Insurance doesn’t have a technology problem. It has a data, culture, and execution problem. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Yannick Even, a seasoned leader at the intersection of AI, analytics, and Generative AI, to unpack what it really takes to turn a traditional insurance organisation into a data-driven powerhouse. With more than 20 years of experience spanning management consulting across Europe and Asia—and pivotal leadership roles at Swiss Re—Yannick has seen the industry from the inside out. Forms. Paper. Silos. Fragmented customer journeys. Technology layered on top of broken foundations. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. For years, insurers focused on optimising their slice of the value chain, not the end-to-end customer experience. The result? • Data gaps at the core of systems • CRM tools that don’t talk to underwriting or claims • Brokers and customers left guessing • And a growing disconnect between what technology could do and what organisations were actually delivering Yannick explains why data transformation is not an AI project—it’s a business transformation. At Swiss Re, the turning point wasn’t launching shiny new tools. It was going back to basics: Agreeing on common definitions of data Building a shared data foundation and catalog Assigning data custodianship Designing governance that enabled access instead of blocking it But here’s the part most organisations underestimate: 👉 The hardest layer wasn’t technical—it was cultural. Upskilling teams in data and AI literacy, breaking silos, and making data everyone’s business—not just IT’s—was what unlocked real value. Only then could AI move from experimentation to impact at scale. The conversation also tackles one of the biggest traps in today’s GenAI gold rush: Building “fancy” solutions without deeply understanding customer needs. Yannick has seen it too many times—cutting-edge tech deployed in search of a problem. His rule is simple and uncomfortable: If you don’t understand the market and the customer pain point, no amount of GenAI will save your product. Not every problem needs Generative AI. Some are better solved with traditional AI. Some don’t need AI at all. The winners will be the organisations—and founders—who know which technology to apply, where, and why, instead of chasing headlines. This episode is a must-listen if you are: An insurance or reinsurance leader navigating AI adoption A founder building data-driven products for regulated industries A corporate executive serious about moving from pilots to scale An innovation leader tired of tech theatre and hungry for results Because the future of insurance won’t be defined by who adopts AI first. It will be defined by who gets their data, culture, and customer understanding right—and then lets AI do what it does best. As Yannick reminds us: AI doesn’t replace strategy. It amplifies it—if the foundations are solid.