Beyond Boundaries | From Reinsurance to Reinvention: Chaucer’s Innovation Playbook

Welcome back to the Beyond Boundaries Series by Sønr, where we follow the people, conversations and ideas shaping what comes next in insurance.

In this latest Beyond Boundaries episode, Sønr’s Matt Ferguson, Managing Partner, speaks with Tom Graham, Head of Innovation & Partnership at Chaucer. An underwriter by trade and with more than 25 years experience, it’s a discussion that’s focused on the practical – exploring Chaucer’s approach to innovation. 

We look at how Chaucer has responded to a changing landscape – how they organise innovation, why the function has moved closer to underwriting, and what it takes to build new insurance products when the answer is not always clear. 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Chaucer has embedded innovation within the underwriting function and how it works in practice 
• Why innovation should be driven by real problems, not “funky solutions” looking for a market
• How Chaucer thinks about product creation, commercialisation and partnership building
• Why distribution is often one of the hardest parts of bringing new insurance ideas to market
• What Tom is watching across AI, data, climate, supply chains, energy transition and market structure

Why it matters:

Innovation in insurance is not just about launching something new.

It is about understanding where risk is changing, where existing products no longer fit, and where clients need smarter ways to manage volatility.

Tom’s view is grounded in the reality of underwriting. There is rarely a perfect answer, especially when dealing with new risks, emerging client needs or products that have not existed before. That means innovation needs curiosity, judgement and enough structure to move ideas forward without pretending there is a guaranteed route to market.

One of the strongest points in the conversation is that Chaucer does not treat innovation as a separate island. The team works closely with underwriting, pricing, wordings, operations and external partners to test ideas, spot potential roadblocks earlier and support commercialisation.

That matters because the market is changing quickly. AI, climate volatility, transition risk, supply chain visibility and new forms of data are all reshaping the way insurers understand, price and support risk.

This is a conversation about what happens when innovation grows up.

Not as theatre.

Not as a side project.

But as a permanent, practical part of how an insurer builds for what comes next.

A huge thank you to Tom for joining us and sharing such a clear, honest and practical view of Chaucer’s innovation playbook.

🚀 The Beyond Boundaries 2025 report is now live – dive into the report here: https://sonr.global/beyond-boundaries-2025/

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