Travelers Institute Program to Highlight Lessons in Business Innovation

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), will host a webinar on Wednesday, July 14, titled “Can You Innovate Like a Unicorn?” The event will focus on the strategies that companies are using to stay ahead of changing risks and evolving consumer preferences while adapting to increased digitalization. The session will feature insights into the world of rapidly growing startups that are valued at $1 billion or more – known by venture capitalists as unicorns – and highlight the ways that business leaders can learn from these entrepreneurs to spur innovation at their own companies.

“The accelerated pace of change happening across industries, and certainly in the insurance industry, presents both risks and opportunities,” said Kevin Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Travelers. “We look forward to sharing Travelers’ approach to developing innovative insurance solutions that aim to exceed the expectations of our customers, agents and brokers.”

The webinar, which is part of the Travelers Institute® Wednesdays with Woodward® series, will be co-hosted by the Master’s in Financial Technology program at the University of Connecticut School of Business. The event is free and open to the public and will take place at 1 p.m. ET. Anyone interested in registering can sign up here.

Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers, will moderate the discussion. Panelists are:

• Kevin Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Travelers
• Sabine VanderLinden, Co-Founder, CEO & Managing Partner, Alchemy Crew
• Beth Maerz, Senior Vice President, Platform, Customer Experience and Innovation, Personal Insurance, Travelers

“Only a small number of companies reach unicorn status, yet their stories can help others build innovation into their own organizations,” said Sabine VanderLinden, Co-Founder, CEO & Managing Partner at Alchemy Crew. “Whether it’s a startup or a large corporation, innovation begins with one project and should be highly focused on delivering the best experiences for customers, partners and employees.”

To learn more about the Travelers Institute, or to register for this webinar or any other event, please visit Travelers.com/Travelers-Institute.

About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit Travelers.com.