Ashleigh Gwilliam, director of insurance at nCino calls for more to be done to make insurance careers genuinely attractive to young talent and predicts AI will be handling first-pass underwriting decisions on at least 30% of SME commercial risks by the end of next year.

What has been your insurance/broking-related highlight of 2025?

There are two standout moments for me. First, chairing our networks roundtable, in collaboration with the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.  It was an incredibly candid discussion about the future of independent broking, the regulatory burden and the importance of keeping humans in the loop when it comes to technology innovation.

What struck me most was the shared commitment in that room, and the clear consensus that the