“Connectivity and data will empower people in such a way that insurance needs to reinvent and transform to remain relevant,” said Cecilia Sevillano, head of smart homes solutions at Swiss Re. “Our industry is shifting from a claim handling business to a safety provider one,” she added.
"Diversity of thought and skills within insurance will be required to effectively translate the sharper customer insight brought by data, into meaningful value propositions for the people they represent.”
The turning point in her career came when Sevillano identified that the opportunity connected homes brings to insurance is transformative. She has been heading the firm’s smart homes business for global markets since its inception, and guiding it towards becoming one of the key innovative poles within the P&C pillar. Based in London, she continues to drive change for the future of the industry.
Sevillano’s 15+-year career has taken her around the world, starting in Colombia where she worked in the financial services sector, building the largest network of partnerships in leasing in the country. She then led the key accounts responsibility for CSEE region at GeoPost Group in Sweden and France before moving to Aon in France as affinity partnerships director. She joined Swiss Re in 2015 to develop the company's footprint in the UK 's InsurTech space which consequently led to the creation of the smart homes role.
Although she has never allowed her gender to hold her back, Sevillano believes that changing the mindset across the board and introducing measurable targets to encourage diversity in the senior ranks, would be a huge benefit to the industry.
“Sponsorship of men and women of different ethnicities at different ranks would really help to change the composition going up the ladder,” she said.
Sevillano advises young women starting out in insurance to be authentic and believe in yourself.
“People will perceive you as you perceive yourself,” she said. “If you think you have to prove yourself, then that’s what others will expect you to do."
“Dare to take new challenges,” she added. “Nobody starts a new role, knowing everything they need to know.”
Sevillano has been identified as one of the top influencers within the connected insurance market and is a frequent speaker and panellist in events globally.
