Exploring the evolution of the insurance CTO with Paul Butler, CTO at Hiscox Re & ILS

Beyond the Desk with Mark Thomas

In this episode of Beyond the Desk, Mark Thomas by Paul Butler, newly appointed CTO of Hiscox Re & ILS and former CTO of Hiscox London Market.

Paul’s journey is anything but typical. From writing code as a teenager on a ZX Spectrum to launching tech for startups in Borough Market and leading reinsurance innovation at one of the most recognised names in the London Market, his story is full of surprises, learnings, and sharp insights.

We dive into:

• Why coming from outside insurance gave Paul the right tools for success inside it
• How he scaled a startup from 10 to 350 people while battling burnout
• The pivot from project to product thinking at Hiscox
• How hiring for attitude (not just skillset) helped him build high-impact teams
• What he learned from selling data products to hedge funds
• The future of insurance automation and why underwriters still matter

Plus, Paul shares his take on flow engineering, embracing multi-cloud, and loads more.

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• Paul on LinkedIn: Connect Here

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New episodes drop every Tuesday. Stay tuned for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of insurance and InsureTech. Thanks for tuning in - see you next time on Beyond the Desk! 🎧

Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Invecta Search, the brand new leadership search product from Invecta Group, which leads the insurance industry in building best-in-class technology and transformation leadership teams. Find out more: www.invectagroup.com