Unstructured Unlocked season 2 episode 15 with Ian Thompson, Global Insurance and Claims Expert

Watch Indico Data CEO Tom Wilde step in as co-host alongside Michelle Gouveia, VP at Sandbox Insurtech Ventures, in season 2 episode 15 with Ian Thompson, Global Insurance and Claims Expert

Listen to the full podcast here: Unstructured Unlocked season 2 episode 15 with Ian Thompson, Global Insurance and Claims Expert

Michelle Gouveia: Hello everyone. Welcome to a new episode of Unstructured Unlocked. I’m Michelle Gouveia.

Tom Wilde: And I’m co-host Tom Wilde.

Michelle Gouveia: We are excited to be joined today by Ian Thompson, a freelance strategic advisor to the insurance industry. Ian, welcome to the podcast!

Ian Thompson: Thank you, Michelle. Thank you, Tom. Delighted to be with you today.

Michelle Gouveia: Really excited to talk to you and hear your thoughts. Before we jump into our first question, would you mind sharing a little bit about your background?

Ian Thompson: Sure. I’ve been in the insurance industry for about 30 years, working in a variety of roles. Over the last 20 years, I’ve focused more on claims, both from a strategic perspective and in operational leadership.

For the last 12 years, I was with Zurich Insurance, holding global and executive-level roles, always with a focus on change, development, and the customer experience.

Tom Wilde: Great. Welcome, Ian. I happen to be broadcasting today from the Guidewire Connections Conference, which makes this conversation very timely—there’s a lot of innovation happening in claims and underwriting.

With your experience in the industry, how would you describe where we are today in terms of claims transformation? Has it been a linear process of improvement over the last 20 years? Or are we at an inflection point?

I’ve seen innovations like virtual car accident reconstruction and the rise of spatial and satellite imagery in both personal and commercial claims, but I’d love your broader perspective—especially now that you’re looking at the industry as an advisor.

Ian Thompson: I don’t think it’s been a linear process at all. There have been certain moments where innovation has pushed the industry forward, but overall, change has been slow.

I often compare claims transformation to an athlete training with a parachute behind them—there’s a real desire from claims leaders to innovate, but there are factors holding them back from making the changes they want to see.

Tom Wilde: That’s an interesting analogy! If you had to break it down, what are the biggest “parachutes” slowing down claims transformation? That might give us a good roadmap for today’s discussion.

Ian Thompson: Sure. There are several key constraints, but I’d highlight a few major ones:

1. Legacy Systems – This is a huge challenge. Many insurers have significant investments in legacy platforms, which limits their ability to innovate. Some companies are tackling this by re-platforming and modernizing their core systems, while others are opting to build more agile interfaces on top of their existing technology.
2. Capital Allocation – Claims departments often struggle to get prioritized for major investment. Over the last few years, I think we’ve taken a step backward in how claims is perceived—it’s increasingly categorized as a “back-office function,” which I find frustrating. Claims is where the insurance promise is fulfilled, yet it often gets wrapped into operations rather than being seen as a strategic priority.
3. Organizational Priorities – Companies are often focused on underwriting and distribution, but they don’t always recognize that claims is where 80% of an insurer’s money flows out. The efficiency and effectiveness of claims operations directly impact profitability, yet it doesn’t always receive the investment it deserves.

Michelle Gouveia: Ian, let me ask a variation of that question. Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, do you think claims innovation will come more from technology transformation—things like platform upgrades—or from workflow reengineering and process changes? What’s the bigger driver?

Ian Thompson: I think the biggest forces driving change will be external rather than internal.

1. Customer Expectations – Whether we’re talking about retail customers or commercial clients, their expectations are evolving. They want instant information, fast decisions, clear communication, and a seamless experience. Customers don’t want to play project manager for their own claims process. That pressure will push insurers to evolve.
2. Talent & Workforce Expectations – Newer employees entering the insurance workforce look at the technology they’re given and think, I have better tools on my phone than I do at work. If insurers want to attract and retain top talent, they need to modernize their systems and workflows.

These external forces will compel insurers to adopt change, whether that’s through replatforming, better workflows, or leveraging AI for efficiency.

Tom Wilde: That’s a great point. I’ve also noticed that a lot of carriers hesitate to add more technology because they already have a massive stack of applications.

Some companies have 100+ different systems in play, and while they don’t want another platform, they also need to modernize. There’s a tension between creating an end-to-end solution versus trying to orchestrate existing tools more effectively.

Where do you think we go next—do insurers move toward fully integrated platforms, or will they continue to layer new solutions on top of legacy systems?

Ian Thompson: End-to-end process transformation is the ideal scenario, but the reality is more complex.

1. Mature vs. Emerging Markets – Some regions and markets are more nimble because they aren’t weighed down by legacy systems. They can start fresh with modern platforms and workflows. Established insurers, however, must balance innovation with the realities of their existing infrastructure.
2. Distribution Model Constraints – In agent-driven or broker-led markets, transformation isn’t just about the insurer. You have to align with the entire ecosystem, which slows down innovation.
3. Organizational Silos – Many insurers lack a single owner for the claims adjuster experience. There’s often no product manager or process owner who has the full picture. Instead, various teams own different pieces, which makes it hard to drive holistic change.

To truly modernize, insurers need someone who can own the entire claims journey—from process to technology to user experience.

Michelle Gouveia: That makes a lot of sense. Let’s talk about data—which is critical to both underwriting and claims, but it often feels like more focus is placed on underwriting data.

How can claims data be structured and leveraged better? And how can it feed into underwriting improvements rather than being treated as an isolated function?

Ian Thompson: That’s a fantastic question. Underwriters have historically cherry-picked the data points they think are valuable, but claims departments are sitting on a goldmine of data that hasn’t been fully leveraged.

However, most claims platforms weren’t designed for data collection—they were designed as front-end systems for policy administration. That means insurers don’t always have structured claims data readily available for analysis.

The challenge is unlocking value from unstructured data—things like loss runs, adjuster notes, and third-party reports. AI and automation can help extract insights, but insurers also need better data integration strategies to connect claims and underwriting.

Tom Wilde: That’s something I hear constantly—insurers know the data exists, but it’s trapped in PDFs, Excel files, and legacy systems.

The ability to extract, normalize, and analyze claims data could dramatically improve pricing, fraud detection, and risk modeling, but right now, it’s a Tower of Babel problem—too many formats, too much fragmentation.

Michelle Gouveia: Shifting gears—let’s talk about customer interaction. Many insurers are investing in chatbots and AI-driven call center automation for claims intake.

Where do you stand on this? Should insurers prioritize self-service automation, or is there a risk of losing the human touch that’s crucial in claims?

Ian Thompson: Automation is great, but insurers need to be careful.

1. Always Provide Human Access – Customers should always have the option to speak with a real person. Claims are emotional experiences, and eliminating human contact can lead to frustration.
2. Use Automation for Efficiency, Not Avoidance – AI should streamline processes (e.g., pre-filling claims data, verifying coverage) rather than replacing human interaction entirely.
3. Better FNOL Triage & Data Collection – AI can help capture structured data from the start, reducing redundant questions and improving workflow efficiency.

Done right, automation can enhance the claims experience—but it should never become a barrier to service.

Tom Wilde: Ian, this was a fantastic conversation. Thank you for sharing your insights!

Ian Thompson: My pleasure. Thanks for having me!

Michelle Gouveia: Really appreciate the discussion, Ian. Thanks again!

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