The Data Revolution in Modern Claims Management with Heather Wilson
Release Date: 06/18/2025
IN-the-Know
Rena Strohmeier is the Underwriting Manager at Wawanesa Insurance and a San Diego State University faculty lecturer, teaching insurance and risk management classes. She is a member of the Executive and Leadership Council of the CPCU Society, and holds CPCU, AIC, and AINS designations. Here, she joins Chris Hampshire on In The Know for a conversation about working for a California-only insurer, global insurance interests, and insurance careers for women and offerings for underserved communities. Key Takeaways ● Rena’s career path started in auto theft. ● Underwriting or claims?...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Lou Bonanno is the AVP of Property Underwriting at Arch Insurance Group, where he is responsible for portfolio management and analysis, program data feeds, corporate and business unit reporting. He also serves as the business unit representative to the Data Transformation Team. He has held positions in claims, premium audit, accounting, consulting, and ceded reinsurance. Lou is an active volunteer of the CPCU Society, currently serves in the New Jersey Chapter and previously on the Publications Committee and Technology and Innovation Committee. Here he joins Chris Hampshire on In The Know for...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Ruth Phillips is a Learning and Development Specialist with Higginbotham, where she develops and delivers training programs that help insurance professionals build technical expertise and advance their careers. She holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education and has earned 17 insurance and professional development designations, including the CPCU and Insurance Training Professional (ITP) designations. Here she joins Chris Hampshire on In The Know for a conversation about learning and development in an era of telework and AI. Key Takeaways ● Ruth’s early career dreams were those of...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Richard Parker is the Chairman at Applied Underwriters Aerospace, LLC, where he runs the space team. He recently joined Chris Hampshire for a special episode of In the Know: Ask the Expert, which features their conversation about the structure of space insurance, recent explosions, the typical claims process, and a host of other questions from a live audience. Key Takeaways ● The structure of space insurance. ● Recent changes in space insurance underwriting. ● Challenges of insuring smaller spacecraft. ● Geosynchronous Earth Orbit characteristics. ● What type of space-specific...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Joe Powell is the Chief Digital Officer at Gallagher Bassett, where he oversees Data, Analytics, and Product Innovation functions. He previously served as a management consultant at Bain & Company, and holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. This episode of In the Know was recorded live at RIMS RISKWORLD 2026 and features a conversation between Chris Hampshire and Joe about the state of AI, trends in data and analytics, and all that a future with AI has to offer. Key Takeaways ...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Jayson Taylor is the Head of Casualty at MSIG USA. He previously served as Head of Excess Casualty for Argo Group and has held actuarial roles responsible for workers’ compensation, warranty, property, and liability lines with QBE North America, Wells Fargo, and EMPLOYERS. He earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Florida. This episode of In the Know was recorded live at RIMS RISKWORLD 2026 and features a conversation between Chris Hampshire and Jayson about advancing technologies, successful product development and launch, and the importance of building business...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Gallagher. He began his career as an intern in 1972, worked his way to Chief Executive Officer, and, in 2006, was appointed Chairman of the Board. In 2003, Mr. Gallagher joined the board of trustees of The Institutes. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Pat discuss his successful career, his perspective on where the insurance industry is today, and where it is heading in the future. Key Takeaways ● Pat’s successful career started with a fire and an internship. ● The...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Lindsy Graichen Hudnall, CPCU, AIDA, AU-M, AINS, LSSBB, is a process improvement expert currently serving as VP Strategic Operating Model & Execution Lead at Chubb. With a background in mathematics, analytics, and underwriting, she leads change management, driving operational efficiency and growth. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Lindsy discuss process improvements and making operational changes within a carrier, Lindsy’s experience as a female leader in the industry, and her unique role in the CPCU Society. Key Takeaways ● Lindsy’s career success started...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Fuller Consulting Principal Bryan Fuller is a reinsurance and insurance regulatory consultant with more than 30 years of specialized experience for U.S. insurance regulators and international financial institutions. He holds a BS in International Economics from Georgetown University and professional designations as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Accredited Insurance Examiner (AIE), and Market Conduct Management (MCM). He is active in the CPCU Society (former Kansas City Chapter President) and currently serves on the Reinsurance and Excess...
info_outlineIN-the-Know
Glenn Leung is the Vice President of the Surplus Line Association of California (SLA), which serves as the statutory surplus line advisory organization of the California Department of Insurance. Glenn leads a team focused on analyzing the financial solvency of nonadmitted insurers in California, and his team reviews 150 U.S. and Alien insurers that write more than $20 billion of premium each year. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics & American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the President of the Golden Gate CPCU Chapter, past chair of the RE&S...
info_outlineHeather H. Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of CLARA Analytics, has more than a decade of executive experience in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence, including Global Head of Innovation and Advanced Technology at Kaiser Permanente and Chief Data Officer of AIG. While at AIG, she was named Insurance Woman of the Year by the Insurance Technology Association for her data innovation work. Wilson has been a steady supporter of diversity. She launched the Kaiser Permanente Women in Technology group, focused on mentorship and retention for women in math, technology, and science. At AIG, she launched Global Women in Technology and served as Executive Sponsor of Girls Who Code. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Heather explore the work she has done to empower women in coding and STEM, AI technology advancements, and strategies for addressing talent challenges in today’s fast-evolving insurance industry.
Key Takeaways
-
Heather’s career unfolded in three chapters.
-
The current state and application of analytics in today’s insurance industry.
-
A look into the future of large language model (LLM) technology.
-
The application of agentic AI in the claims sector.
-
Integrating new and legacy technology platforms.
-
Heather’s experiences as a female leader in the insurance industry.
-
Industry disruption, talent recruitment, and navigating the silver tsunami.
-
Data analysts and the insurance industry.
-
A five-year look to changing agent and adjuster responsibilities.
-
Heather’s strategic risk advice to her early career self.
In the Know podcast theme music written and performed by James Jones, CPCU, and Kole Shuda of the band If-Then.
To learn more about the CPCU Society, its membership, and educational offerings, tools, and programs, please visit CPCUSociety.org.
Follow the CPCU Society on social media:
X (Twitter): @CPCUSociety
Facebook: @CPCUSociety
LinkedIn: @The Institutes CPCU Society
Instagram: @the_cpcu_society
Quotes
-
“At the end of the day, there is an outcome that we’re trying to drive for the claimant and for the insurer.”
-
“AI is helping us take the surprises and get in front of them to handle cases differently.”
-
“Whether it’s a risk or claims system, they really have the opportunity to lead the insurance industry on agentic AI.”
-
“Data is still king, and so is the orchestration of that data.”
-
“For super complex cases, people still need to have that human-in-the-loop touch.”