On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL sits down with Charlie Wendland, Chief Claims Officer at Branch Insurance, to explore what happens when claims transformation is driven by the people closest to the work — and powered by AI without losing the one thing insurance can’t afford to break: trust. Claims is in the middle of a seismic shift. Insurers leveraging AI are seeing dramatic improvements—faster handling times, stronger fraud detection, and lower operational drag. But Charlie makes it clear: technology is only part of the story. The real future of claims is about continuous transformation, balancing innovation with compliance, and keeping empathy at the center of the customer experience. Why claims matters (and why Charlie stayed) Charlie shares what drew him into claims in the first place: it’s the combination of investigation, problem solving, and being there for people in their worst moments. It’s intellectually engaging—and deeply meaningful. That human truth becomes the anchor for everything Branch is building. Automate the admin… elevate the adjuster Branch is small, so Charlie and his team couldn’t afford to build a massive, traditional claims organization. Instead, they made strategic investments to remove the work that slows adjusters down the most: administrative tasks that drain time, drive expense, and delay outcomes. But here’s the difference: they didn’t guess. They listened to adjusters. They ran time studies. They identified exactly what was bogging teams down—and then targeted those inefficiencies with technology. Charlie’s takeaway is simple and powerful: Free adjusters from admin, and they’ll spend more time on complex decisions and customer care. Iteration is the operating model Branch has taken an iterative approach to everything: launch, learn, refine. Charlie doesn’t chase perfection on day one—he chases improvement fast, while staying hyper-aware of what isn’t working and fixing it. That’s startup discipline applied to an enterprise-grade responsibility: people’s lives and losses. Real AI adoption in action Branch’s progress shows what practical AI adoption looks like in claims operations. Charlie shares a standout metric: 70% of Branch’s first notice of loss is now handled electronically or through voice AI. That’s not innovation theater—that’s real operational shift that reduces friction for customers and gives claims professionals more time for high-value work. Change is constant — communication is everything Charlie also offers a leadership truth that resonates far beyond claims: in a startup environment, change is ever-present. The biggest obstacles aren’t always external—they’re often self-inflicted. If communication isn’t clear, adoption slows. If people aren’t brought along, transformation stalls. That’s why Branch involves adjusters in most decisions. It may sound inefficient, but Charlie frames it as the opposite: done thoughtfully, it accelerates buy-in, improves outcomes, and reduces downstream resistance. Why this episode matters For insurance leaders, this conversation is a blueprint for modern claims transformation: target admin drag first use AI to compress time, not cut empathy iterate relentlessly keep compliance and trust non-negotiable build with adjusters, not around them Because the future of claims isn’t just faster. It’s smarter, more human, and designed to help people when it matters most.