Sixfold’s UK Expansion: Q&A with New Regional Director

We were curious to get to know our new Regional Director for the UK, Rosina, so we sat down with her to hear how she got started in insurance, what she loves about the industry, her take on AI adoption in the UK, and more.

The takeaway? A conversation full of great insights.

Tell us about your career journey. How did you first get into the insurance and insurtech world?

I joined the Allianz internship programme in the UK during the 2011 England riots, and I was struck by the speed and coordination of the industry’s response. Until then, I hadn’t fully understood what a market event was. I was inspired by how ‘applied’ the actions happening in offices across the country were to real people and their unfolding losses.

What I had expected to be a theoretical application of my maths degree turned out to be something far more engaging, and I was gripped. I rushed back to join Allianz as soon as I graduated, spending seven years there in various underwriting, pricing, and data roles.

What I had expected to be a theoretical application of my maths degree turned out to be something far more engaging, and I was gripped. I rushed back to join Allianz as soon as I graduated, spending seven years there in various underwriting, pricing, and data roles.

What really stood out to me was the collaboration with data providers, academia, and at the time, a new breed of company: insurtechs. That inspired me to join the insurtech community myself, drawn by the opportunity to work with a broader range of insurers and the global reinsurance market.

What do you enjoy most about working in insurance? What is it about the industry that keeps you interested?

What I enjoy most is the sheer breadth of expertise across the industry. You have catastrophe modelers working alongside underwriters who know the ins and outs of something as specific as sprinkler systems. 

I love seeing such a wide range of knowledge and perspectives come together to solve complex problems.

Tell us about your experience as an underwriter. Were there any pain points in the process that you think Sixfold can help solve?

I spent most of my underwriting career in the London property market, a fast-paced environment known for some of the world’s most complex risks. At the time, pricing algorithms could only take you so far. It was crucial to learn from the experienced underwriters around me. They approached risk differently. Somehow, they could spot features I couldn’t. Their insights often felt like magic, and I was fascinated by the way they saw things others missed.

Looking back, I realise that what I was trying to do is exactly what Sixfold does. Sixfold gives every underwriter access to the kind of insight you would expect from your most experienced peer, and it does that consistently for every case.

As I built up my own technical knowledge and kept the underwriting guide close, I also found myself asking a new question. How would those underwriters approach the risks I was looking at? What might they see that I hadn’t?

Looking back, I realise that what I was trying to do is exactly what Sixfold does. Sixfold gives every underwriter access to the kind of insight you would expect from your most experienced peer, and it does that consistently for every case.

You’re Sixfold’s first European hire, congrats! Based on your experience, how has AI already impacted the European insurance market?

AI has moved beyond the hype in the European market, with some successful implementations, especially in distribution and claims. There are admirable examples of AI improving customer experience and reducing the time to resolution. I believe these implementations have done a good job at building confidence and appetite for AI solutions across the market.

AI is now offering new value creation and will cause a rethink of some of our most fundamental beliefs about how insurance is designed. I think it is a really exciting time to be an insurer.

However, what is coming goes beyond enhanced solutions. AI is now offering new value creation and will cause a rethink of some of our most fundamental beliefs about how insurance is designed. I think it is a really exciting time to be an insurer.

How do you think European and North American insurers differ when it comes to tech adoption in insurance?

I think the distribution models contribute to some differences in tech adoption, and quite rightly so. In broker-driven and syndicated markets, there is a need to demonstrate benefit and build trust beyond the point of direct application.

This differs by business line, but in general, players who are able to run more effective A/B tests with their markets tend to move through the adoption process more quickly. Regulation also plays a part, with the EU and the US taking notably different approaches to early AI governance.

I think continued collaboration between European and North American players is vital to keeping that pace aligned with the expectations and emerging needs of the end customers we are all here to serve.

That said, in both regions, there are change makers willing to take first-mover risks, driven by a belief that the advantage will outweigh the early ambiguity. These change makers are setting the pace. I think continued collaboration between European and North American players is vital to keeping that pace aligned with the expectations and emerging needs of the end customers we are all here to serve.

How do you stay on top of the latest industry trends?

I am connected with various insurance networks, including the UK and US insurtech communities. I enjoy the insights that come from the conference circuit. But perhaps the most fruitful source of industry trends comes from the conversations I have with our insurance and reinsurance customers.

What excites you most about joining Sixfold?

I believe Sixfold, in conjunction with its industry partners, will help deliver the step change needed for insurance to meet the evolving needs of our customers and society more broadly. The vision here is not to change things for technology’s sake, but to use technology as a way to improve outcomes and experiences for both buyers and sellers of insurance, especially as they navigate shifting risks and changing consumer behaviour.

I have seen plenty of ambitious missions, but what excites me about Sixfold is its ability to keep both feet in the future of technology while staying grounded in the present. And I am thrilled to be joining a team made up of such high-calibre individuals.

I have seen plenty of ambitious missions, but what excites me about Sixfold is its ability to keep both feet in the future of technology while staying grounded in the present. And I am thrilled to be joining a team made up of such high-calibre individuals.

In your view, how does Sixfold stand out in this space?

What stands out to me is how dedicated to insurance everyone is. Walking into the Sixfold office feels like walking into an insurance HQ.

It doesn’t take long to see that Sixfold is working with some of the most exciting and advanced technologies out there.

What really stands out to me, though, is the focus on solving real industry challenges. In a way, it reminds me of my early experiences as an intern. This work goes far beyond the theoretical.