Digital Insurance Leaders

Special Guest Denis Phillips joins Jim for this episode. Denis is the most respected meteorologist on the west coast of Florida, and also probably the most trusted person in the region. As a nationally recognized meteorologist for the past 35 years, with most of his career in high risk flood areas, Denis shares these insights and more:

Caribou Honig founded one of the best conferences in insurance, called InsureTech Connect (ITC), before "insuretech" was even a trending word on Google. A futurist, VC-founder and partner, and really smart guy, Caribou talks with Jim Albert about the rise of insuretech, the return of ITC as a live event in October, future tech, and his advice to startups from a VC vantage point.

Nancy Watkins, Principal at Milliman and insurance industry thought leader, speaks directly about the big issues in flood risk and flood insurance, including: Her unique insights are borne on immense experience and intellect. This Neptune podcast, originally recorded in the middle of the pandemic, is still highly relevant and forms a roadmap for the future for insurers, regulators, and the entire industry.

A year ago, Plymouth Rock Home Assurance CEO and Neptune co-founder Bill Martin sat down with Jim to discuss digital insurance, great hiring practices, and predictions of the future of insurance, as well as the story of the founding of Neptune Flood. The discussion is even more relevant today with the increased use of digital insurance as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the advent of the NFIP's Risk Rating 2.0 later this year. Listen in for an encore performance of the discussion with Bill Martin, a true national leader in digital insurance.

Brandi Gabbard is a broker associate at Smith & Associates Real Estate in St Petersburg, Florida. She is past chair of the National Association of Realtors Insurance Committee, an active St Petersburg City Councilwoman, and past Chairman of the Pinellas County Realtor Organization. She is a thought leader and frequent speaker the state and federal level, and a strong advocate for flood risk identification, mitigation, and insurance. In this podcast, Brandi shares her perspective as a City Council member in St Petersburg and as a real estate professional in one of the highest flood risk areas of the country. In her conversation with Jim, she discusses:

In this episode, Jim talks with sociologist and author Rebecca Elliott about her new book "Underwater: Loss, Flood Insurance, and the Moral Economy of Climate Change in the US". The book traces the experiences of homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2014, how their lives were impacted and the implications on government policy and consumer decisions related to flooding and flood insurance. This episode includes:

Martha Notaras, Managing Partner at venture capital firm Brewer Lane Ventures, joins Jim on the podcast to discuss insurtechs, incumbent insurers, and the evolving landscape of innovation within the insurance industry. Martha is a frequent speaker, writer, and thought leader in the sector. Insurtechs of the future: Seeing the successes of Hippo, Lemonade, Neptune and others, she addresses the question: "Have all the good ideas been taken?". Venture Capital vs Private Equity view of investing. What does she look for to determine the potential of a startup?Incumbents versus insurtechs: how will large incumbent insurers manage the threat posed by insurtechs? What are the risks, what advantages do they have, and how will it play out?The future role of the agent: with increasing automation in the industry, how agents move "up the chain" to provide more value-added functions and more complex insurances.

David Pogue, award-winning New York Times technology columnist, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and host of 17 NOVA specials on science and technology talks with Jim Albert about his latest book, “How to Prepare for Climate Change” on the Neptune Flood Podcast. Insights and Comments:

Chris Heidrick, owner and founder of the Sanibel Insurance agency and wholesaler Trusted Flood, is a national expert on flood insurance. A regular speaker and advisor to governments and companies, through his conversation with Jim, Chris gives a tutorial of the flood insurance landscape in the US. Highlights of the discussion include: · The NFIP and the implications of Risk Rating 2.0 · The design of the flood market was right for 1970, but is it right for today? While redesign is needed, the big issue is how to cover and protect homeowners and businesses outside of the special flood hazard areas (where flood insurance is not mandatory) · The effects and opportunities associated with technology advances that allow for real time underwriting, and different distribution models · How to raise awareness, as many people in the industry and local government are unaware that the private flood market exists · Solving the coverage gap. Would a broader mandate increase the number of insured homes, and is there the political will to increase the mandate?

In this episode, Jim talks with Rob Galbraith, author of the acclaimed 2019 book "The End of Insurance as We Know It". Rob has been called one of the Top 100 Influencers in the industry, and is known as "the most interesting man in insurance". Hear the conversation about the lessons of 2020, and where we go from here from one of the leading thinkers in the insurance industry. Highlights:

Chris Greene, the Flood Insurance Guru, is a prolific producer of educational videos about all things flood. He also runs a flood-focused insurance agency, helping people across America understand and buy flood insurance. With a Masters in Emergency Management, Chris is a true specialist in flood mitigation. Listen to the podcast to get inside tips from "The Flood Insurance Guru."

The series' first reinsurance guest is appropriately from the world's largest reinsurer SwissRe. Matt Junge, head of property underwriting and solutions for SwissRe in North America, shares lessons from the 2020 year of extreme catastrophes, and as an added bonus explains reinsurance in layman's terms. An engaging conversation with an emerging leader in the insurance industry. Highlights:

Joe "Flood" Rossi has been an advocate for flood mitigation, community standards, consumer interests, and flood insurance from the beginning of his career. He is passionate about helping people and communities prepare for flood events, and active in the northeast as well as nationally on the topic through his roles at Rogers Gray Insurance and the Massachusetts Coastal Coal

John Goodman, author, consultant, and noted speaker, is a pioneer in the area of customer experience measurement and best practices. John talks with Jim about the full spectrum of approaches to world class customer experience, including engaging unhappy customers and turning them to your most powerful advocates. Bullet Point Summary:

In this segment, Guy Morrow joins Jim discussing how advanced data analytics is changing the insurance market. His firm KatRisk is a leader in global catastrophe modeling. They also discuss climate change, and anticipate future technology driven advances to the industry. Highlights:

Bryan Falchuk, author of the book "The Future of Insurance" provides a roadmap for incumbent carriers to react and adapt to digital insurance and the competition coming from insurtechs, shares examples of companies that have had success, and addresses head on how the industry is a positive benefit to society. Bryan has a new book coming out in spring 2021; "The Future of Insurance: Volume 2" Highlights:

Jim Albert, Chairman and founder of Neptune Flood, talks with Rick McCathron, Chief Insurance Officer of Hippo Insurance, the innovative digital homeowners insurance company. Lines of discussion:

Franklin Flood is a flood insurance specialist agency selling in 48 states across the US. As one of the country's largest and most successful flood insurance agencies, Greg shares his insights from his experience working with the NFIP and multiple private flood companies. Like Jim, Greg is an ex-IT guy that moved into flood insurance, ultimately to his current role as President of Franklin Flood. Highlights:

In this segment, hear how Brian and his team at Field, one of the largest and most successful insurance agencies in South Carolina, have expanded the market for flood insurance by getting exceptionally high conversion rates in non-mandatory (X) flood zones. Brian shares some of the tips used to help people understand their flood risk and the importance of having coverage, even where it's not mandated.

Hear Jim and David discuss the intense experience from Hurricane Sandy and the lessons that still apply today as we go into another hurricane season. In addition, how will COVID-19 have a lasting effect on how insurance buying and servicing are done in the future. Plus, best practices for agencies to win and thrive in the digital economy.