Airmic Q&A: Frank Klensch, Riskonnect

What is Riskonnect all about?

Riskonnect is commonly referred to as a risk management information system which is mostly in regard to claims management, policy management, assisting with insurance renewals, incident management and captive management, which often includes those elements.

How long has your London office been opened now?

We opened it 1 April. I am employee number one but we expect to add a few more people over the course of 2012.

What makes your products different to everyone else’s?

The biggest point is that we consider ours to be superior technology to our competitions because it is completely cloud-based. And that is ‘cloud’

in the truest sense of the word. It isn’t a like a private cloud, it is 100% cloud-oriented. The other aspect of our system is that it is the same system for everything. Others have different systems for claims, policies etcetera. Riskonnect is one cohesive product. The platform itself really allows us to tailor solutions specifically for our clients’ needs.

Why is your product more ‘fun’ than everyone else’s?

The reason it is fun is because it ties into the social aspects of the program. The platform has recognised that there is too much information out there. Email is not an effective way of communicating. If you look at how people interact outside of the corporate setting, it is via Facebook, Twitter, text message or instant message. Why should enterprise be any different? We have a system on the platform called “Chatter” which is essentially a private social network for your company. It allows people to collaborate in all the ways they are used to collaborating whether that is posting documents, pictures, status updates. Imagine there is a claim and there is a “chatter” feed associated with that claim then there is one space for everyone to gather and chat about that claim, post comments or updates for each other. There is no need for all sorts of emails outside the system.  It is as fun as risk management can be.

Where to from here?

We are focusing on organic expansion at this point. We are looking for corporate partnerships and making sure people know who we are. That it the point of being here at Airmic.

What is the riskiest thing you have ever done personally?

It was a decision to do half my university degree in Germany, moving from Indiana University which has impacted on my life the  most. It has led me down a Euro-focused path and has really led my career in a lot of ways.