Building Carbon: Data, culture, and technology in modern insurance
The Underwriting Intelligence PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of The Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Ben Laidlaw, Managing Director at Carbon Underwriting, to explore how a tech-first approach, data-driven decision making, and a career growth centred culture are redefining delegated authority underwriting in the Lloyd’s market.
Ben shares insights from his journey building Carbon from an MGU startup to a full Syndicate, and how the company’s proprietary Graphene platform empowers underwriters, quants, and technologists to work together seamlessly. He explains why early investment in technology, hiring outside-the-industry talent, and embedding data into everyday workflows have been critical to scaling Carbon while maintaining agility, culture, and innovation.
In this episode, Amrit and Ben dive into: How Carbon combined underwriting expertise with a tech-first mindset to build Graphene The challenge of bridging technical and underwriting teams, and why culture drives adoption Hiring strategies for hybrid talent and creating a “21st century underwriting grad scheme” How data, platforms, and people intersect to drive better decisions, partner relationships, and long-term growth
Whether you’re an insurance executive, insurtech founder, or tech leader in financial services, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at building a modern, data-driven, and people-centred insurance business that balances innovation, scale, and operational excellence.
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