Context
Leading climate risk analytics company Arbol acquired property insurer LilyPad Insurance as part of its strategy to combine climate risk analytics with carrier capability.
Arbol’s technology and data platform helps insurers better understand and price weather and natural catastrophe risk; an increasingly urgent issue across vulnerable coastal regions in the US. By acquiring LilyPad the business gained the ability not only to model risk, but also to design and distribute insurance products directly.
Challenge
The business needed a senior innovation leader capable of developing new specialty insurance programmes built around Arbol’s data and modelling capabilities.
This required a rare combination of skills:
- Deep insurance product innovation experience
- Strong understanding of catastrophe and environmental risk
- Quantitative modelling expertise
- Commercial awareness to identify viable market opportunities
The individual also needed to operate effectively within a rapidly evolving, technology-led environment.
Our Approach
Because we understood both the strategic direction of the business and the niche market landscape, we were able to make a highly targeted and intentional introduction rather than running a broad search.
We identified and introduced Rajiv Matta, a Chief Innovation Officer already known to us whose background in quantitative risk modelling, environmental risk, and specialty programme development aligned closely with Arbol’s long-term vision.
The strength and relevance of this introduction meant that the process moved rapidly. Following interviews Rajiv was appointed with no wider search needed.
Outcome
Rajiv Matta has joined LilyPad to help develop new insurance products and programmes leveraging Arbol’s climate analytics and carrier infrastructure.
The appointment has enabled Arbol to create data-driven insurance solutions in a market increasingly affected by rising catastrophe losses, reduced insurer appetite, and growing pressure on coverage availability.
I have worked closely with the Wenham Carter Insurtech team on several critical hires within the climate finance/risk transfer space. Due to the nature of our company, the professional profiles that we have been targeting have been extremely specialized, combining technical skills with relevant financial/insurance literacy. It is always refreshing to witness how well they know the emerging areas of interest to our company in the financial sector (including tech related young companies) and how much access they have to persuing interesting candidates.
Hector Ibarra, Former Global Head of Insurance Operations | Arbol
