Behind the Desk...

Welcome to another episode of the Behind the Desk podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Linda Cooke, group CIO (Chief Information Officer) at leading specialty (re)insurance company, Chaucer.  Linda has been working in technology for over 25 years and joined Chaucer a year ago in a newly created CIO role. A year into the role, and with over two decades of experience behind her, Linda and I talk about the challenges she’s faced in taking on the top role in technology and how the learning she’s taken from the last 20 years has helped shape how she’s tackled those challenges.  In this episode, Linda gives some brilliant advice to those just starting out in their careers, graduates and those hovering at levels just level CIO. We get to see how she’s shaped her career by taking sideways moves and always trying to be brave when taking risks in her career moves.  Linda was a great guest, and I loved to hear her talk about how her career has evolved and her candid insight into the good and the bad she’s experienced along the way.  So, let’s get behind the desk with Linda Cooke.  Connect with Linda on LinkedIn.  Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Episode 25, Season 3 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Paul Brotzel, who has recently left his role as CIO at Aon in the UK. Paul has a huge amount of technology leadership experience, having led technology functions for over 20 years. He's spent the last nine years working for Aon in CIO positions across various areas of their business. Prior to that, he spent time at Allianz, as well as a few other well-known firms. In this episode I chat to Paul about his evolution into the CIO role, how he's seen the position and the insurance industry evolve in his time working in the sector. This episode has heaps of advice for those budding CIOs listening to the podcast. So, without further delay, let's get behind the desk with Paul Brotzel. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

This was the final episode of the previous season of Behind the Desk and officially holds the record for the most listens across the podcast so far - so I thought there was no better time than now to re-release it for those who haven't listened yet!Jen is currently leading a huge TOM redesign and RSA and was a brilliant guest. She is a Women in Technology advocate, STEM ambassador and qualified coach. In this episode, she talks about her views on how we start turning the dial on diversity and inclusion, how the insurance industry compares to the travel industry, the idea of open insurance and her approach to change and transformation.This was easily one of the most enjoyable conversations I have had so far, so much so we nearly hit the hour mark. Jen has an amazing career history, from coding at four years old to working in the travel industry, falling back into technology accidentally, and becoming an Insurtech leader. I can’t wait for you to hear her story, so let’s get behind the desk with Jen.

Welcome to Episode 23, Season 3 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Louise Marling, previous Chief Operating Officer at Hiscox. Louise has recently left Hiscox as the COO of their UK retail business and is about to take some time out before she embarks on her next position. Louise has had a variety of experiences throughout her career from starting as an insurance clerk after completing her economics degree to being in a key leadership role at Hiscox. She's amassed a depth and breadth of experience that is rare to see.  I've known Louise for a couple of years now and I am so excited I get to speak to her on my podcast. In this episode, she shares some brilliant insights on how to overcome challenges in life and your career.  Louise is great and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she does for her next role. But before that, let's get behind the desk with Louise Marling. Connect with Louise on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Episode 22, Season 3 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Karen McDonagh Reynolds, Chief Transformation Officer at Velonetic. She is leading arguably the most groundbreaking and pivotal transformation initiatives in the insurance sector - delivering Blueprint II at Velonetic, previously known as the Lloyds Joint Venture. In this episode, we speak about her career, which did not start off in insurance. She shares with us her journey of how she got into insurance, and how different it looked both culturally and from a technology perspective.  Karen has not only been named in the CIO Top 100 twice but has led some of the most groundbreaking technology modernization initiatives across some of the biggest names in the sector. Most importantly, she has a brilliant personality with an infectious nature and is the kind of person you could talk to for absolutely hours. And I very nearly did so. Let's get behind the desk with Karen McDonough Reynolds. Connect with Karen on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Episode 21, Season 3 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Graeme Howard, who has recently left his role as CTIO at Covéa Insurance in the UK, to work on some short-term engagements as a non-exec.In this episode, we really find out why Graeme isn't your typical insurance CIO with a typical background. Talking us through his thoughts and history he shares some invaluable lessons about resilience, leading high-performing teams, and simply what is possible in a sector like insurance when you look outside of the industry for some inspiration. There are some brilliant stories in this episode, and I personally learned a lot from chatting with him and I hope you do too. Let’s get behind the desk with Graeme. Connect with Graeme on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Episode 20, Season 3 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Chris Wyard, Chief Data Officer at Beazley. Chris joined Beazley nearly 18 months ago in a key leadership role leading their data strategy as the business embarks on a major multi-year modernisation agenda. Chris has previously spent 12 years working for Allianz where he joined as a grad and evolved into becoming their Chief Data Officer. I've known Chris for a few years now, but it was great to understand how he found his passion in data, going back to the start to understand how he shaped his career over the last 15 years. He shares brilliant insight and advice, especially around the importance of curiosity and finding niches within the industry. He is a great person, and I could have spoken to him for hours about his journey and his views on the insurance sector. Let’s get behind the desk with Chris. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Welcome to the third season, and Episode 19 of the Behind the Desk Podcast! Join me as I chat with Mike Samra, the Chief Technology Officer at the AA. In this episode, we delve into valuable insights from a seasoned leader who recently transitioned from a decade-long career in the London market insurance to a new venture with the AA, where he's been for the past nine months. Mike brings an infectious personality and a rich background that spans from software engineering to architectural expertise and leadership. Throughout our conversation, he shares incredible insights from his career and sprinkles some pearls of wisdom. I'm certain you'll find these nuggets of advice both valuable and enjoyable. Let’s get behind the desk with Mike. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In episode 12 of season three of Behind the Desk, I am joined by Jen Dallas who is the Capability Transformation Director at RSA.  Jen is a Women in Tech advocate, STEM ambassador and qualified coach. In this episode, she talks about her views on how we start turning the dial on diversity and inclusion, how the insurance industry compares to the travel industry, the idea of open insurance and her approach to change and transformation.This was easily one of the most enjoyable conversations I have had so far, so much so we nearly hit the hour mark. Jen has an amazing career history from coding at 4 years old, to working in the travel industry, falling back into technology accidentally to becoming a leader in the Insurtech space. I can’t wait for you to hear her story, so let’s get behind the desk with Jen. Connect with Jen on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In episode 10 of season three of Behind the Desk I am joined by Pravina Ladva, who is the Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies. Pravina is one of the most respected technology leaders in the insurance space, and I have been trying to get her on the podcast for a while now. So, undoubtably I enjoyed every second of our chat. In this episode we covered a lot about her route into insurance technology, her passion for change and growth and the link it has with her career development, her views on diversity within the insurance sector and a bit about what’s on her agenda at Swiss Re. She also shines a light on how we can take the current challenges in our market and use them to fuel opportunities in tech. Pravina has achieved so much in her career across multiple sectors, and this interview is one which will not disappoint, so let’s get behind the desk with Pravina. Connect with Pravina on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In episode 9 of season three of Behind the Desk I am joined by Nisha Manaktala, who is the CTO at Hiscox, one of the biggest brands in Insurance. I've known her for several years now, and her 20-year career journey into leadership is massively impressive, including being named a CIO Top 100. It was great to chat to her and understand more about her early career, her passion for technology, which started at 11 years of age, and some brilliant advice for anyone looking to take the next step up. She also challenges our thinking, and shines a light on key issues such as talent retention, talent attraction and creating an environment where people are connected to their work with passion and purpose. She's the kind of person you can really sit to and talk for hours about this, so let’s get behind the desk with Nisha. Connect with Nisha on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In the fourth episode of season three of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I am joined by Somita Yogi, Chief Data Officer. She has recently left her role at Animal Friends and has an impressive career history, holding key leadership roles at the Post Office, Tui and SunGard.Somita is a dynamic leader in the Insurtech space and has some brilliant insight and anecdotes on how you can evolve from being a hands-on technologist to a business leader. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and she has been a great personality to have on the podcast this season. In this episode we discuss her career so far as well as how she manages work life balance with two children, her thoughts on diversity and insurance, wider technology and how she sees the market developing over the coming years.Connect with Somita on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In the seventh episode of season three of Behind the Desk I am joined by Kim Gray, who has recently left her role at NTT data as Head of Insurance and Head of Diversity & Inclusion to build her own company called Inclusive City, with a focus on Insurance & DE&I Advisory Consulting and Executive Coaching. Kim has a 20 year plus career history in insurance banking management consulting and has seen a lot across the years in the financial services sector. I was absolutely engrossed in this chat from start to finish. She provides some brilliant insight and advice for people at all levels in their career. She talks about her early life, how she climbed the ladder as a ‘dubious hire’, her advice for changing the narrative for women in leadership and her golden rule for success, with some interesting stories thrown in between. Kim might be my favourite guest so far... So, let's get behind the desk with Kim Gray. Connect with Kim on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In the sixth episode of season three of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I am joined by Lisa Gibbard, who is the Chief Information Officer at Thomas Miller. Lisa is arguably the most experienced tech leader I've had on the podcast so far. She started her career at NatWest bank and has since gone on to hold senior leadership roles with the likes of Aon Ltd, Aspen Insurance Group and MS Amlin. There isn't much Lisa hasn't experienced or seen throughout her career and her insights into the challenges facing the insurance industry are fascinating from both a business and diversity and inclusion perspective. I've known Lisa for a while, but only from afar. And it was great to get into what makes her tick and understand more about how she's achieved so much in her career. So, without further delay, let's get behind the desk with Lisa Gibbard.Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In the fifth episode of season three of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I am joined by Parul Kaul-Green, who is the new Chief Digital Strategy Officer at Liberty Speciality Markets.  Parul has spent the last few years leading technology and digital strategy transformation efforts at AXA, and now has the exciting opportunity to join Liberty during their digital transformation. She has a slightly different background to a lot of my other guests, having spent most of her career in corporate strategy, she's evolved into a technology strategy leader and is now one of the most highly regarded figures in Insurance and Insurtech.  In this episode, we really get into some deep discussions around digital transformation, diversity and inclusion, and even tap into what Parul does to unwind. She is a true thought leader and her insights into the current state of the market are invaluable. Let's get behind the desk with Parul.Connect with Parul on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In the fourth episode of season three of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I'm joined by Lloyd's of London Chief Information and Change Officer, Rebecca Womersley. This episode is a re-release from season one of my podcast, and for good reason.  Rebecca has an impressive 20-year career history that started in telecoms and has evolved into leading tech and change at one of the most iconic and rapidly evolving organisations in the UK insurance sector.  In this episode, we talk about Rebecca's journey in project and change management, and getting into the insurance sector, onboarding at Lloyd's completely remotely, working in the US, her views on female diversity in insurance and much much more. Let's get behind the desk with Rebecca Womersley.Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In my third episode of season 3 of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I am joined by Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO and founder of Tapoly. While trying to insure a rental property, she spotted a golden opportunity to start her own business. Six years later, she's won countless awards and has a business now entering scale up mode. Janthana is a pioneer for going after what you love and aligning to your core values to succeed. Her story is genuinely incredible and her insight inspiring. Our conversation covers her career to date, thoughts on entrepreneurship, hurdles to entry as an Insurtech start up, flexible working and levelling out the playing field for women in leadership. I really enjoyed getting to know her and you will too. Let’s get behind the desk with Janthana.Connect with Janthana on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

On the second episode of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I am joined by Bilge Mert, CTO (Chief Technology Officer) at Brit Insurance. She has only recently joined Brit, leading their technology team and has been tasked with the next phase of the firm's technology transformation. Bilge is one of the most successful and highly regarded tech leaders in the insurance space right now. She has risen through the ranks quickly and has a brilliant story to tell.  This is a fascinating conversation, where we talk about her early life and her love of math's and engineering, her views on gender diversity in technology and the insurance space, and some great insight into how she believes bridging the gap between the business and technology is the most critical skill for technologists to master. Let’s get behind the desk with Bilge Mert. Connect with Bilge on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas is back, and my first guest is Ciara Conway, Group Chief Architect at Aviva. Ciara has an infectious personality, and I am thrilled to have her join me to kick off season two of the podcast.  We had a great conversation and covered a lot of ground including her journey into technology, which is an unusual one, the challenges she's faced around being a female in a very male dominated sector and her views on gender diversity and the progress we’re making within the insurance and technology space.Her views on where the sector is headed are spot on and she is passionate about leaving a legacy, by removing legacy tech, and walks us through her ambitious plans for Aviva's future.  Let’s get behind the desk with Ciara Conway.Connect with Ciara on LinkedIn.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

In my seventh episode of Behind the Desk with Mark Thomas, I'm joined the director of technology at Wesleyan, Nick Meikle. Nick has an impressive career history, working in the insurance sector for nearly 30 years. Nick started in consulting, then moved into industry, working for some of the biggest insurance brands in the country. In this episode, we get into his views on how the sector is changing and Nick shares some great advice for all the budding technology leaders listening. Nick is a highly experienced and respected leader with a huge, impressive career journey.Let's get behind the desk with Nick Meikle. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.