Executive Study: Strategic Priorities for Insurance Leaders

The insurance industry is undergoing a period of structural realignment. Rising claims costs, new types of risk such as climate and cyber risks, increasing regulatory requirements and ongoing cost pressure are colliding with customer expectations that are increasingly oriented towards digital platform experiences. Growth alone is no longer sufficient as a criterion for success – resilient profitability, clear management logic and consistent implementation power are becoming decisive factors.

Against this backdrop, H&Z is currently conducting an executive study on the strategic future of the insurance industry. In collaboration with Senior Advisor Detlef Schmidt and in confidential discussions with board members and executives, we are analysing the key areas of tension that insurers must overcome today – and the priorities that will determine competitiveness in the next 12–24 months.

Why this study is relevant now

The market paints a clear picture:

• AI is evolving from a pilot project to a core industrial competence – competitive advantages arise from scaled integration into processes and decisions, not from isolated use cases
• Profitability is once again becoming the focus of management – sustainable earnings power is increasingly determined by portfolio management, data-based pricing logic and operational excellence
• Claims, underwriting and data are becoming key value drivers – speed, quality and automation determine margins and customer experience
• Transformation rarely fails because of strategy, but rather because of implementation – governance, prioritisation and resource allocation determine the impact
• Complexity in organisation, processes and IT is becoming a structural cost driver – simplification and clear objectives in the operating model are becoming a strategic imperative
• Talent and skills are becoming a bottleneck factor – new roles, skills and ways of working are crucial for scaling transformation and AI

Objective of the executive study

The study provides guidance for management teams by:

• condensing key strategic priorities and target visions,
• highlighting the biggest gaps between strategy and implementation,
• identifying success factors for scalable transformation,
• and deriving concrete areas of action for sustainable competitiveness.

The result is a compact executive orientation picture that can serve as a basis for strategy reviews, transformation programmes and prioritisation decisions.

Senior expertise & co-creation

The study is conducted in collaboration with Detlef Schmidt, SMC AG, and integrates perspectives from the executive board level, transformation experience and operational implementation. This approach ensures that strategic guidelines are not only conceptually convincing, but also effective in practice.

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