Nigel Walsh: ‘Each new wave of innovation is bigger than the next’

Seven candidates have been shortlisted to pick up the prestigious accolade of Technology Champion of the Year at Insurance Times’  Tech and Innovation Awards 2023.

Last on the shortlist Nigel Walsh, Google’s North America managing director of insurance. 

Walsh, who took up the role in 2021, is a specialist in insurtech and disruptive technology.

When he started at Google, he said that he was “looking forward to continuing the mission to make insurance lovable”.

He told Insurance Times that he was ”genuinely humbled to be shortlisted”.

”The industry has been at a tipping point for years, each new wave of innovation bigger [is] than the next,” he said.

”For years, I’ve been campaigning passionately across global insurance to lean into technology, whether it’s a core system transformation, partnering with the latest insurtech or more recently, what impact AI (artificial intelligence) can have for all participants involved, most importantly the customer.”

Recognition 

Prior to Google, Walsh was a partner at Deloitte, where he drove technology transformation.

Before this, he worked at accelerator Startupbootcamp as a mentor in October 2015 and was also head of UK insurance at Capgemini, where he built and developed the company’s UK insurance operation.

He has also co-authored two books – The AI Book and The InsuTech Book – and is a member of the GTM Advisory Board

Walsh said: ”Without doubt, fortune will favour the brave here and I remain steadfast that it will be differentiated by those that leverage technology across the board and those that don’t.

”For me, wining this will be a true honour and recognises the hundreds of people working diligently across the industry and specifically at Google Cloud, creating best in class capabilities and those colleagues working closely with carriers, brokers, insurtechs and agents to bring this to life every single day – firmly putting on the map how Google is helping make insurance lovable.”

The Technology Champion of the Year will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London hotel later this year (21 September 2023).

And this year there will no voting – instead the final decision will be in the hands of the Insurance Times editorial team.

For table bookings for this event, contact account manager Serena Giampieri: Serena.giampieri@insurancetimes.co.uk

Meanwhile, for sponsorship opportunities, contact head of commercial Aisha Roberts: Aisha.roberts@insurancetimes.co.uk