Matthew and Robin meet again for our final Partners’ Chat of the year to touch on the highlights of 2024 and dive into key themes shaping the insurance and technology industries. From augmented underwriting to agentic AI, they explore the trends, challenges and opportunities that defined the year—and offer insights on what’s coming in 2025. While Matthew emphasises the growing significance of secondary perils like severe convective storms (SCS), Robin reflects on how "boring but brilliant" innovations are quietly transforming the industry. Alongside these insights, expect lively discussions about digital transformation, smart follow syndication, and of course, Robin's essential holiday wine recommendations. Key Talking Points What are market makers, and how are they shaping the future of insurance? Why severe convective storms are becoming the most significant natural peril for insurers. How algorithmic syndication and smart follow innovations are transforming underwriting. The role of parametric solutions in addressing gaps left by traditional insurance models. Why claims workbenches are the next frontier in specialty insurance efficiency. Exploring agentic AI: Can insurers trust proactive, decision-making technology? The growing ecosystem of catastrophe modeling and analytics providers in insurance. The importance of networking events like curated dinners for scaling tech solutions. Robin’s Holiday Wine Picks White: Gerard Bertrand Heritage Clairette (£17 at Majestic) Red: Georgian Saperavi 2021 Bodoba Special Occasion: 2024 Château Léoville Barton Festive Favorite: The Society’s 150th Anniversary 2011 Vintage Port If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.  Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. Continuing Professional Development This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme. By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives: Explain how algorithmic syndication and claims workbenches are improving efficiency in underwriting and claims management. Specify the potential of agentic AI to transform insurance decision-making processes. Define the significance of secondary perils, such as severe convective storms, on insurance losses and reinsurance capacity. If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 335 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast. To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.