Recently we were thrilled to introduce Liz Nguyen as Vertafore’s new chief technology officer. With over two decades of software product development experience under her belt and a proven record of delivering high-quality products with seamless end-to-end experiences for users, Liz is leading Vertafore’s multi-year plan and investment to drive the future of insurance technology.
Liz has earned a reputation for her dedication to our customers. Developing innovative technology isn’t enough—technology solutions must bring real value to our customers while also providing a seamless experience. We sat down with Liz to hear her thoughts and insights about the critical role technology will continue to play in the independent insurance industry.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
A: Sure! I’ve been part of the Vertafore team for about two and a half years, servings as vice president of development before becoming CTO. My background is in software development, and I have worked in that space across different industries for 20 years. It’s an exciting time to work in InsurTech because there are countless opportunities for innovation and modernization. I’m proud to be part of it!
Other than that, I consider myself an avid outdoors person and love hiking around the area with my Corgis. Whether it’s the Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods or Rocky Mountain National Park, when the mountains call my name, I must go!
Q: How is the changing customer and business market affecting the way we think about technology in the independent insurance industry?
A: For leaders, change is something that’s always top of mind. But over the last couple of years, the COVID-19 pandemic has really forced organizations to consider new ways to serve customers and support employees. Even as we find our way to the “new normal,” all organizations have to consider how the changes over the past couple of years will continue to impact customer and employee expectations in the future.
End-insureds want service from insurers that is quick and uncomplicated. Employees need the flexibility to work from anywhere and automated workflows to support them and keep things moving.
With our Titan technology strategy, we’re developing end-to-end solutions to improve both the user experience for our customers and to simplify and automate insurance distribution for everyone it touches. Imagine being able to access the information you need from your system through a mobile application. That’s the direction we’re headed in, and I’m excited about that!
Q: What advice do you have for those hesitant to adopt new technology?
A: I get it. Change is always a risk, and it doesn’t always pay to be the first in line when it comes to the most recent technology. At Vertafore, we strive for a balanced approach when choosing what to adopt. Whether it be technology for our solutions or for our employees, our teams take time to ensure that it's solid and that it will bring real value to our customers and organization. A lot goes into those decisions.
I want to say that again because it is a point of passion for my team: We’re here to deliver value for our users, both today and for years down the road as they grow and evolve. It’s why we show up every day.
The good news for our customers is that Vertafore technology adoption will only get easier from here. As we modernize our solutions, technology adoption will shift to an evolving approach. Through our partnership with Amazon Web Services and our Titan technology strategy, gaining access to recent technology updates in our solutions will be faster, seamless, and won’t impact the user experience.
That means that even as you're working, your Vertafore solution will be continuously improving in the background. That’s pretty cool!
Q: What upcoming Vertafore technology initiatives are you most excited about?
A: We have several initiatives we’re working through that will bring major developments to our solutions. As I mentioned, our focus is on technology modernization and providing seamless functionality to our customers. There are a lot of elements to this, but here’s what I’m most excited about.
- Titan Technology — Our Titan technology methodology is a game-changer. It enables us to bring new functionality to our customers through their already existing solutions. This approach is completely customer-centered and will make delivering updates and new solutions faster than ever. Plus, our open API means that we can easily partner with other solution providers to integrate other tools our customers use. Everything in one place – that’s the goal!
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — AWS is the most comprehensive and solid cloud platform out there. Bringing our solutions to the cloud means we can be faster and more agile in delivering solutions that meet our customers' needs. There are so many ways we leverage AWS, and it is a crucial element in our current and future strategic plans.
- User experience initiative — One of my favorite things about Vertafore is the customer-centric culture. We are passionate about the independent insurance industry and have a laser focus on solving our customers’ challenges. Providing a seamless user experience means that our solutions must perform well and be intuitive for the user. We’re optimizing workflows and building platforms that do just that.
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: Just that this is such an exciting time in our industry and when we work together, the possibilities of what we can accomplish are endless. It’s been great to see our customers, solution partners, and employees collaborating and working together to transform the independent agent channel.
