25% year-over-year growth at 13th annual
user conference promoting new Core, Data, Digital, and All-in-One
enhancements to Guidewire InsurancePlatform™
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2017--
Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), a provider of software products
to Property and Casualty (P&C) insurers, recently hosted its 13th
annual user conference, Connections 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Connections 2017 provided a forum for the Guidewire community –
customers, partners, and Guidewire employees – to come together to
learn, collaborate, network, and receive the latest information about
Guidewire’s products.
Chief Executive Officer Marcus Ryu opened Connections 2017 by sharing
Guidewire’s perspective on the P&C industry trends that are leading
insurers to continuously reinvent themselves, as well as Guidewire
itself, to adapt and succeed in a rapidly-changing insurance
marketplace. Following Marcus’ keynote, Guidewire’s Chief Product
Officer Ali Kheirolomoom, Product Strategy Director for InsuranceSuite
Daniele Groves, Director of Product Management Jason McDonald, and Vice
President of Business Innovation Laura Drabik continued the theme of
continual re-invention by sharing Guidewire’s aspiration to provide an
industry platform for P&C insurance, recapping the company’s progress
over the last year, and sharing its plans for the future. On the last
day of the conference, Senior Vice President of Cyence Risk Analytics
Arvind Parthasarathi told Cyence’s story, focusing on the role of data
listening with respect to understanding and underwriting new and
emerging risks.
Four Guidewire customers presented keynotes. Kishore Ponnavolu,
Executive Vice President for P&C at MetLife and President of MetLife
Auto and Home, provided best practices and lessons learned from the
initial rollout of MetLife Auto and Home’s MyDirect portal. Rowan
Saunders, President and CEO of Economical Insurance, outlined the
company’s launch of Sonnet Insurance Company – Canada’s first and only
fully online insurance company – and the lessons learned from
overhauling its business to keep pace with current and emerging customer
expectations and deepen relations with its independent broker force.
Phil Riley, Head of Business Customer Delivery at Accident Compensation
Corporation (ACC) New Zealand described ACC’s transformation journey and
how the company was ensuring that its people, processes, technology, and
information are aligned around the changing needs of its customers. Jim
Korcykoski, SVP, Chief Technology and Information Security Officer,
Nationwide, discussed the challenges and implications of data and
analytics driving the next phase of the insurance industry’s
transformation. On the final day of Connections, Motor Insurers’ Bureau,
icare, and Union Mutual Insurance participated in a customer panel
discussion moderated by California Casualty, where they offered their
perspectives on aspects of their customer journeys, and how they are
adapting and succeeding with innovative projects.
Over 120 hands-on workshops, expert panels, and educational breakout
sessions were held during Connections, many involving or led by
Guidewire customers. These sessions provided the opportunity for
customers such as American Modern Insurance Company, Amica Mutual
Insurance, Aviva Canada, The Co-operators, FRIDAY (Baloise Group),
Motorists Insurance Group, Nationwide Insurance, San Cristobal Seguros,
Touring Assurance, Union Mutual of Vermont, Westfield Insurance, and
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to share their experiences, lessons
learned, and best practices.
Connections 2017 was sponsored by the following Guidewire
PartnerConnect™ Consulting and Solution partners: Athenium;
Blackcomb Consultants; Capgemini*; The CastleBay Companies; CGI;
Cognizant; Cynosure; Deloitte; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; EY*; HCL; Hubio;
IBM; ISO; ITS – Insurance Technology Services; IVANS Insurance
Solutions; LexisNexis Risk Solutions; Loss Control 360; Mitchell; Octo
Telematics, OnBase by Hyland*; PwC*; Quadient; Salesforce; Smart
Communications; Sollers; Vertafore; and V-NEO – who were on hand to
discuss their services/solutions with attendees. Platinum sponsors
(indicated by *) participated with customers in presentations, and other
sponsors moderated roundtable discussions.
Connections 2017 saw Guidewire honor the winners of its customer
Innovation Awards program for the 11th consecutive year, and
individuals from customer project teams were recognized with the second
annual ‘Hero’ award.
“We congratulate this year’s Innovation Award winners, and individual
project heroes for their extraordinary work above and beyond the call of
duty,” said Brian Desmond, Chief Marketing Officer, Guidewire Software.
Desmond concluded, “Every year we are awed and inspired by the stories
our customers share about how they are using Guidewire
InsurancePlatform™ to increase speed to market, improve engagement with
policyholders and agents and lower operating costs in a rapidly changing
marketplace. We thank our customers and partners for helping to make
Connections such an enjoyable and useful experience again.”
About Guidewire Software
Guidewire delivers the software that Property and Casualty (P&C)
insurers need to adapt and succeed in a time of rapid industry change.
We combine three elements – core operations, data and analytics, and
digital engagement – into a technology platform that enhances insurers’
ability to engage and empower their customers and employees. More than
300 P&C insurers around the world have selected Guidewire. For more
information, please visit www.guidewire.com.
Follow us on twitter: @Guidewire_PandC.
NOTE: Guidewire, Guidewire Software, Guidewire ClaimCenter, Guidewire
PolicyCenter, and Guidewire BillingCenter are registered trademarks of
Guidewire Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005154/en/
Source: Guidewire Software, Inc.
Guidewire Software, Inc.
Diana Stott, +1-650-356-4941
Director,
Communications
dstott@guidewire.com