There is a specific kind of energy that takes hold when the architects of our industry gather with a shared purpose. As the sun sets on Formation ‘26 in Orlando, the lingering conviction isn’t just about the platforms unveiled; it’s about the collective realization that we are finally moving past the “drudgery” of the modernization era toward something far more inspired.
Throughout the week, keynotes, breakout sessions, and panels—featuring the voices of customers, industry analysts, and leaders like Seb Terry and Duncan Wardle—were more than one-way presentations. They were meaningful conversations that bridged the gap between vision and execution.
Here is the heart of the insights we uncovered together—the blueprint for a future that prioritizes the people who make insurance work.
Building the Intelligent Core: Real-World Insights for Carriers
1. Overcoming Data Complexity in P&C Insurance
- The Challenge: Carriers have modernized their foundation, but the volume of data is becoming a new kind of ‘digital drudgery.’ They have the tools but need them to proactively clear the path so their experts can focus on the most complex risks.
- The Industry Shift: The evolution is moving from a system of record to an Intelligent Core. This is a core that doesn’t just hold data but actively prioritizes it, ensuring that the human expert is always working on the highest-value tasks.
2. Scaling Operations with Insurance-Native Agentic AI
- The Challenge: Carriers have likely seen what Generative AI can do in a sandbox, but now they’re ready to see it work. They need AI that doesn’t just assist with words but executes tasks within the specific guardrails and logic of their insurance business.
- The Industry Shift: The industry is moving toward Insurance-Native Agentic AI. The solution is a framework where digital colleagues act as an extension of the team—handling execution while remaining completely transparent and auditable.
3. Improving Speed-to-Market with AI-Assisted Configuration
- The Challenge: In a world where market conditions change weekly, a carrier’s goal is to move even faster. They want to take the manual friction out of product configuration so their best ideas can get to market the moment they are ready.
- The Industry Shift: The answer lies in governed innovation. By using AI-assisted configuration, carriers can move from a “project” mindset to a “flow” mindset, compressing timelines from months to weeks without sacrificing governance.
4. Achieving Operational Velocity through Autonomous Workflows
- The Challenge: Carriers are proud of their data strategies, but the next step is making that data work for them. They want a system that scales with their growth and automatically turns insights into prescriptive actions.
- The Industry Shift: Resilience now depends on “deep focus” architecture. This means building intelligent systems that aren’t just scalable but are also designed to support autonomous workflows that improve operational outcomes in real time.
5. Combining Human Intuition with Intelligent Insurance Tech
- The Challenge: People are the carrier’s greatest asset. As they add more powerful tech, they want to make sure it feels like a teammate—something that reduces noise and helps adjusters and underwriters find their ‘flow’ again.
- The Industry Shift: The ultimate role of technology is to protect the human core. The solution is creating “safe spaces” for innovation, ensuring technology serves as a supportive partner that amplifies human empathy and professional judgment.
Insurance Digital Transformation: Moving from Vision to Execution
There was a distinct energy in Orlando that went beyond just “talking shop.” It was the feeling of an industry finally shifting its weight forward and moving toward a future defined by the Intelligent Core. We’ve moved past the “what if” phase. We are now into the “how to” phase, where the focus has shifted from merely supporting systems to driving operational velocity and superior outcomes.
Human -Centric Insurance Technology: Elevating Expertise with AI
This industry shift is ultimately about elevating the human experts who are the heart of insurance. Beyond the strategic dialogue, the true spirit of the week was found in the connections we made—the kind of connections that only happen when a community moves in the same direction.
The real magic happened in the spaces between the sessions:
- Welcome Reception (The Launchpad): The energy was immediate the moment the doors opened; it wasn’t an exhibit hall; it was the starting line where the community finally reconnected in person.
- Users’ Groups Debrief: The “Unseen Architecture” of the Intelligent Core is being built by the experts who use it every day. These sessions weren’t about us presenting; they were about our customers leading, pressure-testing the future to ensure our roadmap remains grounded in the reality of the insurance lifecycle.
- WIN (Women in Insurance) Reception: More than a mixer, this was a space of themed conversation zones and AMA-style leadership talks that turned casual networking into a real exchange on navigating industry change.
- The Innovation Scorecard (Analyst Panel): We went beyond the tech to explore how insurers are evaluated across global markets. Featuring Meredith Barnes-Cook (Datos Insights), Andrea Keenan (AM Best), and Juan Mazzini (Celent), the panel provided a powerful reality check: innovation isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a lead indicator of a carrier’s market credibility.
- “Safe Spaces” for Innovation: These were pivoting points; Duncan pushed us to reclaim our human creativity, while Seb showed us that we are unstoppable through deep connection. The room was on its feet, leaning into a future that values imagination and connection as much as technology.
- Casino Royale Night: The best conversations happened when the laptops were closed. Stepping away from formal sessions to the card tables broke down barriers and built up the kind of rapport you can’t get in just a session room.
- Hallway & Meals Dialogue: These were the “unfiltered” moments between the sessions—where spur-of-the-moment conversations and introductions to new peers can be just as impactful. These brief moments over a meal and chance encounters provided the kind of institutional wisdom and human perspective that a screen simply can’t replicate.
The Partner Ecosystem: Accelerating P&C Insurance Solutions
While the main stage set the vision, the Launchpad was where that vision met reality. It served as our central innovation hub, but the true value was found in the collaborative energy—the deep-dive demos and technical discussions that proved the Intelligent Core is a living, breathing ecosystem fueled by partnership.
- Collaboration in Action: With over 35 exhibitors, the Launchpad was the front-line workshop where carriers and partners sat down to solve real-world business challenges in today’s digital world.
- The Power of the Ecosystem: Seeing the tech in action through live demos offered the unfiltered insights needed to run a modern insurance business. It echoed the “Voices from the Front Lines,” proving that the shift to an Intelligent Core is a collective effort.
- Engaged Innovation: Through our passport program, we didn’t just show technology; we encouraged active exploration. Every conversation at a Duck Creek or partner booth was an opportunity to uncover specific expertise and move beyond the hype.
- Purposeful Connection: Even the popular Duck Claw Machine reinforced the human element—turning technical “wins” into meaningful donations to Direct Relief that support our broader community with humanitarian relief for those stricken by disaster, poverty, or emergencies.
Join the Future of Insurance: Continuing the Innovation Dialogue
If you felt the spark in Orlando, or if you’ve been watching from afar and feeling the pull toward this new era, we invite you to stay in the momentum with us. The transition from a modern past to an Intelligent Core is a journey best taken with a community of peers.
Stay tuned for our new Webinar Series and a deeper dive into these themes. These won’t be your typical slide-heavy presentations—we’re keeping it to “no-slides” candid conversations between experts to get to the heart of what matters most.
Join the global leaders already shaping the future:
- Stay Connected: Follow us on LinkedIn for real-time updates, insights from our leadership, and highlights from our latest community initiatives.
- Go Deeper: Subscribe to our Blog to receive intelligence briefs directly in your inbox. It’s your front-row seat to the strategies, human-centric narratives, and technical breakthroughs shaping the front lines of P&C insurance.
- Join the Movement: Whether you are navigating the shift to Agentic AI or refining your loss control strategy, the next touchpoint starts here.
- Mark your calendar and be sure to join us next year in Fort Lauderdale, April 19-21 at Formation ‘27.
Until then, let’s keep the dialogue going.
