The Leadership in Insurance Podcast - Insurtech & Innovation

In the latest episode of The Leadership in Insurance podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Rob Lewis, CEO of INTX Insurance Software, to discuss why the insurance industry's fragmented software landscape is holding back its AI potential - and what it takes to fix it.
Rob's journey from launching an online stockbroker in South Africa to acquiring an insurance carrier in Mozambique led him to build INTX: an integrated software solution designed to cover the entire policy lifecycle.
Now, he's bringing that vision to the US market, where 55% of insurance professionals still rely on Excel as their primary system.
Key highlights from the conversation:
Why insurance is "perfectly suited to AI" but "least prepared for it"—and how legacy systems are the bottleneck
The case for incremental gains over revolution: how a 5% improvement in core ratios can transform carrier economics
US vs. London market dynamics: the tension between data-driven underwriting and the irreplaceable value of underwriter intuition
The Excel problem: why half the US insurance industry still operates on spreadsheets, and what it takes to transition them to modern platforms
INTX's US expansion: from 5 clients signed in 2025 to an ambitious goal of 25 by the end of 2026, including a Tier 1 carrier
Rob makes a compelling case that the industry doesn't need revolutionary products—it needs solid operational foundations that can unlock the next wave of innovation.

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In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Alex Bond sits down with Max Bruner, CEO of Anzen Insurance, to explore how the company has evolved since its 2021 founding into a tech-enabled wholesale broker using AI to transform insurance distribution.
Episode Highlights:
From Hype to Reality - Max discusses how the industry has moved past chatbot buzz to focus on enterprise AI applications that genuinely enhance vertical software capabilities
Workflow Revolution - Anzen's AI-powered software is delivering significant time savings and improved resource utilization across the entire insurance process - from submit to renew
Bridge Building - Max emphasizes the importance of connecting technologists with insurance experts to create solutions that actually work
$16M Funding Round - Max shares insights from Anzen's October raise, discussing the challenges of executing during a period when the market was less receptive to AI in insurance compared to other sectors
Software Success - The company is now selling its licensed software to agency partners and the broader industry, developed by their 'small but mighty' engineering team
CEO-Level Priority - Technology adoption is no longer just operational; it's fundamental to competitiveness, talent attraction, and customer service delivery
2026 Vision - Optimistic growth plans ahead, particularly around partnerships in the financial infrastructure space
Max's journey from direct broker to wholesale broker, while developing licensed software that's now being sold to agency partners, demonstrates what's possible when innovation meets deep industry expertise.
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We're thrilled to launch the new year with an incredible episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast featuring host Alex Bond in conversation with Tiago Prado, founder of BRZ Insurance (acquired by Troop Gordier in 2025) and current CEO of Altoia.
From High School Dropout to Insurance Innovator
Tiago's journey is nothing short of remarkable.
From accidentally landing in insurance to building and successfully exiting BRZ Insurance, his story is packed with valuable lessons about persistence, strategic thinking, and understanding what truly drives business growth.
What You'll Discover in This Episode:
Building for Exit - How Tiago transformed his approach from running an agency to creating a sellable business with recurring revenue
The Infrastructure Gap - Why recruiting, training, retention, and financial management remain the biggest challenges for P&C insurance agencies
The Birth of Altoia - How growing BRZ by 500% during COVID revealed systemic inefficiencies that inspired his next venture
AI's Real Impact - Tiago's perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping success in insurance: "Your role won't be replaced with AI; it will be enhanced by it"
2026 Vision - His ambitious plans to provide clarity, capital, and control to insurance agencies through better financial infrastructure
The Bottom Line
Tiago believes that accurate financial data and KPIs aren't just nice-to-haves—they're essential for accessing growth capital and making informed decisions. His work with Altoia aims to solve the problems that banks and traditional systems have failed to address in underwriting insurance agencies.
Ready to start the year with fresh insights? This episode is essential listening for agency owners, insurance leaders, and anyone looking to understand where the industry is headed.
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The latest episode of the Leadership Insurance Podcast features Matt Connolly, founder and CEO of Sonr, making his third appearance on the show as part of host Alex Bond's end-of-year review series.
Key takeaways from this episode:
🔄 Innovation is Decentralizing
Matt talks about seeing a fundamental shift across Sonr's global carrier clients, moving from central innovation teams to operational functions like claims owning their transformation.
📈 2025: The Comeback Year
After some tough years, capital is flowing back into InsurTech, IPOs are re-emerging, and the market is maturing with a more pragmatic approach to tech adoption.
Sonr’s Record growth in 2025
Matt thinks it’s down to market appetite for understanding the tech and innovation landscape.
🎯 Horizon One Focus
Matt’s take on 2025 as being mostly about "horizon one": applying technology to level up core business operations
AI innovation
AI is enabling previously unprofitable micro-insurance and niche products to become commercially viable and changing what's possible.
🌍 Global Learning Matters
From micro-insurance in Africa to climate resilience solutions, there's incredible value in looking beyond domestic borders and industries for innovation insights.
🚀 Looking Ahead to 2026
As Sonr approaches its 10-year anniversary, it’s refreshing to hear Matt share his honest reflections on building in insurance, describing Sonr as a "10-year overnight success" that's been "like pushing water up a hill" - a reality many founders will recognize.
Also, exciting to hear Matt talk about Sonr’s version 2.0 launch in January - an AI-powered platform democratizing market intelligence across the insurance ecosystem.

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