The Empathy Edge Conny Kalcher: How Zurich is Making Empathy Pay Off by Closing the Gap
For years, empathy was treated as a business nice-to-have—important, but secondary to speed, scale, and efficiency. The data now tells a very different story.
In this conversation, Maria and Conny, the Chief Customer Officer at Zurich Insurance Group, dive into Zurich’s new global study, Addressing the Empathy Gap, which surveyed more than 11,000 consumers across 11 markets. The findings are striking: 79% of consumers say empathy matters more than any other factor, and 43% have left a brand due to a lack of empathy. This isn’t theoretical; it’s revenue walking out the door.
Conny shares how Zurich is closing that gap by treating empathy as a learnable skill. She shares practical first steps organizations can take, starting right where they are. We also explore Zurich’s philosophy of AI with a human touch - using technology to augment human connection, not replace it.
This is a conversation about moving from transactional payer to trusted partner—and why, in an industry ripe for disruption, empathy is quickly becoming a competitive advantage.
To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.
Listen in for…
- Why customers are leaving brands due to a lack of connection and empathy.
- How to make AI work for your organization, without trying to replace human connections.
- How to create trusted relationships and partnerships and maintain them for long-term success.
- The power of the NRR - Net Revenue Retention - metric.
"We started out with the starting point that empathy can be taught, and if people get the right tools, they will also do the right thing. So we can de-learn practices you've had over the years, and you can bring new aspects into them." — Conny Kalcher
Episode References:
- Zurich's 2025 Report: Addressing the Empathy Gap: https://www.zurich.com/sustainability/customers/empathy-report
- The Empathy Edge podcast: Anna Liotta: Understanding Generational Codes
About Conny Kalcher: Chief Customer Officer at Zurich Insurance Group:
Conny Kalcher is Chief Customer Officer at Zurich Insurance Group and a global leader in customer experience with a reputation for embedding empathy into business strategy to drive long-term business success. She is a founding partner of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Loyalty Forum with more than three decades of experience from senior roles at LEGO and consultancy work at Mindfolio.
Connect with Conny:
Zurich Insurance Group: zurich.com
LinkedIn: ch.linkedin.com/in/conny-kalcher-198ba5
Company LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/zurich-insurance-company-ltd
Connect with Maria:
Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/books
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
Get your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com