Some years ago, a friend and former colleague wrote a book about pioneering companies that mentioned a bakery franchise that had the motto, "Nobody is as smart as everybody." The company's bakeries around the country put that motto into practice by not only sharing recipes but also by sharing insights on, say, how rainy weather affected walk-in traffic.
I've stolen... er, borrowed... er, cited... that idea frequently. In fact, it's the organizing principle at Insurance Thought Leadership, where we provide a platform for the best thinkers with the best ideas on innovation in risk management and insurance. I know a lot of smart people, but -- repeat after me -- nobody is as smart as everybody.
That motto is the background for my interview this month with Taruja Deshmukh, insurtech solutions manager at Conner Strong & Buckelew. It is a superregional broker based in Camden, NJ, with offices up and down the East Coast, with about $175 million in annual revenue and with aggressive goals for growth.
As she explains, Conner Strong has become a leader in BrokerTech Ventures, which has pulled together roughly a dozen brokers and a dozen carriers to take advantage of a variety of technology innovations and help brokers address a variety of pain points, especially those that require so much manual, time-consuming work.
I think you'll find her approach illuminating.
Nobody is as smart as everybody.
Cheers,
Paul
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