Sabine VanderLinden: The InsurTech Queen with a Blueprint for the Future

In the bustling streets of Paris, a young Sabine VanderLinden once dreamt of journeying the world as an air hostess. But fate had a different design; one that would intertwine the elegance of French fashion with the precision of the insurance tech industry. Her tale is emblematic of our time, a harmonious blend of past and present, creativity and analytics. A child of parents hailing from the Caribbean isle of Martinique, Sabine’s unique cultural heritage coupled with an analytical mind, crafted a narrative that feels both intimate and universal. In this chat with Sabine about the future, consider this: in an age of rapid technological advancement, might our truest compass be the mosaic of our own histories and passions?

For over two decades, Sabine has been a pivotal figure in the insurance and financial services sector. She is a woman who seems to have effortlessly married the worlds of corporate insurance and startup dynamism. With a CV that boasts leadership roles at powerhouses such as IBM, Pegasystems, and FICO, it's not hard to discern her passion for shaping solutions, devising growth strategies, and carving out markets, especially in the European realm of enterprise risk management software.

But to pigeonhole Sabine as just another executive in the financial realm would be doing her a disservice. As the co-founder of Startupbootcamp InsurTech, she charted a path for the first independent global InsurTech accelerator program. During her tenure, she spearheaded the recruitment and acceleration of over 30 international InsurTech startups. That’s quite the executive tour de force. 

Sabine's current role as the Co-Founder and CEO of Alchemy Crew encapsulates her holistic approach to the world of InsurTech. Speaking about the inception of the venture-first R&D lab, she reveals, “I set up Alchemy Crew in June 2020. I had previously worked on building accelerators, such as Startupbootcamp InsurTech in London, covering Europe, and had partners in Africa, like Old Mutual."

Her history with accelerators is commendable, recounting her involvement in the Hartford InsurTech hub, "For 5 years, I accelerated around 100 startups, helping them raise a total of over 120 million. This was primarily through engagements with angel and institutional investors.”

But it wasn't just business as usual. 2020 threw a curveball, both personally and globally. Following a major surgery, travel restrictions, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sabine's plans of perhaps taking "a year of holiday" were promptly shelved. Yet, in the face of adversity, Alchemy Crew was born.

"The goal was to continue the path of corporate-startup engagement,” Sabine shares. Alchemy Crew's mission resonates with her drive to democratize and industrialize collaboration between corporates and young ventures. With a nod to the corporate venture capitalist world, she envisioned building commercialization labs, which in simpler terms, are ready-made solutions that companies can brand as their own. These 'white labels' act as bridges, expediting collaborative efforts. “I wanted to use techniques from the corporate venture capitalist world to build commercialization labs. Think of them as white labels. The aim is to accelerate collaboration between corporates and startups.”

It's this hands-on, strategic methodology that has made her a trusted advisor in the insurance sector, especially when it comes to growth strategies, disruptive innovation, and new business models. Diving further into her approach, Sabine explains, "Think about the topic of women’s health. How do we start solving for women? What are the challenges? Where is the market going to go?" It's this insightful way of looking at broader market issues and narrowing them down to actionable insights that stands out in her methodology. As she further elaborates, "That process is a lot of research, R&D really understanding where the market is going, so that feeds into strategy." For Sabine, it's not just about conceptualizing solutions but making sure they see the light of day in real-world applications. "Then the end of the framework is going to commercialization... where we actually go through a process of lean startup methodology." Sabine’s approach amalgamates best practices from various innovative methodologies to foster a seamless collaboration between startups and corporates, ensuring that both get the maximum benefit from their partnership.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and her own personal trials, Sabine’s resilience and adaptability shine through. “Insurance is a relationship-driven business," she muses. The pandemic presented hurdles in terms of face-to-face engagements. "But,” Sabine adds with a confident tilt to her chin, “many insurance companies I had worked with for years saw the digital opportunity and trusted me to deliver on my commitment."

Not only has Sabine navigated the rapidly changing landscape of insurance, but she's also made her mark as an author, with her work on The InsurTech Book. 

Sabine admitted, "I always wanted to write a book. It was around 2016-2017 when I was discussing this aspiration with my peers in insurance, innovators, influencers...” There's a subtle excitement in her voice, much like someone recalling the genesis of a dream project. “Then, a few months later, my friend from the Fintech world, Susanne Chishti, got in touch. She had talked to Wiley after having worked on the Fintech book and proposed that we embark on the journey of the InsurTech book together.”

Their vision was not just to produce another industry manual but to create a comprehensive guide, a compass for anyone looking to delve deep into the world of InsurTech, regardless of their prior knowledge. “It’s like a series of deeply researched articles,” Sabine explained, “meticulously edited by Wiley, making it much more than just a simple guide.”

The uniqueness of the book, however, lay not just in its content, but in its creation. Sabine elaborated on the innovative crowd-sourced approach to content curation, “We built a platform where potential writers could submit briefs for their articles. From over 240 submissions, the community then voted for the top 70.”

But beyond the process, the essence of the book echoed what Sabine emphasized as the pillars of long-term growth: "Purpose, Relationship, Trust, Transparency, Congruence, and Authenticity." She reflected, "At the start of my career, I was analytical, deeply immersed in financial modeling and value creation. But as I grew, I realized the importance of relationships built on trust and transparency."

Sabine's perspective transcends the world of insurance and can be seen as a guiding philosophy for any field. "Being authentic around our values and beliefs is what people seek. As leaders, the relationships we nurture become pivotal in how we are perceived and in how effectively we can collaborate and lead," she said.

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The global conversation around climate change and sustainability has garnered monumental momentum over the past decade. For Sabine, the implications of these transformations on the insurance world are clear and pressing. "You look at some of the wildfires that have been taking place recently in Greece, Canada, Hawaii... these events were once rare and are now dominating our news," she mused.

Wildfires roaring at 100 kilometers per hour, the relentless heatwaves, unexpected tornadoes, and life-altering floods — the extremities of these natural disasters are reshaping the insurance landscape. Large corporations like State Farm, faced with unprecedented claims from natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, have started retreating from high-risk areas like California and Florida.

"So, what does it mean for insurers?" Sabine pondered. The answer was multifaceted. "Insurance companies, burdened with legacy systems, now need to adapt rapidly. They need to ingest vast amounts of external data beyond what's stored in their internal systems." Sabine's vision paints a clear picture of a future where InsurTech incorporates technology such as IoT sensors and artificial intelligence to predict, prevent, and mitigate these climatic risks.

Yet, she emphasized, the opportunity lies in not merely reacting to these changes but reinventing the insurance value chain to address climate change's tangible challenges. "The InsurTech industry is at a juncture where it can either continue down its current trajectory or harness the potential of technologies from other sectors," she said, referencing geospatial technologies that don’t necessarily fit the typical InsurTech mold. 

Delving deeper into the tangible implications of climate change, Sabine highlighted the interconnected nature of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. "While the focus remains heavily on environmental change, the socio-economic implications can't be overlooked," she emphasized. Think of the wildfires and their aftermath: underinsured individuals, lost belongings, reliance on state funds to rebuild lives – a glaring spotlight on the 'S' of ESG. 

Addressing these challenges requires transparency, innovative strategies, and a long-term vision. Sabine is optimistic but pragmatic. "It starts with awareness," she noted. "Insurance is best placed to solve the problem, but it won't happen overnight." 

As in her approach to sustainability and insurance, Sabine’s investment in the future is a tangible aspect of every part of her career. As a visiting professor at Bayes Business School, the very place she pursued her MBA, Sabine delves into the art of transferring knowledge. And Sabine doesn't limit her influence to the classroom. She's well aware of the digital age we live in and the power of social media. "It's all about numbers and understanding what captivates people," she stated, emphasizing the importance of staying current and continuously analyzing trends and patterns.

Growing up amidst the charm and bustle of Paris, Sabine VanderLinden's roots may seem quintessentially French. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find a rich tapestry of experiences influenced by her parents' origins in Martinique. They relocated to Paris in pursuit of brighter prospects, a journey that Sabine would inadvertently mimic in her pursuit of education.

Her father, a remarkable figure in the fashion industry, crafted prototypes for some of the world's most esteemed brands. Yet, despite being surrounded by the allure of haute couture, Sabine was presented with only three career choices: "to become a lawyer, banker, or consultant." Fashion, it seemed, was not in the cards.

Choosing to sidestep banking's culture, Sabine instead found her niche in insurance and consulting. However, it wasn't a straightforward journey. Her academic pursuits took her from France to the UK, part of the esteemed Erasmus program, which enabled her to complete her studies in London. "Instead of going back to France like many do, I stayed," she remarked, showcasing her penchant for crafting her own narrative.

Sabine's love for beauty, perhaps a nod to her father's influence, is undeniable. "I love beautiful things," she shared with a light chuckle. But this amalgamation of creativity and knowledge has served her well. Describing herself as a translator between tech and business visions, Sabine masterfully bridges the two worlds, turning technology into actionable business solutions—all with a touch of creativity.

In a rapidly evolving world, where technology often overshadows the human touch, Sabine’s journey reminds us of the potent blend of heritage, creativity, and analytical prowess. As we stand on the cusp of a new era driven by data and AI, perhaps the future isn't about choosing between the analytical and the creative, but harmonizing them. Sabine’s story suggests that true innovation might just lie in embracing our multifaceted identities, melding past and present, art and analysis, to navigate the uncharted waters of tomorrow. In essence, the future might be less about what technology can do for us, but how we, with all our complexities and histories, shape that technology.

Images courtesy of: Sabine VanderLinden