Careers are funny things. We start prompting children at a young age to begin thinking about their future careers. A typical question we ask kids is: “What do you want to be when you grow up”? It would be interesting to see which careers are determined during childhood. If I had to guess, I’d say doctors are probably among the few that begin their trajectory early in life. The rest of us usually stumble into our careers. Once we find ourselves there, we march ahead, working as prudently as possible and ideally excelling in the opportunities presented to us. I love the saying that Luck = Preparation + Opportunity.
I would love to tell you that I intentionally chose transportation insurance when I was choosing a career. I didn’t; I chose a boss. I had two entry-level job offers, one as a bilingual teller at Bank of America and another as a file clerk at a small, privately held insurance company. I chose the job with the boss I liked the most (and slightly higher pay). In my case, I ended up very fortunate because I was launched into a career I would never have espoused as a child but one that I dearly love.
I was also very fortunate that my boss was excellent and supported my professional development. While working at the insurance company, I had the opportunity to delve into the different aspects of the insurance business. I ended up starting in the cancellations department; the company was so archaic (mind you, this was 2003) that cancellations were still manually calculated using a pro-rata wheel (for you kids, google it). I eventually was promoted to underwriting and then to product management. I was extremely fortunate that in the years I was there, I had roles and responsibilities that had me work directly with compliance, technology, claims, actuary, underwriting, pricing, and marketing.
I was doubly fortunate because during my time there, the company made the transition into the digital technological world. I had several pivotal roles in this transition, transforming the company from archaic, manually processed paper files to a fully digital and technological revolution with a half-billion-dollar insurance carrier.
Seeing firsthand how technology improved and streamlined business ignited a passion for unlocking the full potential of an industry that plays a vital role in the international economy. Over twenty years later, introducing smart technology is still my focus.
While my career purpose has been simple: improve the transportation insurance industry with great technology solutions, my journey has been far from simple. Now, over twenty years later, I’m working at a technology start-up focused on a PaaS solution specifically for transportation insurance. I’d love to tell you that working at a tech start-up is easy, but that’s not true. Making the complex simple in a meaningful way is challenging. However, I had a choice to make in my career: I can find a less challenging role and help maintain the status quo, or I can “take the road less traveled.” The only way to be true to myself is to accept the challenge and emerge victorious, no matter how many twists and turns the path may take.
My business partner can also say the same. As a second-generation transportation insurance broker, he grew up deeply embedded in the retail and wholesale side of the business. In fact, one of our core features of meshVI was initially built by Andy to automate monthly reporters for his book of business. He is likewise leveraging his twenty-five years of experience to think ahead to where we need to go as an industry, not just automating what exists. A key example is the upcoming release of our live certificates of insurance (COI), which shippers and brokers will broadly use to verify actual coverage, not just a snapshot at the time of COI issuance.
We recognize that we are entering the market when the industry is still reeling from “tech burnout.” During the early stages of the insurtech boom, so many “new technology” companies burst onto the scene with great intentions, but many lacked a deep fundamental understanding of the industry. Many well-intentioned tech vendors cost the industry millions in lost time and failed projects. We understand the trepidation to introduce yet another “solution.”
What makes us different is that we aren’t a technology company with the latest and greatest “toy.” We are insurance professionals with a PaaS solution built specifically for the transportation insurance industry. We automate manual work, reduce E&O, and improve customer/insured experience in tandem with existing solutions like IMS and AMS systems.
Being responsible for making technology decisions is a challenge in today’s world. Every system is a gamble and can be a costly gamble. That’s why it’s time for a fresh approach. An approach that doesn’t force the industry to become tech experts; rather, it makes industry experts technicians. That’s an easier path to success for all.
If you are still automating today’s processes, in lieu of building solutions for a rapidly advancing world, it’s time to have a conversation. We have dedicated our careers to leading the tech revolution in transportation insurance, and we’d love the opportunity to work with you to make transportation insurance what it should be.
Tiana Schowe, CPCU
COO, meshVI
hello@meshvi.com