Edouard de Lamarzelle, CEO of Stellantis Insurance, is set to be one of the judges for the international Qorus Innovation in Insurance Awards 2024. He shares insights into the latest trends in the insurance industry and talks about the innovative projects he expects to see.
Tell us more about yourself and your role at Stellantis.
My entire career has been in insurance, first as an account executive, and then setting up and running insurance companies/business units. The first was for UAP/AXA in the UAE, then for Volvo Cars in France, and since 2001 for PSA (now Stellantis) in all markets.
My role at Stellantis is to bundle any insurance in the mobility/finance offer and with my team to build the bridges with the great insurance assets (network, credibility, customer base, technology, etc.) an OEM has. Performance is measured with three simple KPIs: sales, earnings and quality.
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What do you see as the key trends in insurance this year?
In every market we operate in, we see a strong focus from all players on improving the combined ratio. Markets are facing significant challenges: inflation, recurrence of exceptional risks (hail, floods, fires) and a less ‘blue-sky’ horizon making insurance more challenging to manage, also now with IFRS17.
Operational excellence, assertive analysis and quality of execution will be key to adapting quickly. So in three words: acuity, agility and reactivity. Which requires two assets: technology and a ‘can-do attitude’ organization.
What kind of innovative projects would you like to see submitted this year?
Given what I just described, anything which is based on usage/behavior – which, by the way, confirms our long-held conviction that UBI is among the solutions and can be an enabler.
In your capacity as a judge, you have read many innovation submissions. What do you look for in a winning entry? And what qualities have stood out for you in previous innovation entries?
Fintechs/insurtechs are outstanding innovators and disrupters. They have challenged an industry that has a strong legacy, which is an asset but can also be a burden for agility. But the technical result remains the final judge, and innovation must contribute somehow to that goal.
What is the one tip you have for those preparing innovation entries this year?
I would recommend they try to answer the following three questions:
• Why will the customer buy the solution?
• Why is it realistic and can be implemented?
• Why and how will it contribute to making a technical profit, and by when?
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