Episodes
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Rethinking Hurricanes (Again) Part 3: The Hidden Risks of Hurricane Season
In Part 3, Dr. Phil Klotzbach joins Jeff O'Shaughnessy to examine the risks that remain after a storm makes landfall. From Hurricane Helene's devastating inland flooding to Ida's impacts far from the coast, Phil explains why rain, flooding, and landslides can sometimes cause more damage than...
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Rethinking Hurricanes (Again) Part 2: Looking Ahead to the 2026 Hurricane Season
What does CSU's forecast say about the 2026 hurricane season? In Part 2, hurricane expert Dr. Phil Klotzbach joins Jeff O'Shaughnessy to unpack Colorado State University's outlook, the atmospheric and ocean conditions shaping the season, and the risks that matter most for insurers. From hurricane...
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Rethinking Hurricanes (Again) Part 1: Lessons from the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Dr. Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist at Colorado State University and one of the nation's leading hurricane forecasters, returns to HSB's New Ways of Thinking to help make sense of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Despite concerns heading into the year and several periods of…
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Rethinking Non-CAT Water Part 3: Strengthening Agent & Customer Engagement
Jeff O'Shaughnessy speaks with Christina Villena and Tom Smart about how strong agent relationships shape sensor program success. They discuss early skepticism, growing support, and the challenges of DIY installs for policyholders—plus how outreach and clear communication help agents and insureds...
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Rethinking Non-CAT Water Part 2: Where Sensor Technology Makes the Biggest Impact
Host Jeff O'Shaughnessy, Christina Villena (The Hanover), and Tom Smart (Philadelphia Insurance Companies) share real‑world examples of how water sensors have prevented losses across schools, cultural institutions, and other properties—especially when buildings are unoccupied. From detecting slow...
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Rethinking Non-CAT Water Part 1: The Most Controllable Catastrophe
Non‑CAT water losses rarely make headlines, but they affect homes, businesses, and carrier portfolios every day. Host Jeff O'Shaughnessy is joined by Christina Villena (The Hanover) and Tom Smart (Philadelphia Insurance Companies) to discuss how events like freezing temperatures, heavy rains…
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 6: The ROI
ROI isn't just about numbers—it's about real value. In the final episode, Lewis, CTO and Co-founder of Meshify, and Jeff explore the ROI of IoT programs—beyond loss ratios. They show how Meshify prevents water damage and minor events alike, saving homeowners and business owners from headaches…
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 5: The First Line of Defense
While many focus on flow monitoring or shutoff valves as a "single solution," the reality is they don't provide full protection and can be costly and invasive to install. In Part 5, Jeff and Lewis explain why point detection should be the first line of defense—you might be surprised how quickly...
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 4: The Evolution
Meshify doesn't sell sensors—it provides outcomes. In Part 4, Jeff and Lewis dive into how the team continues to evolve technology, the game-changing impact of Amazon Sidewalk on connectivity, the creation of Meshify Slim, and why designing a sensor people actually want to install—compact,...
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 3: The Water Problem
Solving the water problem isn't just about sensors—it's about simplicity, reliability, and impact. In this episode, Jeff talks with Lewis, Co-Founder and CTO of Meshify, about how the team evolved from industrial IoT solutions to a next-generation, low-cost, cellular water detection platform,...
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 2: The Partnership
The journey from startup to acquisition can redefine a company's focus—and its impact. In part 2, Jeff continues his discussion with Lewis, Co-Founder and CTO of Meshify, about HSB's 2016 acquisition of the IoT pioneer. Lewis shares how joining forces with HSB helped narrow Meshify's focus…
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Rethinking IoT with Meshify Part 1: The Beginning
From a college dorm room experiment to a garage startup, the story of Meshify is a journey in innovation and problem-solving. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy sits down with Lewis Wight, Co-Founder and CTO of Meshify, about how early experiments with smart thermostats led to a pivot into IoT...
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Rethinking Water Part 4: Smarter Water Management for Sustainability
While advanced water monitoring offers clear benefits, most commercial buildings have yet to adopt it. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy wraps up his discussion with Yaron Dycian, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at WINT, to discuss HSB's partnership with WINT, how emerging regulations are...
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Rethinking Water Part 3: From Construction Sites to Commercial Buildings
Construction projects face some of the highest risks for water damage—often from temporary water lines or late-stage leaks. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Yaron Dycian, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at WINT, examine how water monitoring can be applied in different scenarios—from...
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Rethinking Water Part 2: Uncovering Hidden Leaks with Data
Roughly a quarter of the water flowing into commercial buildings is lost to unnoticed leaks and inefficiencies. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy continues his discussion with Yaron Dycian, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at WINT, about what's behind this hidden waste and how technology can...
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Rethinking Water Part 1: Tackling Water Waste with AI
Water leaks are among the most costly and common insurance claims in commercial buildings—but smart technology can change that. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy is joined by Yaron Dycian, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at WINT, to discuss how data and AI are transforming water use in...
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Rethinking Hurricanes: Sea Level Rise & The Future of Hurricane Technology
Sea level rise and climate change are reshaping the risks from hurricanes—but what does that really mean for coastal cities and communities? In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy talks with Dr. Phil Klotzbach about the impact of rising seas, the potential for stronger storms, and innovative—but...
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Rising Storms, Rising Costs: Why Billion-Dollar Disasters Keep Growing
Hurricane seasons are bringing more named storms and billion-dollar disasters—but why? In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Dr. Phil Klotzbach break down the factors behind rising storm counts, the role of better detection, and why growing exposure drives higher damages. They also explore how...
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20 Years After Katrina: Lessons from Historic Hurricane Seasons
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, still remembered as one of the costliest and most devastating storms in history. On this episode, host Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Dr. Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University reflect on the record-breaking 2005 hurricane season, how it...
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The Science Behind Hurricane Forecasts: Accuracy, Challenges, and How They've Changed
How accurate are seasonal hurricane forecasts, and what goes into predicting the number and strength of storms? In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy talks with Dr. Phil Klotzbach about the challenges of predicting named storms versus hurricanes, the significance of metrics like Accumulated Cyclone...
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Inside Hurricanes: El Niño, La Niña, and Why Location Matters
Hurricanes aren't just storms—they're a lifelong passion for Dr. Phil Klotzbach. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy sits down with Dr. Klotzbach to explore his journey from growing up in Massachusetts, inspired by Hurricane Gloria and Hurricane Bob, to becoming a leading hurricane researcher at...
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Hurricane Season 2025: August Outlook & How 2-Week Forecasts Keep You Prepared
Hurricanes remain one of the most challenging catastrophes for insurers to prepare for—and predict. In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy is joined by Dr. Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist at Colorado State University and a leading authority on hurricane forecasting. They unpack the August...
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The Skeleton in the Code: Uncovering the Hidden Threats to Your Cybersecurity
In this last episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy talks with cybersecurity expert Eric O'Neill who shares his insights on the current state of cybersecurity and why passwords are no longer a reliable form of protection. He emphasizes the importance of two-factor authentication and using authenticator apps...
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The Shadow Net: Uncovering the Invisible Threats to Our Cybersecurity
In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy speaks with former FBI operative and cybersecurity expert Eric O'Neill who shares the shocking truth about how AI-powered attacks and deepfakes are being used to manipulate elections and threaten democracy. HE also emphasizes the importance of being proactive…
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Cyber Shadows: The Stealthy Threats Lurking in Our Infrastructure
In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy interviews former FBI operative and cybersecurity expert Eric O'Neill who reveals the shocking truth about nation-state affiliated cyber crime and its impact on critical infrastructure. He exposes how foreign threat actors are using probe attacks to infiltrate...
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The Dark Web Economy: A $12 Trillion Problem
In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy speaks with former FBI operative and cybersecurity expert Eric O'Neill who shares his expertise on the state of cyber crime, revealing a staggering $12 trillion problem that's growing exponentially. With the increasing use of AI, cyber crime is becoming more...
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The Evolution of Espionage: From Floppy Disks to Thumb Drives
In a continuation of a conversation with Eric O'Neill, former FBI operative and cybersecurity expert, Jeff O'Shaughnessy takes a deeper dive into the story of Robert Hanssen, the first-ever cyber spy. Eric shares how Hanssen's hacking skills and adaptability allowed him to breach FBI systems and...
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Undercover with a Legend: Eric O'Neill on Cybersecurity and Espionage
In a thrilling episode of HSB's New Ways of Thinking Podcast, Jeff O'Shaughnessy talks with Eric O'Neill, a legendary former FBI operative turned cybersecurity expert, shares his hair-raising story of catching notorious spy Robert Hanssen. From his early days as an FBI ghost to his daring...
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The AI Paradox: How Can Something So Smart Be So Energy-Hungry?
In the last episode focused on AI, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Naveen Agarwal explores the intersection of energy efficiency and AI, highlighting the high energy costs of powering AI systems like GPT. He discusses the development of fusion energy as a potential solution, but notes that this technology...
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Deep Fakes and Dirty Tricks: The Dark Side of Generative AI
During this episode of New Ways of Thinking, Naveen Agarwal discusses with Jeff O'Shaughnessy the significant challenges and risks associated with Generative AI, particularly in the areas of deep fakes, identity, and privacy. He notes that while responsible players in the industry are working to...
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The Double-Edged Sword of AI: Balancing Opportunity and Risk
In the next episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Naveen Agarwal discuss the potential of General Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) to enable new possibilities and opportunities, rather than simply automating existing tasks. Agarwal believes that Gen AI will create new use cases and empower humans to...
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Balancing Bots and Brains: The Human-AI Advantage
In this episode, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Naveen Agarwal discusses the impact of General Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) on various business cases, highlighting three key areas where it has made significant inroads: knowledge management, content generation, and call center operations. He provides...
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The Continuous Learner: Unlocking AI's Full Potential
In this next episode of New Ways of Thinking, Jeff O'Shaughnessy and Naveen Agarwal continue a deep discussion about AI - specifically getting into additional terms and nuances related to AI. Terms like RAG (Retrieve and Generate), which is a layer on top of LLM (Large Language Model) that allows...
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Generative Genius: The Future of Artificial Intelligence
Naveen Agarwal, a technology expert with a background in AI joins Jeff O'Shaughnessey on this next podcast series to talk about all things AI. In this first episode Naveen discusses the evolution of AI from its early days to the current generative AI models like Chat GPT. He explains the…
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The role of insurance as new risks emerge in vehicles
In this next episode, we will continue to focus on cyber risks and how it is impacting the automotive industry. Learn how modern vehicles with advanced connectivity features pose higher risks than older models, and over time, the security mechanisms can degrade, creating need for proactive...
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Automotive cyber attacks are coming!
On this next episode, Jeff O' continues a converastion with Automotive Cyber Security Expert Giuseppe Serio, from Upstream Security. Giuseppe shares a recenty story about a ride hailing service that was attacked by cyber criminals, sending all the vehicles into one central location. Nobody was...
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Cyber vulnerabilities of the automotive industry
In this second episode, Giuseppe Serio highlights the complexity of securing modern vehicles, emphasizing that while manufacturers are responsible for the vehicles initial security, third-party applications and APIs can introduce vulnerabilities. He advocates for increased consumer cyber literacy...
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Cyber Hackers taking over cars?
Jeff O' interviews Giuseppe Serio from Upstream Security about the growing cybersecurity challenges in the automotive industry. They discuss the increasing frequency and scale of cyber-attacks on connected vehicles and Upstream innovative, data-driven approach to securing the entire mobility...
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The next generation's #1 demand in the workplace = Flexibility
Employment law has evolved over the years and the next generation of workers are demanding one thing – Flexibility. Listen to this quick conversation with Jeff O' and Jack McCalmon who talk about the workplace of today.
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Insurance agent influence can build EPLI awareness
Learn about a few key components needed for employment management programs in the workplace. These best practices can help employers maintain a well rounded workplace. Also hear how an insurance agent can be a door opener for evolved employment best practices that can help business owners become...
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AI in the workplace and the impact to EPLI
How can AI impact a business owner from a litigation standpoint? With the rapid interest in AI, there is many different potential risks that could occur from employer AI usage. Unintentional bias, incorrect categorization and more. Listen to this quick episode that talks about the potential risks...
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Business owners are keeping up with the pace of change in the workplace
How do employers keep up with the pace of change? What is the number one risk to employers in todays environment? How can hiring the right (or wrong) person make all the difference in the world? Listen to this next episode of Jeff O' and Jack McCalmon discuss the impact of employment practices...
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EPLI Trends in 2024
Employment exposures are on the rise. Diversity in the workplace, ADA, Pregnancy Fairness and more.. these are all recent trends that employers are faced and have to find ways to implement inclusion and fairness in the workplace. Listen to this episode of the ongoing EPL trends within the workplace.
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All things EPLI – past, present, future.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance has been around for over 30 years and Jack McCalmon is an expert in this field as he's practiced law for years – focusing on employment practices risks. Jeff O' spends time exploring many different angles of EPLI and the risks that continue to evolve…
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AI risks and challenges
In this last episode series, Andy Busch continues to talk with Jeff O' about the rapid evolution of AI and discusses the many "unknowns" with where AI could go. Hear from Andy on where he things AI could go and how complex AI can become within our industry. AI has significant challenges but also...
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AI what's the hype?
The AI environment is changing by the minute, and in this podcast episode Futurist Andy Busch and Jeff O' talk about the various AI influences that could impact our landscape. Andy also shares new ways AI can impact our business and share some of the threats and opportunities that may exist.
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Claims in Action: Alert averts grocer meltdown
We're sensing trouble. A hip, fast growing specialty grocer in South Carolina was meeting heightened demand during a music festival when refrigeration units began to fail. Hear how new technology helped them catch and solve the problem before it caused disaster. This podcast and its contents are...
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We can't ignore extreme weather – its time to act
In this second podcast episode seires, Jeff and Andy talk about all things weather and Andy shares his insights around the importance of 'climate adaption' and how this will continue to impact our world. The weather risks will continue to create challenges for our market and we will need to learn...
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Claims in Action: A taxing burglary
Tax season for a small accounting firm became an ongoing nightmare when it was burglarized, and customers' personal data was stolen. Surprisingly, it was their cyber insurance coverage that helped them resolve what came next.
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More about the future - tech and insurance
Technology provides a great deal of data and can give insights into new and different solutions within the insurance industry. Hear about some of the new and existing things that HSB is doing to continue to evolve the technology and insurance market.
About this show
HSB's New Ways of Thinking covers timely topics impacting the U.S P&C insurance industry. Each episode will feature a special guest and will provide a unique perspective related to the specific topic.
Hosted by
Hartford Steam Boiler
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