On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Lisa Wardlaw, a trailblazer in the insurance sector, a digital strategist, & an innovation enthusiast. She's a global leader with a knack for creating sustainable revenue streams & reinventing business strategies through technology & abstract thinking.

The pair talk about Lisa’s career in insurance & technology as well as their new programme, the “Authentic Identity Masterminds”, that they devised alongside their colleague Jessica Ewart. This programme is all about empowering professionals to craft and communicate their authentic professional narratives.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• My best experiences are these moments of zen that you probably didn’t realise in the moment that they were. You feel energised. For me, it was when I was when no one confined me to a box & I didn’t care about my title. I got to sit in an amazing time of transformation, above all that, figuring out how to drive business forward using algorithms and AI, 5 years before it generative AI became a thing.
• As all good ideas do, the idea for Authentic Identity Masterminds happened serendipitously. You, me & Jess were sitting around discussing the misunderstanding of the more experienced you are in your career the less guidance you need, you’ve got it all figured out. I was 45 when I had to totally reinvent myself. I felt that if you work hard & pay your dues you earn it. I’d earned my title, job & income, but in those days I was so into the work I didn’t own my own identity, the one thing that was mine & mine alone.
• When my favourite role was eliminated I looked at the clock trying not to cry & it took less than 3 minutes for my phone, emails, contact – my whole work identity – had been eliminated. I went to a career coach who asked me how many followers I had on LinkedIn, & I didn’t know. I didn’t go on a wild “connect with me” session, but I started to build an authentic engagement with people who had the same interests as me.
• We’re not here to tell you how to be on social media. Who you are is not you title or your role, who you are, what you show up for, your purpose & mission is something deeply intrinsic. I like to use all my experience, curiosity & conceptual ability to solve problems that other people can’t solve at scale. I’m a breaker of the status quo, my purpose is to show people that the impossible is possible.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Early on I would work 80 hours, 23 hours a day, & I’m not glamourising that, the body needs rest.’
‘I’m much more of a spoken person than a written person, which is where I came up with the Insurance Unplugged Podcast.’
‘Don’t think this can’t happen to you, it can.’
‘You don’t get to be, discover or emulate who you are & how you show up has to connect to that.’

ABOUT THE GUEST

Lisa Wardlaw stands at the forefront of digital innovation in the insurance sector, wielding her expertise to forge new, sustainable revenue streams that bolster competitive advantage.

As a seasoned executive, Lisa's mission is to revolutionise business strategies through the power of technology & creative thinking.

In an era where digital interaction with customers is paramount, Lisa champions proactive engagement to drive digital customer conversion.

She believes that the financial services industry is ripe for genuine transformation, advocating for leaders with bold visions to embrace the tools of tomorrow for radical change.

Lisa's passion lies in crafting groundbreaking business strategies that defy convention, utilising emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, & machine learning to redefine business models.

Her liberal arts background fuels her commitment to lifelong learning and continuous improvement, challenging the status quo with a curious mind & innovative approach.

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Authentic Identity Mastermind London

ABOUT THE HOST

Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew, a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers & accelerating over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner.

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