2018 Technology Conference: Presentation Topics

AI: What's Your Plan?

– Mike Fitzgerald, Senior Analyst - Insurance, Celent
– Eric Weisburg, Vice President - Research & Consulting, Novarica

Mike Fitzgerald       Eric Weisburg

There is a tidal wave of information cresting on Canadian insurance shores. Insurance leaders are investing in powerful A.I. solutions that will create value and hit production soon ... if they are not running already.

This is not the domain of large insurers only. Organizations of all sizes are experimenting and starting with targeted areas. Many insurers and brokers, are executing their plans in the near term.

This stream will explore important areas to consider as you make your plans – creating alignment between business and IT, the opportunities of AI, and the competitive landscape.

Case Studies in AI

Lawrence Wong

Evolution of AI and its use in Insurance – Munich RE

– Lawrence Wong, Director - Application Development, Munich Re Canada

Artificial intelligence today is advancing at a rapid pace and fast becoming applicable to all parts of the insurance value chain. Today's machine learning AI has far more potential than the traditional rule-based approach. From advisory & sales to smart claims management to automated underwriting, Munich Re discusses leveraging AI in a number of exciting use cases and pilots.

AI² Powered Fraud Analytics: Artificial Intelligence × Actionable Insights

– Jeroen Morrenhof, CEO and Co-Founder, FRISS

Topic description forthcoming.

The Rapid Advancement Of Drone Technology Has Entered The Insurance Industry

– Michael Cohen, President & CEO, Industrial Skyworks Inc.

Michael Cohen

Drone Technology, carrying advanced high-resolution sensors, are gaining vantage points unachievable through traditional methods, providing new and easily acquired, robust Building data. Today, new forms of data analyics are providing intelligent Building Modelling, while applying the latest in Computer Vision and Machine Learning Science to automate the assessment and detection of Building conditions and geometry.

Artificial Intelligence and Aerial Robotics are combining to change the way the insurance industry approaches traditional onsite data.

AI, Customer Journeys, and Systems of Intelligence in Insurance

– Charles Dugas, Director - Insurance Solutions, Element AI

Charles Dugas

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence has taken the insurance world by storm. All along the customer journeys, from distribution to claims and everywhere in between, processes of the value chain are being disrupted and redesigned by combining new technologies with AI capabilities that, together, elevate customer and employee engagement, allow to reach new levels of process automation, and/or bring new insights. These pointwise solutions typically leverage information from a system of engagement (how customers engage with an insurer) or a system of record (how employees access information), sometimes provided by the vendor of the system itself. What happens then when multiple systems of engagement and systems of record are connected together, allowing to enhance each other's pointwise solution? That's where systems of intelligence come into play.

Extreme Weather Risk In Canada: The Time To Act Was Yesterday

– Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo

Dr. Blair Feltmate

Climate change poses a major threat to the Canadian insurance industry. Forest fires and floods are make National news headlines every year, and the issue is expected to get worse before it gets better.

What does this all mean for the insurance industry, and how can we adapt to these changing realities? Leading expert Blair Feltmate discusses de-risking through adaptation.

Tackling The Customer Experience Challenge

– Sherif Gemayel, President, Sharp Insurance
– Steve Wagler, Partner, Josslin Insurance
– Michael Brattman, VP - Operations & Innovation, OTIP / RAEO Insurance Brokers

Sherif Gemayel

We all know that “the customer is king” and long gone are the days of caveat emptor. Technology is enabling customers to become more knowledgeable, to shop for more options, to experience high quality and rapid service, to self-serve. All set an expectation level that we in insurance seek to meet.

This session will look at:

• key factors in customer experience;
• deliverables;
• getting there – tools and programs;
• “did I succeed?”

Hear from those who are doing, and either reinforce your own actions and plans, or decide to revisit them.

Exploring and Exploiting Your Next User Interface

– Rob Dunlap, Practice Lead - Watson, IBM Canada
– Andrew Lo, President & CEO, Kanetix Ltd.

Rob Dunlap

We grew up using a QWERTY keyboard to place content onto a paper page or digital screen.

Siri and a myriad other examples have demonstrated alternatives to the “finger to keyboard” paradigm. But now the arrival of Google Home and Amazon Alexa has given voice the presence and credibility it needed to really go mainstream.

Are you preparing for this alternate communication channel? Where would you use this in insurance, and how best?

Hear about what some in insurance are doing now. Learn what is required from some first hand experiences.

Focused Differentiation Through Data Science, Lean Start-Up & Digital Ecosystems

– Hashmat Rohian, Sr. Director & Managing Enterprise Architect, The Co-operators Group Ltd.

Hashmat Rohian

We are witnessing a new evolution in digital transformation—from “same-same but different” digitization to unique digital value propositions.

Hashmat will explain this next wave in digital business and highlight the foundational capabilities required to enable it: lean start-up powered by data analytics, automation, API economy, optimized for the cloud.

CX: Today's Reality and the Path Ahead for Insurance

– Moderator: Mark Breading, Partner & Chief Research Officer, Strategy Meets Action
– Adam Mitchell, President, Mitchell and Whale Insurance Brokers
– Janine White, Vice-President - Marketplaces, Kanetix
– Kathy Corbacio, Director - Business Development, CAA Insurance Company

Mark Breading

The customer is the centre of attention in all industries. The nature of their products and services influences each industry's relative progress, and insurance certainly has its own set of challenges. They are being addressed by leading companies, brokers and others in the industry. In this session with a panel of insurance practitioners, learn about:

• operationalizing analytics in order to personalize communications;
• the reality of omni-channel communications today;
• positioning for the future, including working with InsurTech.

Keynote: Millennials Driving Consumer and Insurance Markets

– David Coletto, CEO & Founding Partner, Abacus Data

David Coletto

There are now more Millennials (born 1980-2000) than Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) in Canada, and this new, emerging, and powerful consumer group is fundamentally shifting markets and picking winners and losers.

David will share his insights from more than seven years of research and offer a Canadian perspective on generational change and the disruptive forces at work in the consumer market generally and the insurance market specifically.

ICTA Awards ceremony

The finalists for the 2018 ICTAs are:

• Accident Support Services International Ltd.
• Benecaid
• Kanetix Ltd. — Conversion Rate Optimization
• Kanetix Ltd. — Machine Learning
• LGM Financial Services
• OTIP

Discover the winner and the runners-up on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Cast your vote for the People's Choice award by Friday, Feb. 23.

The ceremony will be followed by an industry networking reception from roughly 5:10 until 6:30.

Technology Trends to Further Disrupt the Insurance Landscape in 2018

– Andrew Lo, President & CEO, Kanetix Ltd.

Andrew Lo

The insurance industry underwent a digital transformation in 2017 and it's expected that 2018 will push the envelope even further. The year ahead will be an exciting time to be in the insurance space, especially when you consider: IoT (Internet of Things) will become an important asset in everyday homes; artificial intelligence will continue to be omnipresent; governance around avant-garde technologies like drones and self-driving vehicles will be explored; a surge of applications using augmented reality will be available to everyday consumers; and, ground breaking ideas will continue to rise from start-ups.

Fireside Chat With Craig Haney

Craig Haney

– Craig Haney, Head of Corporate Innovation, Communitech
– Andrew Lo, President & CEO, Kanetix Ltd.

Craig will join Andrew for a lively conversation which will mix the opportunities to leverage the trends and the reality of bridging from the current environment to next generation insurance.

You will have a chance to chime in as well.

When Data Transforms An Insurer's Business

– James Barber, Director - Global Insurance, Information Builders

James Barber

Insurers are responding to three key challenges. First, how to compete in the digital arms race led by big insurers hiring analytic experts to drive profitable growth with new levels of risk and customer granularity that threaten adverse selection at every turn.

Second, commoditization in some lines is driving an urgent need for better consultative advice to change risk appetite with customers and alignment with channels.

Third, at the same time, insurers are replacing core systems with Guidewire, Duck Creek, and others to strengthen their competitiveness, while unintentionally degrading data and analytic capabilities at the very time when they are needed most.

In this context, the last thing insurers need now is yet another tool/solution. Our insurance customers are looking for a different experience that delivers business engagement, company-wide alignment, compelling business cases and changed corporate culture from gut to fact based decisions.

Here are the surprising paths and commonalities we are seeing in the insurers making a step change in their analytic maturity and delivering the impacts from being a data-driven insurer.

The Changing Shape of Autos and Insurance

– Catherine Kargas, Vice President, MARCON

Catherine Kargas

Changes are occurring in the mobility sector, which could have profound implications for insurance. Auto insurance accounts for approximately half of Canada's P&C insurance premiums. Ride hailing and other sharing models have already taken shape, impacting mobility models, and automobile insurance coverages. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Vehicular automation and connectivity will change how people and goods move. These changes, while promising to deliver greater safety, will have profound implications on insurance.

This session will address fundamental questions, including: How should insurers prepare for the changes? What should insurers do to ensure continued relevance as Autonomous Vehicles represent greater share of vehicles on Canadian roads? How should regulators be preparing for the upcoming changes?

Autonomous Vehicle Insurance: Time to Act

– Gwenn Bézard, Co-Founder and Research Director, Aite Group

Gwenn Bézard

Original equipment manufacturers and tech companies are racing to deliver vehicles with ever higher levels of autonomous capability. Insurers in some countries have worked or are working to influence legislation (e.g., the United Kingdom), while insurers in other countries have exerted little concerted effort thus far (e.g., the United States). But insurers must come together as an industry, define a common position on critical issues related to the insurance of AVs, and lobby legislators and regulators accordingly. This session discusses OEMs' current march toward higher levels of automation, consumers' attitudes toward AVs, the challenges facing insurers, and how U.K. insurers have approached the problem thus far.

New Opportunities: Integrating Telematics Data in Claims for Immediate and Future Value

– Cletus Nunes, Sr. Director Sales, Octo Telematics (North America)

Cletus Nunes

The Canadian insurance market is adopting telematics and interested in learning about its value proposition beyond Usage Based Insurance. Exciting new opportunities with telematics in claims management present compelling use cases for both insurers and consumers. Telematics data delivers a lot more value to insurers, including a significant reduction in the average cost of claims, as well as the ability to combat fraudulent claims and streamline crash detection processes for greater accuracy and improved data combination techniques that optimize data from individual resources. Telematics speeds up the entire claims process, and the sooner an insurer begins such, the lower the average claims cost.

The Future of Automobiles and Insurance

– Moderator: David McGown, Sr. VP - Strategic Initiatives, Insurance Bureau of Canada
– Gwenn Bézard, Co-Founder and Research Director, Aite Group
– Catherine Kargas, Vice President, MARCON
– Cletus Nunes, Sr. Director Sales, Octo Telematics (North America)

David McGown

Whether it is style, comfort, sense of freedom, status, or another sensation, acquiring a vehicle has always had a bit of excitement. But when it comes to auto insurance, the emotions tend to range from neutral to negative. But this could be changing. Mobility has a wider range and greater needs for effective coverages. At the same time, Insurers are finding ways to make indemnity more interesting and, dare we say, engaging. This session will review the approaches, coverages, and distribution methods that insurers and intermediaries are using to improve the customer experience and to help insureds understand features and benefits that warrant peace of mind.

Blockchain: Is It The Future of Insurance Technology?

– Iliana Oris Valiente, Managing Director, Global Blockchain Innovation Lead, Accenture; Founder, ColliderX

Iliana Oris Valiente

While blockchain is far from mainstream, within the past months it has become a leading topic of interest throughout the insurance space. Blockchain and InsurTech together is the next natural progression of the technology. This disruptive technology has the power to simplify the claims process, alleviate high premiums, help insurers create niche coverage and, most importantly, benefit those who live in catastrophe regions. Hear from one of Canada's leading experts in blockchain, who will explore its uses and what this innovation means for the future of industry.

Blockchain Panel: Challenges, Limitations, and Practical Applications

– Moderator: Charles St. Louis, Co-Founder, HealthBlock Identity Inc.
– Iliana Oris Valiente, Managing Director, Global Blockchain Innovation Lead, Accenture; Founder, ColliderX
– Bernard McNulty, Head of Claims - Canada, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Americas
– Chris Van Kooten, Managing Director, Guy Carpenter

Charles St. Louis

This panel discussion will feature examples of practical applications for blockchain in insurance, examples of current uses, as well as the challenges and limitations of this technology within the industry.

Going past the proof of concept and into real applications, we will dig deeper into varying opinions on blockchain and smart contracts.

Winning Through Partnerships

– Marc Lipman, COO, AIG Insurance Company of Canada
– Dave Kruis, Director, FairVentures
– Chris Murumets, Co-Founder & CEO, LOGiQ3 Group; Co-Founder, Cookhouse Lab
– Joseph D'Souza, CEO, ProNavigator

Marc Lipman

InsurTech startups and innovation hubs are developing exciting products that are opening up entirely new markets, and strengthening existing ones.

Leading insurers recognize the agility and innovation these startups bring to the table, and seek ways to leverage them within their business.

This session will explore various partnership models employed by different carriers as case studies and lessons learned.

The Insurance Marketplace: Threats Abound, So How Do I Win?

– Neil Huzinga, Author and Consultant; Founder, Arun Bay Ltd.
– Bill Morris, Senior Partner, Navicom

Neil Huzinga

It is an age-old question: Whither the insurance ecosystem? How will the industry change? Where will my business fit?

The current period of innovation, InsurTech and rapid change brings new urgency to the question – and to the answers.

This session will explore:

• the UK experience and the possibility that Canada could follow suit;
• the imperatives that customers are laying on us;
• how we might address those challenges.

Attracting New Customers Is Getting Harder

– Moderator: Ian Portsmouth, Managing Director, Canadian Underwriter
– Jeff Roy, CEO, Excalibur Insurance Group
– Dario Battista, President & CEO, isure
– Greg Purdy, Managing Partner, Pathway Partners, Ltd.; getClarity, Inc.

Ian Portsmouth

Not that long ago, just having a web presence was an easy way to attract new business. But the digital world has changed.

Insurance providers are attempting a varity of approaches to attract prospects – especially the “right ones.”

Is technology making life more difficult at the same time as it is helping?

Where does traditional non-digital advertising fit in in the digital world?

This session will explore – through the eyes of the practitioners – some approaches, what has worked, and a peek at what might come next.

Making the Offer, Closing the Deal

– Moderator: Doug Grant, Partner, Insurance-Canada.ca
– Adam Mitchell, President, Mitchell and Whale Insurance Brokers
– Adam Hare, COO, Insurance Jack
– Michael Brattman, VP - Operations & Innovation, OTIP / RAEO Insurance Brokers

Adam Mitchell

A digital prospect has expressed interest in doing business with you. You have worked hard to get to this point – maybe even paid money to have that person delivered to your doorstep.

Unless this prospect turns out not to be a prospect you can (or wish to) serve, for some reason, it behooves you to do what you can to turn this lead into a customer. A wasted prospect is a lost customer.

This panel will look at real-world experiences, keys to success, and a wish list for more.

Explore the customer journey, responsive content, digital assistants, handoffs, staffing, and more.

Servicing Customers To Retain Their Business

– Moderator: Doug Grant, Partner, Insurance-Canada.ca
– Amanda Ketelaars, Operations Manager, Mitchell and Whale
– Ken Sedgewick, Director - Sales, Sharp Mobile
– Ashley Holmes, Operations Manager, Roughley Insurance

Amanda Ketelaars

Have you moved beyond the point of touching the customer only for policy change or renewal? That may seem like a dumb question to ask, but some suggest that it is all too appropriate - still!

With today's opportunity to reach out more frequently, it is not difficult to create and execute a communications program.

• What medium do I use to communicate with a given individual?
• How do I “close the loop” when there is a response or a request?
• Can I make this a personal touch? Do I include phone calls in the mix?
• When do I cross the privacy threshold?
• How to I determine, and create, “real” value?

But the same way that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the value of a message and ongoing engagement is in the mind of the recipient.

The lifetime value of a customer can be considerable. Earning it is no longer easy.

Looking Ahead: Broker-Insurer Connectivity

– Moderator: Colin Simpson, CEO, Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario
– Adam Mitchell, President, Mitchell and Whale Insurance Brokers
– Greg Kruk, Partner, Sentinel Risk Insurance Group
– Rick Orr, Owner, Orr Insurance Brokers Inc.

Colin Simpson

Consumer expectations have increased dramatically, enabled by mobile digital technology. Many providers of products and services in different industries have responded to this, and developed competitive advantage.

The insurance industry has been hampered by poor connectivity, but a number of insurers and brokers are working to develop and implement new solutions.

This discussion will explore the initiatives under way and some of the solutions for the future.

We Are With You: Insurer-Broker Connectivity

– Simon Brown, Director of Digital Development and Integration, RSA Canada
– Tom Reid, Executive Director, Digital Broker Strategy, Aviva Canada

Simon Brown

For those companies distributing insurance through insurance brokers, the insurer's success is rather directly related to the success of brokers in winning new business and retaining existing customers.

In today's world of immediacy and value, opportunity lies in the field of improved transaction and data connectivity between insurers and their broker partners.

The speakers will discuss initiatives underway and planned from an insurer's perspective, and will look beyond at some potential opportunities that could develop.

Insurance: Is It A People Business?

– Moderator: Wendy Watson, President, ORBiT
– Ed Meiering, CEO, M2O, May McConville Omni Insurance Brokers
– Dario Battista, President & CEO, isure
– Kathryn Curran, Director - Broker Solutions, Economical Insurance

Ed Meiering

Although technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of the way insurance providers search for new customers and serve existing ones, insurance is still a people business....or is it?

People are obviously essential, from determining a strategy, through developing a plan to running the day to day business. Although technology tools are capable of assisting with those tasks, the same tasks are becoming increasingly complex at the same time.

This panel will explore this nuanced relationship between insurance people – our people – and technology, addressing such questions as:

• The pros and cons of setting up a separate digital brokerage vs. transforming an existing one.
• Is insurance a relationship business? Can it be?
• What is the difference between customer communications and engagement, and how do we participate?
• How important is the relationship between insurance distributors and insurer partners?
• Can technology enhance the culture within an insurance business? And if so, how?
• Is an insurance provider part of the (local) community? How does culture relate?

It will be a thought-provoking discussion.

Digital Transformation For Enhanced Customer Experience

– Tim Currie, Senior Vice President, Navigators Insurance
– Stephanie Inglis, Vice President Professional Services, Goose Digital

Tim Currie

Navigators Insurance's vision for digital transformation centres on enhancing the customer experience. From adoption of new technologies through the integration of multiple tools for operations, marketing and customer service, the journey has encompassed every area of the brokerage's business.

Along the way, there have been many lessons learned and discoveries made. This presentation will outline the strategic plan and actions taken to-date, as well as provide a glimpse into the future of digital transformation at the brokerage level.

How to Train your A.I.

– Steve Holder, Strategy Lead - Analytic Ecosystems, SAS

Steve Holder

When thinking about how your organization can take full advantage of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, it's important to acknowledge that these technologies are not silver bullets for solving your business problems. Raising and training a helpful machine system is something that takes a lot of clean data, foresight and work.

In this session, our data scientists will walk through what it takes to become the proud parent of intelligent machine systems. We'll be discussing:

• Data recipes with which to feed your young AI so that it can grow big and strong;
• Training tips to help ensure that it gets the best job in the market;
• Lifecycle management to prepare it for a changing workforce.

Lastly, we'll share aspirational stories of where your young, intelligent systems might find work one day.

Connected Customers Matter ... Do Brokers?

– Phil Henville, Head of Canadian Operations, Hubio

Phil Henville

Ask any insurer whether connecting more closely with their customers makes sense and you will get a strong endorsement. Yet only a sub-set of insurers are fully funding efforts, and for many other insurers efforts are still in early stages.

Why is this? Could it be that integration with brokers and working with a broker distribution channel is holding things back? Could it be that such efforts are just too daunting for many insurers?

Attend this session to learn what you can do to digitize communications with both brokers and direct customers, without breaking the bank. What should small and mid-size insurers do to keep up with their larger counterparts, and how can they make sure their customers and brokers receive superior levels of service.

Join Phil Henville the head of Canadian operations for Hubio, and hear what he has to say about broker-specific digitalization plans, and how they can generate positive ROI.

Delivering a Next-Gen Experience to the Next-Gen Applicant

– Samir Ahmed, Principal & Sr. Architect, X by 2, LLC

Samir Ahmed

The life insurance industry has been abuzz with improving customer experience in life insurance for the past few years, both broadly, as well as specifically for the new business and underwriting process, since that's when policyholders and carriers have traditionally had the most touch points. It might seem like a tired topic to revisit in 2018, but the number of carriers that have yet to (fully) implement capabilities such as end-to-end electronic application, end-to-end eSignature, straight-through policy issuance, and eDelivery of policy, just to name a few, indicates otherwise. What is behind the low adoption rates for such capabilities? And more importantly, what can we do to drive higher adoption? Hint: it's not lack of awareness or desire to implement! This presentation will answer these two questions, and leave attendees with actionable takeaways for moving the needle forward on adoption of digitization and improving the customer experience in the new business and underwriting process.

Under The Iceberg: How The Core Will Modernize To Support Tomorrow's Digital Enterprise

– Dan Woods, Founder & CEO, Socotra

Dan Woods

Every insurer knows the custom IT systems of the past will not support tomorrow's insurance products, technologies, customer expectations or distribution channels.

For all the discussion of what tomorrow's insurer must do, little has been said about how these new demands will be met.

In this session, Dan Woods will speak directly to what tomorrow's flexible, productized, and extensible core IT will look like, and how the industry will get there.

Advances in Extended IoT

– Igor Gonchar, Sr. Director, Head of Insurance Solution Practice, EPAM Systems
– Plamen Bliznakov, Sr. Director, IoT Solutions, EPAM Systems

Plamen Bliznakov

Learn how advances in extended IoT can support innovation in the insurance industry and how you can achieve true innovation and differentiation in the marketplace with an award-winning IoT strategy.

During this session, you will learn how IoT can be extended with AR for commercial insurance to provide benefits like risk mitigation and improved claims processing.

In addition, attendees will see how future telematics solutions will streamline the development of cloud-based insurance services.

Solving Real Problems with Artificial Intelligence

– Jason Rodriguez, Data Analytics Manager, Willis Towers Watson

Jason Rodriguez

Artificial Intelligence researchers have achieved significant milestones in the past 5 years. This news has caused widespread enthusiasm that has lead companies in all industries to find ways to harness the new technology. In this session, we will define what artificial intelligence means to insurers and review what it takes for companies to be successful with AI. We will also see how AI can be embedded within a greater decision support solution.

Learning objectives:

• 1. Define artificial intelligence the context of insurance
• 2. Learn what leads insurance companies to excel or stumble in AI
• 3. Illustrate complete AI-enabled solution in underwriting renewals

Innovation Showcase: Startup Pitches

This “show and tell” session will feature innovative startups in the insurance space, with features ranging from AI for fraud detection to robo-advisors, to on-demand travel insurance.

Aly Dhalla

– Aly Dhalla, CEO & Co-Founder, Finaeo

Finaeo helps financial advisors win in a digital era. By streamlining the administrative process from prospect-to-purchase, Finaeo helps financial advisors reduce the burden of manual paperwork and old processes. Instead, Finaeo helps advisors spend time on what matters; building real relationships with their clients and never letting anything fall through the cracks.

– Joseph D'Souza, CEO, ProNavigator

ProNavigator enables insurance companies to provide a better online purchasing experience. By leveraging our platform, you can provide accurate and fast responses to drive sales and deliver a superior customer self-service experience.

– Rain Takahashi, Co-Founder, JAUNTIN'

JAUNTIN' is an on-demand platform that will transform your insurance business by giving you access to more data while giving your customers more flexibility than ever before. JAUNTIN' makes obtaining insurance ridiculously easy.

– Charles St. Louis, Co-Founder, HealthBlock Identity Inc.
– Deep Prasad, Co-Founder, HealthBlock Identity Inc.

HeatlhBlock Identity is a blockchain-based distributed patient identity system that allows patients to give any doctor access to their medical records within their country.

– Samuel Falmagne, International Business Development Director, Shift Technology

Shift-Technology is reinventing insurance claims processing with AI. From fraud detection to claim automation; we have the expertise and experience to make your insurance processes more efficient.

– Jas Khehra, Co-Founder, Espresso Claims

Espresso Claims is a Blockchain and AI based solution that processes health benefits and claim remittances for the insurance industry,