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In episode 20 of Unstructured Unlocked podcast, Tami Pantzke, a seasoned reinsurance executive with over 30 years of experience, shared invaluable insights on evaluating and implementing new technologies in insurance. Drawing on her time as Senior Vice President of Operations at Gallagher and her expertise in operations and technology transitions, Tami highlighted practical strategies that can help insurers manage change effectively while balancing risk and operational efficiency.
Tom Wilde: Welcome to another episode of Unstructured Unlocked. I’m your co-host, Tom Wilde.
Michelle Gouveia: And I’m your co-host, Michelle Gouveia. We are thrilled to be joined today by Tammy Pantzke, a seasoned reinsurance executive who most recently was Senior Vice President of Operations at Gallagher. Tammy, welcome to the podcast.
Tami Pantzke: Hello.
Michelle Gouveia: We’re really excited for the conversation today. Before we jump into our long list of questions, could you give the audience an overview of your background, your experience, and where you’ve spent most of your career?
Tami Pantzke: Sure. I have 30 years of experience in reinsurance. I started in client services in the 90s, then moved into risk management and broker teams before settling into operations. Along the way, I was often involved in transitioning new technology—acting as an SME, providing feedback, creating and improving processes. In the last 10 years, I focused on operations, setting up teams in Nashville, India, and working with teams in the UK and other locations to train and onboard new technology and processes.
Tom Wilde: That’s perfect. Given your experience, when evaluating new technologies, where does the process typically begin? Is it driven by competition, market changes, or advancements in technology?
Tami Pantzke: It often starts with budget rollouts that outline growth projections—whether through adding new clients or M&A activity. Companies then assess their processes, people, and technology to determine if they can scale or need to adopt something new. Cost-benefit analyses follow, comparing legacy systems, improvements, and potential vendors, all within the constraints of growth goals and budget limitations.
Tom Wilde: That makes sense. You mentioned the 80/20 rule—how do you apply that in technology evaluation?
Tami Pantzke: You want any new technology to cover at least 80% of your needs. The remaining 20% is where complexity and risk lie—often highly manual and high-risk functions. You assess whether the new system’s missing 20% aligns with the legacy system’s gaps and determine if workarounds are needed. This involves process mapping, gap analysis, and ensuring sufficient controls, especially in regulated environments.
Tom Wilde: That’s an important consideration. How has the way companies source new technology changed over the years?
Tami Pantzke: In large corporations, business units often don’t conduct research themselves—it’s handled at a higher level, often by IT. Decisions are often made based on company-wide priorities, and new solutions are pushed down for review. Sometimes, business units have the option to adopt smaller-scale technologies, but larger decisions are typically made at the corporate level.
Michelle Gouveia: That’s similar to my experience in carriers. Evaluations used to involve “bake-offs” where vendors were tested side by side. It sounds like your focus was more on implementation—how new technology would impact business processes, training, and compliance. Can you talk about that aspect?
Tami Pantzke: Exactly. Change management is critical. We start by understanding talent levels and FTE needs—whether new technology will reduce headcount or require upskilling. Training begins with vendor presentations and demos, followed by SME testing and a pilot phase with real data. Resistance to change is common, so identifying and addressing it early is important. If managers send their B or C teams to demos, that’s a red flag.
Tom Wilde: That’s a great point. What are some signs that an implementation is failing?
Tami Pantzke: Lack of engagement is a big one. One project I worked on was managed by a small, isolated team with minimal communication. When it finally launched, only about 10% of the system functioned as needed. Another failure occurred when a project team spent months developing a system, only to realize it couldn’t integrate with the legacy platform. The lesson: Involve IT early.
Michelle Gouveia: That brings back memories of working on core system implementations—lots of moving pieces and stakeholder buy-in needed. But today, many AI-driven solutions are smaller in scope. How should companies approach adopting smaller-scale technologies?
Tami Pantzke: Smaller implementations can move faster, but they still need proper vetting. I’ve seen teams get excited about technology, implement it quickly, and then realize clients aren’t using it. Enthusiasm is great, but it must be balanced with strategy. Over time, companies have improved decision-making by ensuring the right stakeholders are involved and asking the right questions upfront.
Tom Wilde: With technology evolving so quickly, what do you see as the future of technology adoption in insurance?
Tami Pantzke: Insurance has historically been slow to adopt new technology. Years ago, an Accord study found that insurers allocated very little of their budgets to IT. That’s changing, but companies remain cautious, especially with rapid advancements like AI. Major platform changes typically happen on five- to six-year cycles, and connecting new tech to legacy systems is always a challenge.
Tom Wilde: That’s true—many companies hesitate to invest in something that might be obsolete in a year. We also see this with core systems moving to the cloud, creating transition periods where no one wants to invest in the old system, but the new one isn’t fully in place yet.
Tami Pantzke: Absolutely.
Tom Wilde: This has been a great conversation. We’ve been speaking with Tammy Pantzke, a seasoned expert in insurance operations. Tammy, thanks so much for joining us.
Tami Pantzke: Thank you! Have a great day.
Tom Wilde: Great.
Tami Pantzke: Bye.
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