EPISODE · Dec 14, 2023 · 51 MIN
Franklin Manchester: Essential Strategies to Protect Your Data in 2024
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Franklin Manchester, Global Insurance Strategic Advisor at SAS, who empowers and inspires insurers in 75 countries, including 90% of the Fortune 500 insurers, to make data-driven decisions. On this episode, they discuss insurance trends for 2024, the role of technology, particularly generative AI, in shaping the future of the insurance industry, and how to navigate the talent gap. KEY TAKEAWAYS I see the enormous potential for SAS and other technology providers, curators of AI, to remake, reimagine, reinvent the insurance industry. Insurance exists because a loss happens and indemnification is that promise. I believe there is a different promise: Prevention, pivoting from indemnification to a value proposition where we can help you before the loss occurs, and that will change the world. Even though I work at a technology corporation, I’m an insurance underwriter. When you’re going through your knowledge building phase to become an underwriter, you realise that the art of what we do is more important than the science. That starts with curiosity, asking the question and imagining the possibilities. You can’t be an underwriter if you’re not curious about the things that matter most. I get to have a lot of conversations with people in the global insurance industry about things that are going on. For example, what telematics can do to prevent incidents of distracted driving. The assumption is that teenage and inexperienced drivers are most likely to get distracted while driving, but the vast majority of those of us who need help with distracted drivers are not teenagers. One company experienced a 10% reduction in distracted driving when they recommended silencing your phone while driving for ‘x’ reasons. That’s a result, and an enriching discovery. BEST MOMENTS ‘I got my start in insurance because I was in a car accident… I found the process incredibly interesting’ ‘I believe in the promise that the industry provides; we come at the moment when people need us the most.’ ‘The journey is more important than the destination.’ ‘I feel like I’m an explorer and every day is a new discovery.’ ABOUT THE GUEST Franklin Manchester is a dynamic and passionate leader in the insurance industry, currently serving as the Global Insurance Strategic Advisor at SAS. Known as an "Insurance Super Nerd," Franklin leads the Market Strategy and Engagement for Insurance within the Global Financial Services Industry Marketing team at SAS. Franklin holds a BS in Finance and Banking, Risk and Insurance, and a BA in French. His journey in the insurance industry spans nearly two decades, including a significant tenure at Nationwide. Franklin is not just an insurance expert but also a thought leader, regularly sharing insights on industry trends and early-career tips. He has been a guest speaker at various industry events, including the Gamma Iota Sigma Rho's Fall Speaker Series. 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
What if the future of insurance wasn’t about paying claims faster—but preventing losses altogether? In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Franklin Manchester, Global Insurance Strategic Advisor at SAS, whose work influences insurers in 75 countries, including 90% of the Fortune 500 insurers. This is not a conversation about hype—it’s about how data, curiosity, and human judgment are redefining what insurance is. Franklin brings a powerful reframing to the table: insurance has historically promised indemnification—we show up after something goes wrong. But the real opportunity now lies in prevention. With advanced analytics, AI, and increasingly Generative AI, insurers can intervene before the loss occurs, shifting from payer to partner. That pivot, Franklin argues, doesn’t just improve loss ratios—it fundamentally changes the industry’s social value. One of the most compelling threads in the episode is Franklin’s insistence that insurance is still an art before it is a science. Despite working at one of the world’s most advanced analytics companies, he identifies first as an underwriter. Why? Because curiosity, judgment, and asking better questions remain at the heart of risk selection and pricing. Technology amplifies insight—but it doesn’t replace imagination. We explore how real-world data is already reshaping outcomes. Franklin shares a striking example from telematics: while the assumption is that distracted driving is mainly a teenage problem, data shows otherwise. By nudging all drivers to silence their phones, one insurer reduced distracted driving by 10%. That’s not theory—that’s measurable prevention, enabled by analytics and behavioral insight. The conversation also tackles one of the industry’s biggest constraints: the talent gap. As seasoned underwriters retire and technology accelerates, insurers must capture institutional knowledge, augment decision-making, and upskill talent—not replace it. Generative AI, when deployed responsibly, becomes a force multiplier: accelerating learning, surfacing insights, and enabling underwriters to focus on what humans do best—context, nuance, and judgment. Throughout the episode, Franklin’s mindset is unmistakable: he sees himself as an explorer. Every dataset is a new landscape. Every insight is a discovery. And every day is an opportunity to rethink how insurance delivers value to people when they need it most. This episode is for you if you are: An insurance executive rethinking your 2024 strategy A data or AI leader looking to drive real business outcomes An underwriter navigating the balance between art and science Or an innovation leader determined to move from indemnification to prevention Because the future of insurance won’t be won by those who automate faster— but by those who stay curious, human, and bold enough to reimagine the promise. And that’s exactly what Scouting for Growth is here to surface.
NOW PLAYING
Franklin Manchester: Essential Strategies to Protect Your Data in 2024
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Jan 2, 2026 ·47m
Dec 21, 2025 ·46m