Beyond the Desk with Mark Thomas

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, host Mark Thomas is joined by Jonathan Fletcher, currently an Operating Advisor for mid-market private equity firm Abri, and former Group CTO of both CFC and Hiscox. Jonathan takes us right back to the beginning – from tinkering with a Commodore 64 as a kid, to a split degree in computer science and music, through early jobs at Saatchi & Saatchi and the London Stock Exchange, and on to seven years scaling Hiscox's technology function. He then shares what it was really like joining CFC as employee number 200, scaling its tech and data capability to nearly 200 people, and living through one of the biggest private equity valuations the insurance sector has seen. Now working as an advisor across a portfolio of PE-backed businesses, Jonathan reflects on what value creation really means for technology, why resilience is the number one executive skill, and what it takes to make the leap from hands-on technologist to commercially-minded leader. In This Episode You'll Learn Jonathan's unconventional route into tech – splitting his degree between computer science and music, and early jobs at Saatchi & Saatchi, a VC firm, and the London Stock Exchange The seven years he spent at Hiscox, rising from architect to Group CTO What it was like joining CFC as employee number 200, and the culture shock of moving from a FTSE 100 business to a founder-led, entrepreneurial scale-up How CFC's tech and data team grew from 18 people to nearly 200, building in-house capability from scratch What it's really like working inside a private-equity backed business, including being part of one of the biggest ever PE valuations for an insurer How his role evolved from hands-on engineering to a more product- and business-facing leadership position What his current advisory work with Abri and non-exec role at AA Ireland involves Where AI and automation are already reshaping specialty insurance, and why identifying 'who a company really is' remains one of the hardest unsolved problems His advice for technologists who want to move into senior leadership roles If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Beyond the Desk, leave a review and share it with someone in your network. Connect with Mark Thomas and Jonathan Fletcher on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, Mark Thomas is joined by Usha Badrinath, Group Chief Data Officer at Mosaic Insurance, to explore her unconventional career journey, the rapidly changing role of technology in insurance, and what AI could mean for the industry over the coming years. Usha’s career has taken her from computer science and coding in India, through an MBA and technology consulting, to catastrophe modelling, data products, insurtech and ultimately insurance leadership. Along the way, she has repeatedly followed opportunities rather than a fixed career plan — describing her approach as more about trying things, learning from them and deciding what to do next. The conversation then turns to one of the biggest questions facing insurance today: how should the industry actually use AI? Usha shares her experience building Mosaic’s data foundations and explains why she believes the real opportunity isn't simply putting AI on top of existing processes. Instead, insurers need to think about how data, technology and workflows can be redesigned together to solve problems from end to end. They discuss: Usha’s unexpected journey from aspiring liver transplant surgeon to technology and insurance leader Why her career has been shaped more by experimentation than a fixed plan Moving from coding into business, consulting and leadership The lessons she learned from working across technology and insurance How the “floating casinos” problem highlighted the importance of data in catastrophe modelling Why insurance companies can struggle to build technology that scales across different clients and workflows Usha’s decision to move from consulting into an insurance company and join Mosaic Building a data foundation designed to support AI from the outset Why Usha believes insurers should focus on the 20% that AI cannot solve How AI can help capture and make use of institutional knowledge that currently sits inside people's heads Why AI should augment human judgement rather than simply be viewed as a tool for reducing headcount The importance of reskilling as technology continues to evolve How AI could help insurers identify patterns, correlations and emerging risks Why future technology leaders need to understand business outcomes, not just technology Usha’s approach to leadership and building teams through difficult periods of change Why she thinks people should push themselves outside their comfort zone early in their careers Her advice to aspiring Chief Data Officers and AI leaders Why careers don't need to follow a traditional upward trajectory And why Usha believes the constant evolution of insurance is one of the industry's greatest attractions A wide-ranging conversation about technology, data, AI, leadership, careers and the future of insurance.

What does it take to build a successful career in underwriting when you don't follow the conventional route? In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Underwriting Special, Sanj Vagad sits down with Jana Ratnajothy to explore her unconventional journey from law and claims into underwriting, and the experiences that have shaped her career along the way. Jana shares how 36 rejection letters eventually led to a career in law, how an unexpected opportunity at Beazley opened the door to insurance, and why she made the leap from claims into underwriting despite never feeling fully ready for the next role. The conversation covers the value of specialising, the importance of understanding the numbers behind a portfolio, navigating different stages of the insurance cycle, and why strong relationships with clients and brokers remain so important. Jana also reflects on the role of curiosity, networking and sponsorship in career progression, how to recognise when it's time to stretch yourself, and why understanding your own strengths can be one of the most important things you do for your career. In this episode, Jana discusses: Her journey from a first-generation immigrant family into law and insurance Receiving 36 rejection letters before securing her legal training contract Moving from private practice into Beazley's claims team Making the transition from claims into underwriting Why you should take opportunities even when you don't feel ready The three core elements of underwriting: maths, product and distribution The benefits and challenges of becoming a specialist underwriter Why understanding how to run a portfolio is essential for career progression Building a specialist portfolio at Convex from the ground up Navigating the current insurance market and different market cycles Why understanding the numbers and your organisation's objectives matters Networking without making it transactional or uncomfortable The importance of curiosity and asking questions Recognising when you're no longer being stretched or challenged Why knowing yourself and playing to your strengths can build confidence What makes the London insurance market such a unique place to build a career Jana's advice for the next generation of insurance professionals

What does it really take to build a successful career in underwriting? In this episode of Beyond the Desk Underwriting Special, Sanj Vagad is joined by Adam Curran, Chief Underwriting Officer - Specialty, HDI Global, to explore his career from an unexpected start in insurance to senior leadership within one of the market’s major specialty businesses. Adam shares how an initial opportunity at Alexander Forbes led him from broking into underwriting, and how each stage of his career brought new challenges, experiences and opportunities to learn. The conversation explores the importance of being open to opportunities, knowing when to move on, and taking ownership of your own career rather than waiting for someone else to create the next step for you. Adam also discusses what changes as you move from being a specialist underwriter into broader leadership roles, including the importance of accepting that you cannot know everything, asking the right questions and surrounding yourself with the right people. As the conversation turns to the current underwriting market, Adam shares his perspective on navigating a soft market, returning to the fundamentals of underwriting and understanding what makes a strong portfolio. He also discusses delegated authority, governance and the challenge of balancing efficiency with the depth of underwriting information needed to make good decisions. The episode closes with some practical advice for the next generation of underwriters — from becoming known as someone who can be relied upon, to putting forward ideas, taking on challenges and building relationships across the market. And Adam reveals the one skill he believes is becoming increasingly underrated in underwriting: picking up the phone and having a conversation.

What does it take to build a successful career in underwriting? In this episode of Beyond the Desk Underwriting Edition, Sanj Vagad is joined by Charles Boorman to explore a career spanning broking, D&O, financial lines, underwriting leadership, turnarounds and the MGA market. Charles shares how he first fell into insurance before discovering that specialising in D&O was the turning point that made him realise he could genuinely add value to clients. He talks through his move from broking into underwriting at QBE, taking on the leadership of an FI team outside his comfort zone, and the experiences that shaped his approach to building and turning around underwriting businesses. The conversation also explores Charles' move into the MGA world and why an incubator-style model gave him the opportunity to focus on underwriting, building a team and growing a business without taking on the same level of risk as a traditional MGA start-up. Sanj and Charles discuss the challenges of turning around an underwriting business, including managing people, maintaining broker relationships and communicating difficult decisions. Charles also shares his perspective on the current D&O and FI markets, the impact of increasing capacity and competition, and whether combining commercial D&O and FI underwriting makes sense. Towards the end of the episode, Charles offers advice to underwriters looking to broaden their experience, emphasising the importance of taking baby steps, learning from experienced people and getting outside your comfort zone. In this episode: How Charles accidentally fell into insurance Why specialising in D&O changed the trajectory of his career Making the move from broking into underwriting Taking on an FI leadership role outside his comfort zone The challenges of building and turning around underwriting businesses Why people are often the hardest part of a turnaround The importance of communication and broker relationships Charles' transition into the MGA market The advantages of an incubator-style MGA model Current dynamics across the D&O and FI markets Whether commercial D&O and FI should be brought closer together How underwriters can broaden their class experience Why taking "baby steps" matters when learning a new product The importance of concentrating on your strengths and managing your weaknesses Why getting outside your comfort zone is where you learn and grow Charles also reflects on the career decisions that changed his own trajectory and why his biggest advice is simple: when an opportunity comes to step outside your comfort zone, put your hand up and say yes.