Spotlight on Nathan Bolton: An Unstoppable Journey in Delivering Digital Transformation
Can you share the journey that led you to be a Senior Deliver Director at Alchemy?
My journey has been one of seizing opportunities and taking risks. Starting in finance, I recognised the potential of IT to automate operations back in 1998, leading me to reskill and transition into IT, and eventually project and programme management. From there, my career evolved through various industries, including public and private sectors, with a significant move into insurance in 2013. Alchemy became my home in 2017, where I believed, invested, and saw the potential to contribute to transformative projects and the value Alchemy brings to digital transformation.
The recent acquisition of r10 by Alchemy has been a significant move. How does this acquisition enhance Alchemy’s capabilities in Programme and Project Management for our clients?
The acquisition of r10 by Alchemy brings amplified capabilities for our clients. With r10’s expertise in the London Market bringing Business Analysts and Project Management combined with Alchemy’s development proficiency, we now offer a complete end-to-end solution for our clients. This strategic blend ensures that we understand the complexities of the insurance industry and what matters to our clients. From onboarding on upcoming changes with Blueprint Two or another modernisation initiative, together with r10 and our technology partners, we can implement tailored, innovative solutions to our clients’ needs in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Could you elaborate on your capabilities and expertise, especially with your 15 years of insurance experience?
With a career spanning 15 years in the insurance industry, I bring a wealth of experience in understanding this complex industry, particularly in the Guidewire space. My role at Alchemy spans Sales, building client relationships, providing leadership and mentoring to our teams whilst supporting our clients to build internal teams, turning around failing delivery functions and instilling the disciplines required for them to be sustainably high-performing. We combine r10’s London Market expertise with Alchemy’s technical proficiency to offer seamless digital transformation for our clients, from strategy to implementation.
The recent acquisition of r10 by Alchemy has been a significant move. Can you tell us more about how this acquisition is set to benefit our clients?
The acquisition of r10 signifies a blend of technical excellence and industry knowledge across the insurance value chain. Together we bring the strength and expertise to offer our clients an end-to-end solution, bridging the gap between business and technology. We can help our clients navigate the challenges of a complex IT landscape and provide them with innovative solutions tailored to their needs.
How have your experiences shaped your approach to overseeing complex projects?
Over 25 years in project management has taught me the secret recipe for success. Transferable skills, efficiency, structure, and governance are some of the key elements. Whether it is a Cloud implementation, migration, business transformation or a complex insurance implementation, my role can be described as a conductor in an orchestra, ensuring harmony in project execution. Because of my analytical nature, I break down the complexity to see how certain recipes of governance, controls and frameworks can apply. This gives the team and sponsor a clear pathway for delivering a successful project.
What is the biggest modernisation challenge the insurance industry faces, and how can it be embraced as an opportunity?
The most significant modernisation challenge in the insurance industry revolves around the need for efficiency for improved and cost-effective operations. Welcoming digitalisation is at the forefront of this challenge, particularly with initiatives like Blueprint Two. Tackling the legacy systems is crucial. For example, moving away from traditional paper-based processes and transitioning into a digital environment presents its own challenges. The key lies in viewing these challenges as opportunities by seeking ways to enhance business processes. Human nature tends to resist change, making business transformation a challenge. Overcoming this obstacle requires training programs and fostering a culture that embraces innovation. For example, Blueprint Two is an opportunity to reshape working practices that have been in place for generations, into a digital and agile workforce.
Having worked on cloud migration projects, what insights can you share about the evolving landscape of insurance and the role of cloud-hosting solutions?
The insurance industry is evolving towards cloud-hosted SaaS solutions, which have been proven to be transformative, quicker, faster, and more cost-effective. Cloud-hosting offers a fully managed solution, eliminating the issues and overheads that come with on-prem data centres. The flexibility of cloud technology allows for instant growth and adaptability – a significant advantage in the ever-changing landscape of the insurance industry. One challenge lies in the multiple data sources from legacy systems, which must be cleaned and mapped prior to any migration. This can be a huge undertaking and underestimated before the migration commences. Performance is key to success. Cloud offers the greatest flexibility and speed to adapt your seasonal peaks, which vary throughout the year.
As a mentor, why do you find mentoring significant in fostering leadership and career growth?
Alchemy takes the role of mentorship very seriously and is one of the driving forces behind the business. This mindset that has been instilled in our staff really encourages teamwork, sharing of knowledge and removes any fear of not being able to ask for help. As a mentor, I aim to help individuals become the best version of themselves, echoed by Alchemy’s motto, which I firmly believe in. We want to foster and encourage leadership qualities and, a training and certification programme which will fast-track our staff to succeed in the insurance market.
Mentoring is about helping mentees develop a backpack of skills – offering training, goal setting and supporting their vision. It is about lateral thinking, breaking away from competitive, siloed perspectives, and encouraging all into collaborate and shared knowledge. I want my mentees not only to access experience but put this experience into practice.
