Spotlight on Ed Charlton: Driving Innovation and Value in Insurance Technology
Could you share your journey to becoming a leader in the insurance and technology sectors? How did your background shape your approach?
My heritage in software implementation is on both sides of the fence, which now adds further value to Alchemy’s capabilities. My background equips me to understand the clients’ deeper needs because I worked in insurance companies that were implementing software, but I also worked on the opposite side, where I sold systems to be implemented by insurance companies. My approach focuses on the importance of outlining expectations at the beginning of a relationship and technology implementation.
As a former leader at DXC Technology, what key experiences or lessons learned have influenced your approach to partnering with insurance companies and implementing solutions?
My 26 years at DXC Technology, a global leader in insurance manufacturing, provided invaluable global experience, including insights from India, Japan, and Singapore. I learned that the customer community is paramount, and clear expectations from the beginning are crucial, as I said above. The client’s expectations can vary from one piece of software to another that needs to be managed well and communicated with the project and technical teams. Managing over 35 different pieces of software and implementing them taught me the importance of deeply understanding client needs.
With your global heritage in running software businesses, what unique insights do you bring when working with clients to implement focused and innovative solutions?
Having represented Lloyd’s and other UK insurance carriers as a lawyer, I understand how global companies approach the market and their need for tailored solutions. Sometimes, a carrier’s approach is global, but in other instances, they have different requirements depending on the region. Therefore, the implementation requirements may vary per region. I have always strived to establish regional requirements to manage clients’ expectations based on my experience of companies implementing software in different areas.
Can you elaborate on your experience working with technology partners to implement software solutions for insurance companies? How do these partnerships contribute to our ability to deliver value to clients?
We strive to be partners with software manufacturers rather than third-party vendors, enhancing our offerings and solutions to directly address our clients’ needs and challenges. In other words, we are beyond partners because we train our staff, and also our clients’ staff, on our partners’ software to fully understand the ins and outs of their technology.
To give an example, we ensure our staff is trained on Guidewire software to the highest standards, and we have even contributed to the documentation of Insurity’s software.
What do you envision as the insurance industry’s future, particularly in driving innovation and value for insurance companies? What role do you see Alchemy playing in shaping the future of insurance technology on a global scale?
I see software manufacturers concentrating on development and leaving implementation to third parties, like Alchemy. This leaves software manufacturers to develop a wider range of sophisticated products to address more of our clients’ needs. We, as implementation specialists, can ensure a seamless digital transformation journey for clients. Alongside Alchemy London Market, we are on a mission to help clients embrace change and welcome future challenges through technology and innovative thinking in the London Market and beyond. Together, we can offer an end-to-end project delivery capability to our clients by blending Alchemy’s technical expertise with Alchemy’s London Market industry knowledge.
What enhanced capabilities can you bring to clients by having Alchemy London Market under your belt, followed by acquiring what was known as r10 Consulting?
Together, we offer full end-to-end project delivery capability, access to a wider range of skills, a combination of technical and business knowledge across the insurance value chain, an increased network of vendors and suppliers, and a global reach with a proven track record of delivering projects across continents. This synergy empowers clients with a comprehensive solution for their digital transformation journey in the insurance industry.
