Best known as the father of fire insurance, Barbon was far more than that. He was a physician, a property developer, an economic thinker, a pamphleteer, an MP, and a man who helped shape London in the aftermath of the Great Fire. Together, Daniel and Howard unpack the world Barbon lived in: a city marked by plague, fire, religious conflict, political upheaval, and rapid commercial change.

They discuss how Barbon’s Fire Office helped create the foundations of modern insurance, from standardised policies and pricing to fire brigades, fire marks, and private capital backing risk. They also wrestle with the contradictions of the man himself. Was he a visionary who helped democratise financial protection, or an opportunist protecting his own property empire? As ever with history, the answer is more interesting than either extreme.

This is a conversation about the origins of insurance, but also about capitalism, catastrophe, urban rebuilding, and the kind of people who shape industries before anyone quite realises what they are building.

In this episode:

•  Why Nicholas Barbon is known as the father of fire insurance 
•  How the Great Fire of London changed the future of property and risk 
•  The creation of the Fire Office and the earliest fire insurance model 
•  Fire marks, private fire brigades, and the roots of modern underwriting 
•  Barbon’s life as a doctor, developer, economist, and politician 
•  Whether history has judged him too harshly 
•  Why insurance history still matters now

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, we talk about what claims teaches you about people, pressure and decision-making, and why it remains one of the most misunderstood parts of the industry. Alan reflects on a career spent largely inside one organisation, what loyalty and longevity can give you, and the moments when staying in one place can make you wonder what you might be missing elsewhere.

We also explore leadership at scale, the reality of trying to build the “claims of the future”, and what Alan sees now from outside the insurance machine that he could not see when he was inside it. It is an honest conversation about innovation too: not the conference version, but the real thing, with all the bureaucracy, delay and frustration that comes with trying to change a complex industry.

This is a conversation about careers, conviction, claims, and the humbling experience of starting again after years at the top of a large organisation.

In this episode:

• How Alan found his way into insurance through claims
• Why claims is far more nuanced than many people realise
• What 24 years at one company gave him, and what it may have cost
• The tension between loyalty, longevity and moving to grow
• What leadership looks like when you are responsible for thousands of people
• How close the industry has really come to building the “claims of the future”
• What insurers still get wrong about innovation
• Why external networks matter more than many people think
• What it feels like to leave corporate life and build something of your own

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode, Tony joins Humanizing Insurance to talk about the winding route that took him from wanting to work in computer science to falling into insurance after the 2009 crash, building Insurance Nerds and Profiles in Risk, and eventually rediscovering a childhood love of magic.

What could have been a conversation about novelty becomes something much deeper. Tony reflects on authenticity, the performance of professionalism, the power of silence, and the ways both magic and insurance depend on perception, trust, and human psychology. He also makes a passionate case for insurance as a fascinating, meaningful career and argues that the industry has done far too little to educate consumers about what insurance is actually for.

It is funny, unusual, and thoughtful in equal measure, and a reminder that sometimes the most interesting people in insurance are the ones bold enough to stop wearing the uniform.

What listeners will get from this episode

• Tony’s route into insurance after the financial crash
• how Insurance Nerds and Profiles in Risk came to life
• the story behind the top hat, the flaming wallet, and the return to magic
• what magic teaches about attention, silence, and human psychology
• why insurance should be an experience business
• why consumers still misunderstand insurance
• why insurance is not boring, and never has been

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Rory Pyke didn’t plan to work in insurance.

He studied graphic design, interned at Vogue, built a custom trainer business (complete with a Dragons’ Den application), bought property in St Helens, and was on the verge of opening a wine bar before COVID changed everything.

Today, he’s VP Global Partnerships at Insurtech Insights, sitting at the centre of the global insurtech ecosystem and helping shape the conversations that bring insurers, founders, and technologists together.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, Rory shares what that journey looked like, and what it’s taught him.

We talk about:

• being an “extroverted introvert” and learning to step onto big stages
• handling imposter syndrome when interviewing senior industry leaders
• why the best conversations balance insight and inspiration
• what startups and insurers often misunderstand about each other
• the story behind the Insurtech Run Club and healthier ways to network

We also get into something more personal: the reality of walking into a room full of strangers, the temptation to leave, and how community and shared experiences can make the industry feel a little more human.

Because behind the conferences, the panels, and the partnerships, this is still an industry built on people.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this conversation, David shares why he believes claims is the best place to start any insurance career, how he deliberately built breadth through “sideways moves” (often without pay rises), and why insurance companies miss opportunities when they obsess over product instead of risk management.

We also talk about what it really takes to enter new markets well, how local nuance gets lost when head office exports a one-size-fits-all approach, and why the simple question “What do you need?” can unlock better products, better pricing, and deeper client trust.

Towards the end, David reflects on what he’d do differently if he started again — and why his curiosity is increasingly pulled towards microinsurance, development economics, and building models that serve communities properly.

In this episode:

• Why claims teams understand the contract better than almost anyone
• The hidden cost of being “product-first” instead of “risk-first”
• How to build a career through knowledge, not titles
• What changes when you move from CEO/CUO roles to strategic advisory
• Why “listening locally” is the real unlock for international growth
• The quiet case for microinsurance beyond parametrics

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

What happens when a music festival founder becomes an insurance entrepreneur?

Freddie Sparrow is the co-founder of Vento Insurance, a specialist event insurance broker serving festival organisers, conferences, trade shows and the wider events supply chain. Before launching Vento, Freddie ran a 5,000-person music festival — managing venues, contractors, ticket sales, cashflow, weather risk and the legal responsibility of thousands of attendees.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, we explore the real risks behind live events and how those experiences led Freddie into underwriting, broking and eventually building an event insurance business.

We cover:

• Event insurance and cancellation risk
• Public liability insurance for festivals and live events
• Cashflow, ticket sales and operational exposure
• Weather risk and “acts of God”
• Underwriting vs broking — what’s the difference?
• COVID cancellations and the underinsurance gap in the events industry
• Building a specialist insurance startup

Freddie’s journey runs from music promoter to reinsurer at TransRe, broker at Acrisure, and now founder of Vento Insurance — bringing discipline, lived experience and trust to a sector that learned the hard way what happens when coverage isn’t in place.

If you work in insurance, event management, live production, risk management or are building a business in a volatile industry, this conversation will resonate.

Because whether you’re running a festival or an insurance company, one truth remains:

The show must go on.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Insurance has a storytelling problem.

Not because what we do isn’t meaningful — but because we don’t always explain it in human terms.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ola Jacob from Global Parametrics. We start where we always do — with the person. From dreaming of an Ironman-style “Jarvis life” to studying Human Computer Interaction and becoming an insurance scholar at UCL, Ola’s journey into the industry was intentional, curious, and entrepreneurial from the beginning.

What follows is a conversation about purpose, prevention, and people.

Ola explains parametric insurance in its simplest form:

“When a precondition is met, a pre-agreed payout is made.”

But we go deeper than definitions.

We talk about:

• Why insurance, at its heart, is simply a promise to pay
• How parametric is evolving from filling protection gaps to enabling pre-emptive risk management
• Why entrepreneurship absolutely exists inside insurance — if you’re willing to look for it
• The quiet economic ripple effect of a well-handled claim
• And how we bring more young people into an industry that touches every business in the world

One of the standout moments comes when Ola suggests that insurance may have accidentally positioned itself like a religious institution — held to impossible standards and judged harshly when it falls short.

His alternative?

Maybe we’re closer to action heroes.

Not perfect, not glamorous, but steady, dependable, and there when it matters most.

If we told that story better, perhaps the next generation would see what we see.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, I’m joined by Mollie Horne, archivist at Aberdeen Group, to explore what insurance archives uncover about the people behind the policies.

We step into Second World War staff magazines, read letters from employees on active service, and revisit the London office destroyed during the Blitz - where only an envelope of ash from the policy safe survived. We discuss how duplicate ledgers were preserved during wartime, what historic “extra rates” books reveal about underwriting and social assumptions, and how internal sports like the Davidson Cup reflected company culture across offices in London and Edinburgh.

We also spotlight Edith Beesley, one of the first women in insurance management, who flew to Paris on business in 1920 and challenged expectations in a male-dominated industry.

Finally, we look forward. As insurance becomes increasingly digital, we explore why electronic records may be more fragile than the paper ledgers that have survived for centuries — and what future archivists might struggle to recover from our era.

Behind every policy is a person. And insurance history, at its heart, is social history.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

We unpack what parametric insurance really is (“if X then Y”), why Yokahu is aiming to become an infrastructure layer for the market, and what’s changed in the industry — from the early “is this even insurance?” conversations to today’s push for innovation through Lloyd’s Lab. Along the way, Tim gives a candid view on why insurance change takes time, why product-market fit is harder than it sounds, and why he’d still tell his kids: yes, work in insurance.

What you’ll hear about

• Becoming a dad of twins while scaling a startup — “hard mode” leadership
• From rural Scotland to the Lloyd’s market: how Tim stumbled into insurance
• Why broking can feel reactive — and why Tim couldn’t do “another 30 years”
• Parametric explained in plain English: the logic and the value
• Why SMEs are the missing middle for parametric (not personal lines, not sovereign/corporate)
• The biggest early mistake: building what carriers would offer vs what customers wanted
• The cultural and structural blockers to innovation (value chains, slow onboarding, proof points)
• Lloyd’s Lab, interconnected InsureTech, and why the revolution may arrive faster than expected
• Tim’s five-year view: better certainty for customers, and what success would change

Guest
Tim McCosh — Founder & CEO, Yokahu

Host
Daniel Grimwood-Bird — Host, Humanizing Insurance

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

My guest is Bill Harris, co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of InsureTech Connect (ITC) — the largest gathering of insurance innovation in the world. We talked about how ITC started (including the very “sliding doors” origin story), what it takes to build something at that scale, why the pandemic actually accelerated the need for face-to-face community, and what Bill hopes his legacy is beyond “the conference guy in Vegas.”

What we cover

• Bill’s early ambition to be a news anchor, and the moment that dream changed
• The real origin story of ITC — and why Bill says it wasn’t even his idea
• Building the first ITC in roughly 180 days (yes, really)
• Why the 1-to-1 meeting zone became the “most valuable real estate” in the expo hall
• The year ITC almost didn’t go ahead — and the weight of that decision in 2017
• When ITC shifted from “a big event” to part of the industry’s innovation infrastructure
• Post-pandemic: why community came roaring back, and why ITC accelerated
• Bill’s take on signal vs noise (and the “AI sticker” problem)
• What success at ITC actually looks like for founders and leaders: connections, conversations, network
• Designing an experience that works for everyone from solo founders to carrier CEOs
• The content responsibility: how ITC topics can shape Q4 planning and next-year budgets
• Bill’s legacy: being remembered as a connector and bridge builder

Links / where to find Bill & ITC

• ITC Vegas: vegas.insuretechconnect.com
• Bill on LinkedIn: Bill Harris (ITC Vegas)

If you enjoyed this episode…
Share it with someone who’s never been to ITC but keeps saying they’ll go “next year.” And if you’re going in 2026, come say hello — we might just do Humanizing Insurance live from Vegas.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

When Paolo Cuomo planned for a life designing and building tangible things - bridges, buildings, “real stuff” - he didn’t expect to fall for an industry that makes nothing you can touch. But in the grey areas of specialty risk and the human handshake of EC3, he found something else: a place where engineering discipline meets portfolio uncertainty, and where communities change careers.

In this episode, Paolo (Executive Director, Gallagher; co-founder of Instech London; Lloyd’s Lab founding team) traces the path from Imperial College engineering to McKinsey problem-solving to building businesses and communities that have shaped today’s insurance ecosystem. We talk about the real origins of “InsurTech” (and why he still loves “Instech”), London’s “unfair advantage” of proximity, and the very human reason insurance matters: it quietly enables progress - ship voyages, chip factories, sprinkler retrofits - then steps out of the spotlight.

We also get personal: the cost of doing too much, what a real priority list looks like, and why Paolo is calling 2026 “the Year of Paolo.” Underneath it all is a builder’s mindset: lay better foundations, connect people who should meet, and measure success by what stands years later.

In this conversation

• Engineering vs. insurance: structure, uncertainty, and where they clash, and complement
• Why more data sometimes adds confusion (lessons from the first InsureTech wave)
• Instech London’s beginnings, the hashtag wars, and the power of community
• London’s proximity effect: why EC3 creates serendipity other hubs can’t easily replicate
• MGAs as the innovation chassis: letting humans + tools ship value faster
• Insurance as quiet social good: sprinklers, cyber posture, and enabling big bets
• Focus, boundaries, and “The Year of Paolo”: doing fewer things, better
• Legacy: builder of communities, businesses, and relationships that last

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

When markets softened and box-ticking took over, Simon Hayes didn’t chase “cheapest.” He doubled down on stories that change perceptions.

From Royal Marines officer training to aviation broking at Lloyd’s, Simon learned early that insurance is a people business. The real leverage wasn’t a rate card, it was narrative: helping underwriters see the full picture, turning “distressed risk” into understood risk, and partnering beyond price.

Years later, a brutal redundancy could have closed the book. Instead, Simon started again, founding NextGen Communications, becoming a go-to voice for insurers and InsurTechs who needed more than press releases. He rode the early InsurTech wave, sat with founders who had product but no profile, and built campaigns that earned attention where it counts: with buyers.

This conversation is about resilience, relationship capital, and pride; about telling the truth well enough that the industry can stand up at a dinner party and say, “We oil the wheels of the world,” without apology.

Simon reminds us that PR, at its best, is not spin, it’s stewardship of trust. Claims are acts of restoration. Brand is the promise you keep when no one is watching. And the most durable growth still comes from helping first.

Whether you build products, place risk, or lead teams through change, this episode is a quiet masterclass in finding your value, showing your work, and staying human when the spreadsheet says otherwise.

What we cover

• Royal Marines to Lloyd’s: the people skills that outlast process
• Aviation broking and the “soft market” epiphany: stop selling cheapest, start selling partnership
• Storytelling that moves markets: closing the gap between Zimbabwe Airways and its peers by changing perception with facts
• PR as perception change (not vanity metrics): where outcomes actually matter
• Diversity then and now: why the market feels different, and what’s still missing
• Redundancy, reinvention, and the power of your network when the ground shifts
• InsurTech accelerators, funding waves, and how NextGen became a go-to in the niche
• Practical comms for insurers & InsurTechs: what to invest in when budgets are tight
• Pride at the dinner party: making the case for being in insurance
• Life beyond the inbox: small global teams, travel, golf dreams, and building a business you actually like

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

When corporate life no longer fit, David Clamp didn’t just change jobs, he changed the way people in insurance connect.

After decades in engineering, tech, and banking, David found himself questioning whether his work still aligned with his values. What began as a career crossroads at 50 became a personal quest for purpose - and ultimately, the creation of Camelot Networks, a modern round table for insurance professionals.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, David shares that journey: from the sorting machines of Royal Mail to the boardrooms of JP Morgan, from the politics of big business to the freedom of building a network founded on authenticity, equality, and integrity.

He talks candidly about what it means to walk away from comfort, to rediscover purpose later in life, and to build something that helps others do the same. We explore the unseen technology that quietly powers legacy industries like postal services and insurance, the quiet dignity of doing the right thing when no one is watching, and the life-changing moment when Camelot’s purpose was reflected back to him in the most human way possible.

Throughout our conversation, David reminds us that the insurance industry isn’t about spreadsheets, products, or premiums — it’s about promises kept.
He speaks of claims not as transactions but as acts of restoration; of networks not as databases, but as communities that lift people up when they’ve been knocked down.

And at the heart of it all lies one simple, timeless belief: that helping others first is not only good ethics, it’s good business.

Whether you’re in insurance, technology, or any industry that sometimes forgets the people behind the process, this conversation is a quiet call back to purpose. It’s about rediscovering integrity as a guiding force, about finding the courage to leave the familiar behind, and about creating your own modern Camelot, wherever you happen to sit.

What we cover

• Royal Mail to JP Morgan: the through-line from engineering to insurance
• The “invisible tech” that keeps letters — and claims — moving
• Turning 50 and choosing purpose over politics
• Building Camelot: equals around a round table, no titles, no game-playing
• A powerful story of community showing up when it matters
• Ageism, reinvention, and pricing your experience without apologising
• Three-circle framework for finding your niche: market need × strengths × passion
• Integrity as strategy: doing what you say, helping first, walking tall

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

What happens when you mix philosophy with insurance? You get a conversation that slows things down - that asks not just what we do, but why we do it.

In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Falchuk, founder of Insurance Evolution Partners, President & CEO of PLRB, author, TEDx speaker, and one of the genuinely good humans in our industry.

We talk about the strange and beautiful overlaps between philosophy and insurance - about control, perception, leadership, and the quiet discipline of doing the right thing, one day at a time.

Bryan opens up about his early fascination with problem-solving, the philosophical grounding behind his books The 50 75 100 Solution and Do a Day, and how those ideas show up in his leadership today. We dive into Stoicism, motivation, modern insurtech, and the simple truth that perception shapes everything, from customer experience to culture.

This isn’t a technical discussion. It’s about the humans behind the spreadsheets and strategies. It’s about how we think, how we lead, and how we make meaning in a business that’s built on uncertainty.

If you’ve ever wondered what philosophy has to do with insurance, or why thoughtful people stay in this industry for decades, this episode might give you a few answers, or at least better questions.

What we cover;

• The story of how Bryan first found his way into insurance (and why he stayed)
• How philosophy - and even a little accidental Stoicism - shapes his leadership and perspective
• The importance of perception in business and relationships
• The danger of hubris in both insurers and insurtechs
• Why “owning your 50%” changes everything
• And how doing a day at a time still matters when you’re running at full speed

A few moments to listen for;

• When Bryan and I talk about what “control” really means
• His take on what insurance enables in the world
• The part about people who hate you, and why that’s sometimes a good thing
• How philosophical ideas like presence and perception play out in claims and leadership

Links & Resources

• BryanFalchuk.com
   — Bryan’s site, books, and TEDx talks
• Future-of-insurance.com
   — for his industry series
• "The 50 75 100 Solution" and "Do a Day" — available wherever you buy books

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

with Howard Benge, Director of The Insurance Museum

Three hundred years before global markets and skyscrapers, there was a man with a coffee pot and an idea.

Edward Lloyd didn’t come from money. He wasn’t an underwriter, a broker, or a banker. He was a London coffee-house owner in the late 1600s, serving merchants, ship captains, and traders in a city still rising from the ashes of the Great Fire. Yet from his small café on Tower Street, and later Lombard Street, Lloyd built something extraordinary: a meeting place where information, trust, and risk came together.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, Daniel Grimwood-Bird sits down with Howard Benge, Director of the Insurance Museum, to rediscover the real man behind one of the most famous names in insurance. Together they explore the world of 17th-century London - a city of coffee houses, maritime trade, and entrepreneurial energy - and trace how Lloyd’s simple idea of gathering people around conversation became the foundation of a global insurance market.

They discuss:

• How coffee houses became the “WeWorks” of their day - buzzing centres of trade, gossip, and deal-making.
• How the Lloyd's Coffee House we know today, celebrated by the blue plaque on Lombard Street, wasn't it's original home - and why Lloyd moved it.
• The way he gathered news, data, and sea captains to create one of the first real-time information hubs in history.
• How his brand endured long after his death, and why the name Lloyd still defines credibility three centuries later.

Howard also shares the mission behind the Insurance Museum, a project dedicated to preserving the human stories of an industry that quietly underwrites our world.

This is a conversation about legacy, curiosity, and the entrepreneurial spark that built an institution from nothing more than coffee, community, and courage.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Curtis shares his unconventional path into insurance, starting from his early aspirations in computer science, through ministry, media, and finally into insurance. 

Highlighting his meteoric rise from an entry-level role to becoming the president of an underwriting inspection company, Curtis emphasizes the importance of soft skills, practical experience, and empathy in leadership. 

He passionately discusses the industry's shift towards predictive prevention over reactive measures, the need for consumer education, and his creative outlet, 'LO$$ RATIO', which merges humor and critical issues. 

Curtis' journey underscores the necessity of evolving industry practices to benefit society as a whole, while also offering a glimpse into his personal life and parental aspirations

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Tee shares a comprehensive overview of their 25-year career in geospatial information and how their passion for geography led them to unexpected roles, including significant stints in defence and intelligence, precision agriculture, and finally, the insurance industry. The conversation delves into the intrinsic role of geospatial technology in various fields, the future of geospatial in insurance, and the industry’s slow adoption of new technologies. 

Tee also reflects on their personal journey towards authenticity, coming out as non-binary and queer, and how shedding their 'mask' transformed their personal and professional life. 

The episode concludes with Tee discussing leadership, mentorship, and the importance of a supportive network.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Mark delves into his beginnings in London's East End, his unexpected entry into the world of insurance, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. He shares insights on the evolution of the insurance industry, the entrepreneurial journey of establishing the first outsourced claims TPA, and his dedicated work in promoting social mobility and inclusivity. Mark reflects on influential mentors, the significance of the Lloyd's Lab, and his extensive engagement in the City of London's livery companies. This episode offers a unique perspective on combining professional success with social responsibility, making meaningful contributions, and fostering innovation in the insurance industry.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Alex shares his journey in the insurance industry, from starting at RSA to founding his own recruitment company, FinPro. He discusses the cultural differences between the UK and US insurance markets, the importance of bravery and experimentation in one's early career, and his vision for building the best InsurTech recruitment business. 

The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes, including Alex's unexpected path from aspiring RAF pilot to acting school, and the lessons he learned along the way.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Astrid shares her journey into and through the insurance industry - from earning her MBA to navigating career changes and relocations. She highlights the power of building a strong professional network and emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of your work-life balance, an insight which inspired her to launch StratMaven. 

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode, Ema shares her mindset behind implementing effective strategies that drive businesses forward. With experience both inside and outside the insurance industry, she brings a wealth of insight that she is eager to share through her business. She’s especially passionate about working with insurers, believing it’s an industry full of untapped potential. 

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Sri shares how her fascination with data led her through a variety of industries before finding her place in the world of insurance. Nearly two decades later, her passion for driving meaningful change in the industry is stronger than ever. Her fierce determination serves as an inspiring reminder to continuously strive for growth in one’s career.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Avi discusses his career journey of going from an academic background to entering the insurance space by co-founding Previsico. He addresses the many challenges and motivations along the way, while providing some unique insights into how to navigate the insurance industry and gain a better understanding of what the market truly needs. 

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode, Amy discusses her experience with insurance, from coming across a career opportunity within the industry by chance to founding a community based organization which empowers early career professionals. Amy's story is a great one to listen to if you are looking for inspiration and advice on how to navigate your career.  

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Joshua shares his powerful journey from military service to strategic leadership in the insurance industry. After a service-related injury, he began volunteering to help clean up homes after hurricanes - an experience that ultimately led him to discovering the word of insurance.  

Please be advised, this episode contains reference to injury.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this introductory episode, Daniel speaks through the objective behind the series while sharing anecdotes from his own career so far. 

If you are interested in hearing the stories of the people behind the policies, tune in every Friday for a new episode.  

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.