EPISODE · Mar 21, 2024 · 41 MIN
Simon Guest: Orchestrating Digital Health Ecosystems
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Simon Guest, formerly CCO at The CareVoice and now Global Head of Business Development - Life Protection at Zurich Insurance, who has been instrumental in pioneering a differentiated approach to growth in the healthcare sector. Under his guidance, The CareVoice will focus on creating multifaceted platforms that benefit from the network effect, where each new user or partner amplifies the ecosystem's cumulative value and utility. Join us as we dive into the intricacies of orchestrating growth ecosystems for market differentiation, the power of behavioural science in healthcare, and the innovative strategies that have positioned The CareVoice as a leader in personalized health engagement. Simon's insights promise to be invaluable for anyone looking to understand the future of healthcare and the role of digital ecosystems in driving sustainable value creation. KEY TAKEAWAYS I’ve spent more than 20 years working in life & health insurance in various roles & countries. On the one hand, you become a bit frustrated that some of the problems remain the same, but the advancement of technology & the macroclimate's focus on health & wellness create opportunities for life & health insurers. They need to fundamentally rethink their proposition as digital health and wellness, not only for brand & marketing purposes, but also to change the relationship with their clients & impact their results. What’s important, in our experience, is that you find someone who has an open ecosystem approach, offers the best services you can find in the market & will constantly evolve them. We think that we’re playing that role between build & buy, but in the end, the end consumer gets the best & most critical experience. BEST MOMENTS ‘Life & health insurance companies have to move to a situation where they are offering end-to-end prevention & digital health care services in one orchestrated way & then provide the insurance behind that if their client needs it.’ ‘There are not that many products where you ask people to pay a lot of money for 20 years in the hope that they never use that product. Fundamentally, we have to change the value proposition for customers in this industry.’ ‘When it comes to health, you can’t make any mistakes.' ABOUT THE GUEST Simon Guest is the Global Head of Business Development - Life Protection at Zurich Insurance. Before then, he was the CCO of Carevoice, which provides Digital Health & Wellness Solutions for Insurers. Simon's journey in the insurance industry is marked by significant achievements & a deep understanding of Life and Health Insurance. His tenure at global giants like Generali & AXA has endowed him with unparalleled expertise in leading Global Protection & Health Business lines. This experience has not only honed his skills in driving strategy & commercial results but also provided him with a comprehensive view of insurance markets worldwide. Between 2014 and 2022, Simon served as CEO of Generali Engagement Solutions, where he was instrumental in forging and leading a groundbreaking partnership with Discovery. This collaboration brought the Vitality shared-value wellness proposition to 7 European markets, showcasing Simon's ability to leverage innovation, partnerships, & ecosystems. His 'start-up' mentality has been key to delivering exceptional customer propositions and setting new industry benchmarks. 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
Life & health insurance is facing an uncomfortable truth: asking customers to pay for 20 years for something they hope they’ll never use is no longer a winning proposition. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Simon Guest, formerly CCO at The CareVoice and now Global Head of Business Development – Life Protection at Zurich Insurance, to unpack how growth ecosystems, behavioural science, and digital health platforms are redefining the future of life and health insurance. Simon brings more than two decades of global experience across life and health insurance, including senior leadership roles at Generali, AXA, and Zurich. His perspective is refreshingly candid: many of the industry’s core problems haven’t changed—but the context has. Technology has advanced. Consumer expectations have shifted. Health and wellness are now central to daily life, not peripheral benefits. And that changes everything. At The CareVoice, Simon helped pioneer a platform-driven, ecosystem-first model—one that moves beyond “build vs. buy” and instead focuses on orchestration. The goal? Create a multifaceted health engagement ecosystem where: Best-in-class services are curated, not forced Partners benefit from network effects Every new user increases the value of the system for everyone else And insurers shift from passive risk carriers to active health partners This is not about adding wellness features for marketing optics. It’s about fundamentally reshaping the insurer–customer relationship—from transactional to preventative, from episodic to continuous. Simon explains why behavioural science sits at the heart of this transformation. In healthcare, nudging the right behaviour at the right moment can drive better outcomes, lower claims, and stronger engagement—but only if the experience is seamless, trusted, and mistake-free. And that’s the rub. Health is unforgiving. You don’t get second chances. That’s why Simon stresses the importance of open ecosystems: insurers cannot—and should not—try to do everything themselves. The winners will be those who can assemble, evolve, and govern ecosystems that consistently deliver the best possible experience to the end customer. One of the most powerful insights in this conversation is a simple but radical shift: Life & health insurers must move from selling protection behind the scenes to delivering end-to-end prevention, care, and support—before risk ever materialises. Insurance then becomes the safety net, not the headline act. This episode is essential listening if you are: A life or health insurance executive rethinking product relevance An innovation or digital leader building ecosystem strategies A founder operating at the intersection of health, data, and behaviour A corporate venturist seeking sustainable, defensible differentiation Because the future of life & health insurance won’t be won by adding more features. It will be won by those who can orchestrate trust, behaviour, and ecosystems at scale—and finally make insurance feel valuable every single day, not just on the worst one.
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Simon Guest: Orchestrating Digital Health Ecosystems
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