The Hartford invests $2.5B to support energy transition; Amica Insurance teams up with Hi Marley: Roundup

November 22, 2021 7:05 AM

A climate change mural on an archway near to the SEC (Scottish Event Campus) the location for the upcoming COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, U.K., on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. Glasgow will welcome world leaders and thousands of attendees for the crucial United Nations summit on climate change in November. Photographer: Ian Forsyth/Bloomberg — A climate change mural on an archway near to the SEC (Scottish Event Campus) the location for the upcoming COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, U.K., on Oct. 20, 2021.

The following news stories were curated and condensed by the Digital Insurance team.

The Hartford invests $2.5B to support energy transition

The Hartford announced a commitment to invest $2.5 billion over the next five years into technologies, companies and funds that are advancing the energy transition and climate change. The Hartford signed the United Nations Global Compact, the largest corporate sustainability initiative that brings together companies around the world. It's the first property and casualty insurer to do so. “As a 211-year-old insurer and asset manager, we view the transition to a greener society as a business imperative, and we are doing our part,” said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift, in a statement. “We are demonstrating our environmental commitment through our actions across the business, ranging from insurance solutions that encourage sustainable construction to investments by the company in renewable energy. We are proud of our progress and remain determined to use our resources responsibly to address the challenge of climate change.”

Amica teams up with Hi Marley

Amica Insurance announced a partnership with Hi Marley, an AI-enabled software provider, to provide policyholders with more communication options like text messages using the Hi Marley Insurance Cloud and a Guidewire integration so representatives can send messages using core operating systems. "Our partnership is going to elevate customer service at Amica by streamlining customer communication and saving valuable time," said David Burgoyne, senior service center operations manager at Amica, in a press release. "Adopting Hi Marley's comprehensive and seamless two-way texting model will make life easier for both our customers and our representatives in a very user-friendly way." Hi Marley recently announced that more than one million policyholders have used their communication platform to text their providers about claims.

Nationwide partners with Kinetic on wearables

Nationwide announced a partnership with Kinetic, a wearable technology company, and its subsidiary Kinetic Insurance, which is working on a technology-focused workers’ compensation product. The offering will use the Kinetic Reflex device to automatically detect unsafe postures and provide feedback to wearers. Kinetic will sell the product and Nationwide E&S/Speciality will underwrite it. “Nationwide’s investments in innovative insurance technology companies like Kinetic have given us the opportunity to partner with Kinetic Insurance to bring a truly unique product to the workers’ compensation programs market,” said Heather Schenker, vice president of Nationwide E&S/Specialty, in a statement. “Backed by Nationwide’s strength and stability, this partnership continues our use of technology to help businesses protect their workforce and make smarter safety decisions.”

Liberty Mutual launches Comparion Insurance Agency

Liberty Mutual announced the launch of Comparion Insurance agency. It will transition its 2,200 exclusive agent team in over 200 local sales offices across the U.S. to Comparion. “Personal insurance buyers and small business owners want expert advice and broad choice in insurance coverage and price, and Liberty Mutual is better positioned to provide these by transitioning our exclusive agent operation to an agency model,” said Chris Capone, Liberty Mutual president, exclusive agency distribution, global retail markets U.S., in a statement. “We are creating a digitally enabled agency of tremendous scale that provides our producers with best-in-class support along with a broad and deep product suite to serve their customers while accomplishing their financial goals.”

Mitsubishi drivers data on LexisNexis Telematics OnDemand

LexisNexis Risk Solutions announced that Mitsubishi Motors North America drivers who use the Mitsubishi Road Assist+ app for telematics are now on LexisNexis Telematics OnDemand, a solution that integrates driving behavior data available for insurer rating and underwriting. The Mitsubishi drivers can now opt in to share data for insurance purposes like potential premium discounts. “As the automotive and auto insurance industries desire greater data sophistication and decision-making insights, telematics data is key to unlocking added value for the auto insurer, the automaker and ultimately their shared customer,” said Marc Gordan, head of global telematics product strategy and development, U.S. Connected Car, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, in a statement. “Expanding the Mitsubishi Motors telematics app data to now be included in our Telematics OnDemand solution demonstrates the significance of telematics data in further unifying and enabling these industries to offer consumers more streamlined, personalized pricing experiences in exchange for sharing their driving data.”

Neptune Flood releases carbon-neutral plan

Neptune Flood, an AI-focused insurance company providing flood insurance, has released a four-step plan to combat climate change within the company. The plan includes offsetting its corporate carbon footprint and offering resilience-building products and services to add additional climate-based insurance products. Neptune is also calling on other insurtechs to commit to a similar plan. "As a young industry, we have the unique opportunity to be the first that is carbon neutral. Insuretech positively impacts insurance through innovation - let's now apply that same innovation to positively impact our planet," said Trevor Burgess, CEO of Neptune Flood, in a statement. Neptune also recently announced a partnership with Indium, an independent agency network.

New York life names new CEO-elect

New York Life announced that its board of directors has named Craig DeSanto as its CEO-elect. DeSanto, who is currently the company’s president, will succeed Ted Mathas, who served as CEO for about 14 years and is planning to retire. The appointment will take effect in April 2022. Mathas will remain chairman of the board for a transitional period. DeSanto joined New York life in 1997 as an actuarial summer intern. “In a career that spans more than two decades with our company, he has held leadership roles and produced outstanding results in virtually every line of business and has a clear vision for enhancing our unrivaled competitive positioning. We are very fortunate to have someone with Craig’s dedication to our mission and values and appreciation for our culture taking over the reins as New York Life’s chief executive,” Mathas said in a statement.

Jewelers Mutual hires new CIO

Jewelers Mutual Group, a jewelry insurance provider, announced that John Kreul has been named chief information officer. Kreul, who most recently worked for Amcor as vice president of supply chain, will lead the company’s technology group and the creation of a technical platform for customers. “John brings a wealth of leadership experience and a depth of expertise across many technology disciplines,” said Scott Murphy, Jewelers Mutual’s president and CEO, in a press release. “The future of our industry is focused on technology and data analytics, which will drive more business support for our customers. John will provide the leadership to get us there.”

Hub International launches Drive Safe app

Hub International Limited, an insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced the launch of its HUB Drive Safe app, a fleet management solution that uses telematics to detect collisions and provides insight into driving behaviors. The app offers immediate feedback and coaching to commercial drivers. "The HUB Drive Safe App is our newest fleet risk management solution to help clients across various industries, including transportation, agribusiness, construction and hospitality, to keep their drivers safe, manage driver behavior and reduce collisions and loss," said Lisa Paul, chief strategy officer of HUB's Transportation Specialty, in a press release. "Technology continues to revolutionize the world we live in, and we have been focused on using digital technology to streamline our clients' experience and helping them better manage their costs for doing business."

Axis Insurance enters pet insurance market

AXIS Insurance, a business segment of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, announced it has entered into the pet insurance market through Managing General Underwriter Petplan, a provider of pet health insurance. AXIS will provide underwriting capacity for insurance policies in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access the product via Petplan. “Our relationship with Petplan is an exciting way for us to enter the North American pet insurance marketplace and an area of insurance that complements our existing global Accident and Health portfolio,” said James Hamilton, global head of accident and health for AXIS Insurance, in a statement.

Majesco partners with Larsen & Toubro Infotech

Majesco and Larsen & Toubro Infotech, a technology consulting and digital solutions company, are partnering to help accelerate insurers' digital transformation. The partnership will focus on providing LTI systems integration and resources to Majesco customers. “Today’s customers are digitally adept. With changing behaviors and needs, there’s even more demand for flexibility and convenience in customer experience,” said Ed Ossie, chief operating officer at Majesco, in a press release. “The partnership between Majesco and LTI will help customers leverage today’s digital technologies and cutting-edge solutions to deliver a new user experience, create new products and services while innovating their business models.”

Cowbell Cyber introduces supply chain risk ratings

Cowbell Cyber, an AI cyber insurance provider, announced an expansion to its cyber risk assessment to include Cowbell Factor to quantify risk related to the software supply chain. "Cowbell Factor for Supply Chain is automatically used in risk selection and made available for underwriting," said Rajeev Gupta, co-founder and CPO at Cowbell Cyber, in a press release. "Underwriters no longer have to wait for damages from an exploited vulnerability to be visible in the market to adjust guidelines or understand the ripple effects on covered risks."

Branch and Nextbase Dash Cams announce partnership

Branch, a home and auto insurance company, is partnering with Nextbase Dash Cams, a dash cam brand. The partnership will offer Nextbase Dash Cam customers additional auto insurance savings and Nextbase will offer a discount on new dash cam purchases to Branch members. “At Branch, we’re on a mission to make insurance more efficient and more affordable, leveraging technology and data to help our members save money and building community along the way,” said Steve Lekas, co-founder and CEO at Branch, in a statement. “We’re confident that our partnership with Nextbase Dash Cams is the first in a series of meaningful steps that will allow us to work toward making insurance less expensive and our roads safer.”

Research shows fraud fighters in North America aren’t prepared

The report, Globalization of Insurance Fraud Study by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud conducted with IBM and Luxoft surveyed financial crimes experts, data security analysts, regulators and insurance professionals to better understand anti-fraud efforts specifically related to international fraud rings. The research found that North American fraud fighters, those tasked with investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud, are not prepared. Nearly 60% of fraud fighters are not up to the task, according to the report. "Organized rings, both foreign and domestic, are stealing billions," David Rioux, Coalition co-chair and vice president of investigations and internal controls at Erie Insurance said in a statement. "We've seen organized scammers exploit the telehealth system; intercept personal information through phishing scams and other data harvesting schemes; carry out ransomware attacks, and run a number of insurance scams using stolen or synthetic IDs off the dark web. These are all attacks that can be launched from anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection."