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Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance
Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance
Author: Cytora
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© 2026 Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance
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Making Risk Flow is a podcast powered by Cytora. This insurance podcast is designed to bring clarity, know-how and inspiration in driving digital transformation for commercial insurers, paying particular attention to the automation of risk processing. This podcast, led by industry veteran Juan de Castro as well as insurance change-makers, will showcase their learnings, challenges and solutions that have, or haven’t, worked for them. If you are embarking on leading a transformational project in your insurance company and want to make sense of it all - this podcast is for you.
To discover out more about digital risk processing, visit https://www.cytora.com
97 Episodes
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In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with David McMillan, former CEO of esureGroup, to unpack how a mid-sized insurer reinvented itself under private equity ownership. Facing COVID-19, reserve pressures, a soft market, and geopolitical disruption, the company leaned into culture, clarity, and modern technology to outpace larger rivals. David shares why building a high-performing team starts with shared values, how blending insurance expertise with external digital t...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow: Exploring the Ecosystem, host Jake Harding speaks with Greg Johnson, CEO of Confianza, and Chief Data Officer John Petricelli about the hidden profitability most carriers overlook. They explore how legacy data strategies leave 20–40% of premium and portfolio value untapped, and why context-driven, niche data sources are reshaping underwriting and renewals. From tenant risk and household composition to commodity-linked replacement costs and behavioural indi...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, recorded live at the ITC London 2026 event, host Juan de Castro speaks with Richard Hartley, CEO and Founder of Cytora (now part of Applied Systems), about what it really takes to digitize risk across the entire insurance value chain. They explore why transformation fails when insurers focus on isolated workflows instead of interconnected pain points across agents, brokers, and carriers. Richard breaks down how agentic AI is reshaping underwriting, w...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow: Exploring the Ecosystem, host Jake Harding speaks with Dave Wood, Managing Director at JBA Risk Management, about how AI and deep learning are reshaping catastrophe risk modeling. Dave explains how neural networks can simulate extreme climate scenarios that fall outside historical records, helping insurers better understand compound and tail risks. The conversation also explores why model transparency and rigorous validation are essential as AI adopt...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow: Exploring the Ecosystem, host Jake Harding speaks with Duško Radulović, Founder and CEO of Climatig, about how high-resolution climate intelligence is reshaping insurance underwriting and portfolio strategy. Duško explains why moving beyond regional averages to meter-level precision allows insurers to identify true physical risk and price policies more accurately and reduce loss volatility. The conversation explores how machine learning fills critica...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with Antonio Grimaldi, Partner at McKinsey, about how London Market carriers can unlock growth by redesigning their operating models, not just optimising portfolios. They explore why execution drives the majority of performance, how underwriting workflows must be reimagined to free up judgement-led work, and what the shift towards facilities, MGAs, and alternative distribution means for competitive differentiation. The conv...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Jake Harding speaks with Evgeny Aleksandrov, Founder and CEO of PilotBird, about why claims accuracy, and not speed, is the biggest lever in modern insurance. Evgeny explains how open-source intelligence and lifestyle analytics help insurers validate claims earlier, uncover organised fraud networks, and avoid costly post-payout recovery. The conversation explores how curated data can mislead adjusters, why a “trust and verify” approach is essential, a...
Welcome to a special end-of-the-year series on Making Risk Flow as we count down the weeks to the end of 2025. The series is a collection of our top episodes from this year. Each Tuesday, we will re-release one standout episode as we build up to releasing our top fan favourite on the last Tuesday. In this episode replay, host Juan de Castro sits down with Carl Bach, CEO of Hartford Underwriting Agency, about how a 200-year-old insurer is modernising for the future. They discuss Hartford’s bra...
Welcome to a special end-of-the-year series on Making Risk Flow as we count down the weeks to the end of 2025. The series is a collection of our top episodes from this year based on views, downloads, and overall engagement. Each Tuesday, we will re-release one standout episode as we build up to releasing our top fan favourite on the last Tuesday. In this episode, host Juan de Castro sits down with Marcus Ryu, former CEO and current strategic adviser at Guidewire Software. Marcus shares his jo...
Welcome to a special end-of-the-year series on Making Risk Flow as we count down the weeks to the end of 2025. Each Tuesday, we will re-release one standout episode as we build up to releasing our top fan favourite on the last Tuesday. In this episode, Juan de Castro is joined by his colleagues, Rich Lewis, Cytora's Sales Director, and Zaheer Hooda, Head of North America, for a deep dive into what makes proof-of-concept (POC) initiatives in risk digitisation succeed or fail. Drawing on ...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Jake Harding speaks with Matthew Grant, founder and CEO of Instech and a veteran of 33 years in catastrophe modelling. Matthew unpacks why insurance’s cautious approach to AI is more strategic than sceptical. Together, they explore how carriers can align technology adoption with real business problems, build trust in new data sources, and drive operational efficiency without disrupting core workflows. Matthew explains why consistency in user int...
In this special compilation episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro revisits conversations with the industry leaders who shaped Season 7. Join Allison Thornicroft, Yaemish Rughoo, Mark Allan, Greg Hendrick, Bilge Mert, Jean-Jacques Henchoz, and Lambros Lambrou to explore why speed and efficiency matter in commercial insurance, how AI and technology are reshaping underwriting workflows, and the key strategies insurers are using to standardize processes and drive real value for clients...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Jake Harding speaks with Ross Wirth, Head of Strategic Tech Ecosystem at CyberCube, about why cyber insurance requires a new playbook for risk assessment. Ross explains how traditional underwriting struggles to keep pace with dynamic security environments, and why real-time data visibility is now essential for identifying concentration risk, single points of failure, and systemic exposures like cloud outages. The conversation explores shifting f...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, Juan de Castro sits down with Mark Allan, CEO of Ki Insurance, to explore how a digital-first, data-led approach is transforming underwriting in the London market. Mark shares how Ki combines algorithmic precision with human expertise to underwrite individual risks at unprecedented speed, while maintaining portfolio-level oversight. This episode explores Ki’s mission-driven culture, the challenges of blending technology and insurance talent, and how partne...
Welcome to a new episode of Making Risk Flow: Exploring the Ecosystem. Our host Jake Harding welcomes Alan Ringvald, CEO and co-founder of Relativity6, to unpack how AI and multi-source data are redefining underwriting. Together, they explore why insurers must move beyond generic AI tools toward workflow-specific solutions that integrate seamlessly into real underwriting environments. Alan shares how intelligent data aggregation can empower underwriters with trusted, actionable insights, with...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro welcomes Lambros Lambrou, Chief Strategy Officer at Aon, to explore how one of the world’s largest insurance brokers is transforming risk management through data, AI, and innovation. They discuss how global megatrends, trade, technology, weather, and workforce are reshaping the insurance landscape and why a shift from traditional risk protection to enabling upside growth is crucial. Lambrou explains how Aon’s “One Data Lake,” Ri...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro welcomes Graham Blackwell, President of Applied Systems, to explore the transformative power of technology in insurance. They discuss how Applied Systems and Cytora are joining forces to streamline workflows, reduce manual processes, and enhance collaboration between brokers and carriers. From reimagining commercial submissions to maximising “hero work,” Graham shares insights on leveraging AI to create a seamless, efficient, and connec...
In this special compilation episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro revisits our conversations with industry leaders Carl Bach, Johan Slabbert, Bettina Dietsche, Cassandra Vukorep, and others to explore how digital transformation and AI are revolutionising the commercial insurance sector. This episode provides a discussion on efficient operating models, integrating external and historical data for better risk assessment, and balancing automation with human expertise. Our featured gue...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro is joined by Jean-Jacques Henchoz (JJ), Non Executive Director, Brit Insurance and a non executive director across the insurance value chain, to explore the future of insurance. With over 25 years of industry experience, JJ shares his perspectives on how insurers can remain relevant by addressing protection gaps, improving affordability, and embracing cultural and technological transformation. The discussion highlights how A...
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with Bilge Mert, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Brit Insurance, about what it takes to drive meaningful digital transformation in commercial insurance. Bilge shares her approach to standardising processes across lines of business, leveraging AI to unlock efficiency, and building scalable technology foundations that support long-term innovation. Discover how combining insurance expertise with cross-industry experi...



