Scout InsurTech Spotlight with Tim Lovett

Tim Lovett leads the Enterprise & Partnerships Division at Blitz Insurance, a specialty insurance company creating a simpler, smarter, faster experience. Tim was interviewed by Michael Fiedel, Co-Founder at Scout InsurTech and Co-Founder at PolicyFly, Inc.

Tim, how do we, as an industry, drive experience and value for the customer in a forward direction?

“First, we need to acknowledge that customers interact with our ecosystem in different ways and have varying preferences. Our ecosystem is complex. Sometimes, we view it as a single movement, but in reality, it’s made up of distinct components—business, renewal, claims and other aspects of insurance.

To move forward, we need to step back and assess how we can best serve both customers and distribution partners, especially as carriers. A lot of responsibility falls on us to provide different mechanisms, experiences and solutions within our ecosystem.

We must also recognize that not every customer experience initiative will yield a direct ROI. Sometimes, improvements are necessary simply for the sake of the customer. That might not always be financially beneficial for carriers or brokers, but there needs to be a balance. Acknowledging this reality is the first step in moving forward.”

Why has it been difficult to fully address customer needs?

“We often avoid saying the quiet part out loud—insurance is hard. Customers have diverse needs, and decision-making within the industry can be challenging. Additionally, the infrastructure required to support this ecosystem is highly fragmented.

When you look at distribution, technology platforms and carriers, there’s often a lack of cross-functional collaboration. No single solution can fully address the industry’s complexities, despite our desire for one. Acknowledging these challenges is crucial.

Another key issue is that customers don’t all want the same experience. This isn’t unique to insurance, but it does mean we need to provide options. Success depends on creating flexibility and optionality in how we serve different customer segments.”

From a practical standpoint, what steps can we take to move the needle?

“I've thought a lot about this over my years in the industry. One fundamental issue is that we tend to address problems in silos. When a challenge arises, a company emerges to solve it. Do this 30 times, and now brokers, carriers and customers are dealing with 30 different solutions.

To truly make progress, we need more collaboration—between carriers, brokers and solutions providers. If we work together and integrate solutions rather than adding to the fragmentation, we can improve the experience for customers and agents alike.

A major obstacle is industry pride. We take pride in what we do within our own silos, but sometimes we need to step back and acknowledge that others might have better solutions. By sharing knowledge and working together, we can drive meaningful progress.

Collaboration isn’t just about coming together—it’s about creating something better than what we could achieve separately. If two companies partner but continue doing the same thing they did before, there’s no added value. The goal should be to enhance outcomes, not just maintain them.”

Do you think we can genuinely deliver the level of innovation needed from the customer’s perspective?

“Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of companies—carriers, brokers, technology providers and vendors. What gives me hope is the influx of people from outside the insurance industry. These professionals bring fresh perspectives and challenge the status quo.

Insurance tends to be repetitive. We follow the same routines, click the same buttons and assume this is just how it works. But, when someone from another industry asks, ‘Why do you do it this way?’ It forces us to rethink our processes.

A former boss once told me, ‘There are no truly original ideas—just great existing ideas that can be improved.’ That stuck with me. Every day, I realize how much I don’t know, and I see how others can do things better. The key is being open to learning and working together to improve outcomes.

At Blitz Insurance and throughout my career, I’ve made it a priority to assess where I can contribute and where I should step back to let my partners lead. Many industry leaders are having the same conversations—figuring out how to be flexible, how to share knowledge and how to drive innovation. When we recognize that collaboration is key, we can create better experiences for customers, agents and everyone involved in the ecosystem.”

Scout InsurTech Thanks Its Presenting Partner

And Our Scout InsurTech Partners