EPISODE · Sep 3, 2025 · 38 MIN
Charlie Wendland: How AI and Human Empathy Are Transforming the Future of Claims
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Charlie Wendland, chief claims officer at Branch Insurance. The world of claims management is undergoing a seismic shift, with AI at its heart. Insurers leveraging AI have reported a 75% reduction in claims handling time and 50% increase in fraud detection accuracy. Cutting claims processing times allows adjustors to focus on complex decisions and customer care. Charlie talks about technology only being part of the story. The future of claims is about continuous transformation, balancing innovation with compliance, and making sure that as we innovate, we don’t lose sight of empathy and trust. KEY TAKEAWAYS The combination of investigation, problem solving, and most importantly, being there for people in their worst moments – as a claims adjustor – felt both intellectually engaging and genuinely meaningful. It really drew me to the role. We’re small and can’t afford to build a fully fleshed-out claims organisation. So, we made strategic investments to automate administrative tasks that typically weigh down our adjustors, affect road loss outcomes, and drive expense inefficiencies. We listened to our adjustors; we conducted many time studies to identify what’s bogging them down; we proactively sought out inefficient processes and looked for technology to improve them. We’ve taken an iterative approach to everything that we’ve built, understanding that it’s not going to be perfect when we first launch, but we’re going to be really sensitive to what is not perfect and seek perfection even though we know that’s not possible. BEST MOMENTS ‘Find administrative tasks that weigh down your adjustors, free them of those through technology, and they can spend more time on complex issues and customer care.’ ‘We get adjustor’s opinions on everything that we do, for the most part, which sounds inefficient, but it’s really not because we do it in a very thoughtful way.’ ‘70% of our first notice-of-lossis now either done electronically or through a voice AI.’ ‘With a startup, change is ever-present because we’re trying to find a way to do something and we’re able to change quite quickly, but the hurdles are all self-inflicted, so if we’re not communicating effectively, that’s on us.’ ABOUT THE GUESTS Charlie Wendland has 20+ years of expertise transforming claims operations across commercial and personal lines. As Chief Claims Officer at Branch, he leads an organisation that's reimagining the insurance experience through technology and customer-centric innovation while delivering optimal claim outcomes. Charlie’s leadership philosophy centres on driving operational efficiency that benefits both customers and the business, building collaborative teams that deliver exceptional results, and pioneering approaches that redefine industry standards. Throughout his career, Charlie has consistently delivered growth while enhancing customer satisfaction. I'm passionate about modernizing insurance and mentoring the next generation of industry leaders. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL sits down with Charlie Wendland, Chief Claims Officer at Branch Insurance, to explore what happens when claims transformation is driven by the people closest to the work — and powered by AI without losing the one thing insurance can’t afford to break: trust. Claims is in the middle of a seismic shift. Insurers leveraging AI are seeing dramatic improvements—faster handling times, stronger fraud detection, and lower operational drag. But Charlie makes it clear: technology is only part of the story. The real future of claims is about continuous transformation, balancing innovation with compliance, and keeping empathy at the center of the customer experience. Why claims matters (and why Charlie stayed) Charlie shares what drew him into claims in the first place: it’s the combination of investigation, problem solving, and being there for people in their worst moments. It’s intellectually engaging—and deeply meaningful. That human truth becomes the anchor for everything Branch is building. Automate the admin… elevate the adjuster Branch is small, so Charlie and his team couldn’t afford to build a massive, traditional claims organization. Instead, they made strategic investments to remove the work that slows adjusters down the most: administrative tasks that drain time, drive expense, and delay outcomes. But here’s the difference: they didn’t guess. They listened to adjusters. They ran time studies. They identified exactly what was bogging teams down—and then targeted those inefficiencies with technology. Charlie’s takeaway is simple and powerful: Free adjusters from admin, and they’ll spend more time on complex decisions and customer care. Iteration is the operating model Branch has taken an iterative approach to everything: launch, learn, refine. Charlie doesn’t chase perfection on day one—he chases improvement fast, while staying hyper-aware of what isn’t working and fixing it. That’s startup discipline applied to an enterprise-grade responsibility: people’s lives and losses. Real AI adoption in action Branch’s progress shows what practical AI adoption looks like in claims operations. Charlie shares a standout metric: 70% of Branch’s first notice of loss is now handled electronically or through voice AI. That’s not innovation theater—that’s real operational shift that reduces friction for customers and gives claims professionals more time for high-value work. Change is constant — communication is everything Charlie also offers a leadership truth that resonates far beyond claims: in a startup environment, change is ever-present. The biggest obstacles aren’t always external—they’re often self-inflicted. If communication isn’t clear, adoption slows. If people aren’t brought along, transformation stalls. That’s why Branch involves adjusters in most decisions. It may sound inefficient, but Charlie frames it as the opposite: done thoughtfully, it accelerates buy-in, improves outcomes, and reduces downstream resistance. Why this episode matters For insurance leaders, this conversation is a blueprint for modern claims transformation: target admin drag first use AI to compress time, not cut empathy iterate relentlessly keep compliance and trust non-negotiable build with adjusters, not around them Because the future of claims isn’t just faster. It’s smarter, more human, and designed to help people when it matters most.
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Charlie Wendland: How AI and Human Empathy Are Transforming the Future of Claims
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