In this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl is joined by Rob Lewis, the CEO of Intex Insurance Software. Rob brings a wealth of experience from both the carrier and software sides of the industry, offering a unique perspective on why "simple tools win."

Rob discusses the "simplicity paradox"—the idea that while the industry has become overcomplicated by 20-year-old legacy systems, the path forward requires the courage to "turn back from the wrong road" and embrace purpose-built technology. From the evolving role of the risk manager to the underserved complexities of the reinsurance sector, Rob breaks down how a focus on live, transparent data is reshaping the specialty insurance landscape.

Podcast Host: Jason Reichl

Executive Producer: Don Halliwell

Highlights:

01:04 – The Simplicity Thesis: Why the industry is overcomplicated by "bolted-on" software from 20 years ago.
01:39 – The Wrong Road: Using the Arabic proverb "no matter how far you go down the wrong road, turn back" to justify starting from scratch.
02:08 – Intex in 2025: Moving from the London and African markets into the US and targeting tier-one carriers in specialty oil, gas, and marine sectors.
04:33 – The Swivel Chair Problem: Why risk managers need simple, live data (like loss ratios) delivered quickly to avoid drowning in manual system navigation.
06:58 – Generalists vs. Specialists: How technology should handle specialized tasks, allowing humans to understand the entire value chain.
07:30 – Industrial vs. Pretty UI: Why user experience (UX) is essential for maintaining employee interest and knowledge growth.
10:15 – Reinsurance Connect: Solving the problem of software that is merely "adapted" from policy admin systems rather than purpose-built for reinsurance.
13:11 – The AI Black Box: Why feeding large language models carrier data is "super risky" and must be done in-house.
14:36 – Advice for the New Guard: Why millennials and young professionals are the most knowledgeable and hardworking assets an organization can have.

Resources:

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Previous guests include: Seth Hausman of Kraus-Anderson Insurance, Matthew Meyer of The Horton Group, Diana Rich of Foundation Building Materials, Christy McHenry of Suffolk Construction, Mark Rieder of NFP, and Cory Mangum of Primoris Services Corporation.

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