We're coming to you LIVE from ITC 2025! In this new, limited series of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Ashish Srivastava, Head of North America, Insurance & Risk Management for Blackstone Real Estate, to explore the massive gap between what insurance customers need and what the market actually delivers. With experience spanning McKinsey & Company, Zurich Insurance, and now managing one of the largest real estate insurance portfolios in the world, Ashish reveals why InsurTechs are positioned to bridge this gap and how AI will transform risk from a cost center into a strategic value-add.Discover how portfolio scale creates competitive advantages, why innovation should trump brand names when selecting partners, and what it takes for insurance carriers and brokers to keep pace with evolving customer expectations. Whether you are a risk manager at a global enterprise or a carrier trying to modernize, this conversation reveals why intellectual curiosity and innovation are the only ways to survive the shifting landscape.To find out how TrustLayer manages risk so that people can build the physical world around us, head to TrustLayer.io.Podcast Host: Jason ReichlExecutive Producer: Don HalliwellEpisode Highlights:00:00 - Intro: Welcome to Risk Management Brick by Brick00:25 - From McKinsey to Blackstone: Ashish's Journey into Insurance01:25 - Scale as Strategy: Managing Risk Across Portfolio Companies02:45 - The Customer Report Card: What Buyers Need vs. What They Get03:55 - AI's Role in Transforming Risk Management05:05 - From Reactive to Proactive: Preventing Claims Before They Happen06:37 - Practical AI Applications: Sensors, Cameras, and Pattern Recognition07:07 - How AI Will Reshape Insurance Carriers and Brokers08:35 - The "Three in a Box" Model: Building Effective AI Teams10:23 - Why Risk Managers Must Be Part of AI Conversations12:06 - Leadership and the Innovation Gap in Insurance14:17 - Innovation vs. Brand Names: Selecting the Right Partners16:06 - Advice for Risk Managers: Curiosity and Influence17:17 - Getting Started in Insurance: Resources for Young Professionals19:27 - Why Insurance Affects Everything in the WorldEpisode Resources:Ashish Srivastava’s LinkedInRevantage, A Blackstone Portfolio CompanyTrustLayerIf you enjoyed this episode, please (with a cherry on top):Subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple PodcastsFollow TRS on SpotifyTell a friend!Risk Management: Brick by Brick is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Seth Hausman of Kraus-Anderson Insurance, Matthew Meyer of The Horton Group, Diana Rich of Foundation Building Materials, Christy McHenry of Suffolk Construction, Mark Rieder of NFP, and Cory Mangum of Primoris Services Corporation. Check out the three most downloaded episodes: Managing Your Risk Portfolio with Seth HausmanFocusing on Specialization with Matthew MeyerRisk Management is Everywhere with Diana RichIf you are interested in being a guest on Risk Management: Brick by Brick, please complete this form: fame.so/trs-guest