I recently had the pleasure of attending the Guidewire Insurance Forum in Sydney, Australia. It was the first time the event had taken place in person since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was an atmosphere of high energy and excitement as more than 100 attendees interacted with each other face-to-face again for the first time in three years.
Guidewire CEO Mike Rosenbaum kicked off the event by discussing Guidewire’s evolution, the positive impact the company has had on the general/property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry, the different ways Guidewire Cloud customers have succeeded in their implementation projects, and Guidewire’s vision for the future.
Mike Rosenbaum, Guidewire
Vice President of Product Management for Guidewire Cloud Platform Amy Mollin shared how the Elysian release continues to serve Guidewire’s promise of delivering cloud capabilities to support innovation, make development effortless, and provide applications to drive growth and efficiency. And, Guidewire GO features available in the Elysian release offer local content specifically tailored to the Australia and New Zealand markets to accelerate time-to-market.
Vice President of Product Management for Analytics Chris Folkman concluded the Guidewire presentation lineup. He highlighted how Guidewire Analytics turns systems of record into systems of insight by breaking the silo between core systems and analytics using smart-loop analytics products such as Canvas, Compare, Cyence, and Predict. He shared analytics product roadmap themes and features for upcoming Cloud releases.
While the product updates were very well received by attendees, Guidewire customers stole the show! We heard from two customers about their distinct approaches to their respective Guidewire Cloud implementation projects.
First, Hollard Insurance Company completed their ClaimCenter Cloud technical implementation project on May 30, 2022, the day before the Forum! Project manager Michael Medway described how the company achieved this milestone by undertaking the project primarily in-house with a laser-focused, cloud-first team who kept the project simple and connected. He noted that his team experienced success with early upgrades, and that they updated the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) regularly throughout the project to build the regulator’s confidence in cloud computing. Hollard is hoping to build on this accomplishment for their business go-live happening soon.
Michael Medway, Hollard Insurance Company
By contrast, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance New Zealand CEO Simone Labady discussed the company’s reasons for moving to the cloud – security, flexibility, and optimisation – and entrusting Guidewire Consulting partner Tenzing with implementing InsuranceSuite Cloud, enabling them to meet the deadline for their project.
Simone Labady, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance New Zealand
The event featured two other customer presentations, one by Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and the other by Scandinavian customer Tryg.
IAG EGM of Insurance Platforms Carol-Ann Gough and EGM of Enterprise Platform Delivery Danielle Tompson shared the company’s transformation journey, the progress made so far, what’s next, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Carol-Ann Gough, IAG
Danielle Tompson, IAG
Tryg Vice President of Finance and Development Claims Inger Lise Angelskår described how Tryg built a foundational partnership with Guidewire with claims automation being the rule and manual processes being the exception. She also shared how their company’s journey contributed to Guidewire’s claims vision which led to Guidewire Claims Autopilot.
Inger Lise Angelskår, Tryg
Finally, Asia Insurtech Podcast Founder and Accelerating Insurance Director Theresa Blissing discussed the trends shaping our world today and their implications for the insurance industry. She then focused on three trends in embedded insurance and how insurers can take advantage of these new opportunities.
Overall, Guidewire Insurance Forum Sydney was a tremendous success and I look forward to hearing more Guidewire Cloud customer achievements in the region next year. As Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region Roland Slee said to our guests to close the Forum, “We will not rest until all your business is in the Guidewire Cloud and you’re delighted that it is.”