Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance
Making Risk Flow is a podcast powered by Cytora. This insurance podcast is designed to bring clarity, know-how and inspiration in driving digital transformation for commercial insurers, paying particular attention to the automation of risk processing. This podcast, led by industry veteran Juan de Castro as well as insurance change-makers, will showcase their learnings, challenges and solutions that have, or haven’t, worked for them. If you are embarking on leading a transformational project in your insurance company and want to make sense of it all - this podcast is for you.
To discover out more about digital risk processing, visit https://www.cytora.com
Making Risk Flow | The Future of Insurance
How to Double Underwriting Capacity Without Doubling Headcount | Kirsten Charlton, Nationwide
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What if you could double your underwriting capacity without doubling your headcount? The answer lies in transforming how people, processes, and technology work together.
In this episode of Making Risk Flow, host Juan de Castro speaks with Kirsten Charlton, VP Operations and Transformation at Nationwide, where she leads operations and transformation in commercial underwriting for middle markets. Kirsten explains how to balance scope with speed, use the Model Office approach to test changes before scaling, and build a transformation team driven by curiosity. She also explores why executive sponsorship, continuous dialogue, and dedicated transformation teams are essential to lasting success. From measuring benefits without chasing perfect attribution to navigating the human side of digital transformation, Kirsten shares practical insights for leaders looking to turn ambitious change programmes into measurable business outcomes.
Kirsten Charlton is Vice President of Operations and Transformation for Commercial Underwriting at Nationwide, where she leads large-scale transformation initiatives across middle-market operations. With over 20 years of experience, she specialises in process improvement, organisational change management, and technology implementation within commercial insurance. Kirsten pioneered the Model Office framework, which tests changes in a live environment to reduce implementation risks and validate operational benefits before wider rollout. Combining expertise in risk management and insurance with a strategic, operational mindset, she builds collaborative teams that translate business strategy into measurable results.
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Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes: