AndFwd.com I hope you will enjoy listening to our take on these news items. Contents:  Google gets into Cyber insurance. Two insurers that have partnered with Google for the offering are Allianz SE’s corporate insurance unit, AGCS, and Munich Re Group. The search giant says that the firms will provide “specialized and enhanced cyber insurance designed

exclusively for Google Cloud customers.” According to Google, the price of purchasing the insurance for customers will be directly tied to how well they secure their information technology environments. AXA Motor Campaign's online purchase experience is pretty seamless. It was a clean execution with clear messages of the 'advantages' of buying Car Insurance from AXA. The main hook was the up to 50% safe driver discount An interesting search activity led by InsuranceMarket.ae is creation of many shadow websites such as carinsurance.ae, protectmycar.ae, zoompolicy.com etc. If you go to any of these websites, you will notice at the bottom of these website, you will find them referring to as products of insurancemarket.ae. This we know is a trend commonly used by many retailers to have strong backlinks and to strengthen their website domain authority, essentially building credibility in the eyes of Google. The Emirates Insurance Association has confirmed that it will present a proposal for an electronic link between insurance companies and vehicle licensing authorities, so as to enhance traffic safety.

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