We are excited to introduce Zurich’s Head of Digital and Member Engagement for Group Insurance, Ahmad Racheha who has helped boost Zurich’s digital and member engagement journey, whilst delivering new insights and innovations to our partners.
Congratulations on your new role as Head of Digital and Member Engagement. What has been the most exciting part of your role so far?
Being part of new leadership team that is passionate about doing things differently within Group Insurance. There is a real innovation vibe and strong member and client focus within the wider team and a deep desire and support to radically transform the market.
Also meeting with our clients and better understanding their needs and seeing the opportunities on how we can help them deliver more engaging experiences to their members is both challenging and exciting.
How did your career path steer you into the insurance industry?
I have 25 years’ experience with digital transformations, innovation and member experience across banking, health insurance, retail and Superannuation and advice. I have always been attracted to industries where I can go in and help drive digital transformation and customer innovation. Recently I was at a large superfund where I led the Digital team and drove the digital transformation program. As we were developing our digital experiences, I identified there were two key areas were not keeping up with our ambitions: they were around digital advice and Insurance. Recognising that insurance has become a very important part of super both in the accumulation and retirement phases, this led me to join Zurich when the opportunity presented itself to play a direct role in reimagining insurance.
What do you enjoy the most about working at Zurich?
The innovative culture and a strong purpose around community and sustainability. Being part of a great team who are fun to work with. Appreciating Zurich’s global diversity and seeing some fantastic innovations that we could leverage and bring to Australia.
What do you see as the biggest growth opportunities and challenges for group insurance in the next 12 months?
The biggest opportunity is working with clients to rethink and reimagine the way we deliver “insurance” within Super to make it more engaging for members. This will include looking beyond the traditional insurance products and include personalised original content, health and wellness programs and new product propositions. Digital technology and data will play big roles to deliver these personalised, simple and connected experiences.
Why do you think Zurich has been fairing so well during these uncertain times?
I haven't been here that long, but one of the attributes I have seen is that Zurich is driven by strong values and focus on its people. I can see how these would have helped Zurich steer through uncertain times.
How do you keep motivated during these changing conditions of this pandemic?
Being in digital, in some ways you have to be resilient to change and comfortable with uncertainty. One of the things I like doing is have a strong vision on where I want to be. To help with this I constantly look for outside inspiration. This could include listening to podcasts, reading books, watching YouTube videos across many disciplines and areas. Secondly, I like breaking things down into smaller steps which I can accomplish and leads me to the future vision.
Do you have a mentor or someone who inspires you?
I don’t have a specific person who inspires me. Every person I work with, in some ways helps me learn something new and inspires me to improve. Outside of work, there are few role models I look to, especially football coaches and business leaders who have accomplished repeatable success sometimes in challenging times.