Explore every episode of the podcast Almost Nowhere

Recorded live at the 2026 RPM Seminar in Chicago, this episode of Almost Nowhere cuts through the noise surrounding InsurTech, GenAI, and the future of insurance software. Alicia Burke, Max Martinelli, and guest co-host Sergey sit down with Betty Zhu to unpack one of the biggest questions facing carriers today: when should insurers build technology themselves, and when should they buy it?

Drawing from nearly a decade inside pricing technology and InsurTech vendors, Betty shares an insider’s perspective on the realities behind flashy demos, AI-driven product claims, vendor evaluations, proof-of-concepts, and the growing pressure created by rapid advances in generative AI.

The conversation explores:

• Why GenAI is making “build vs. buy” harder than ever
• How carriers can distinguish real expertise from polished demos
• The hidden risks of in-house AI development and key-person dependency
• Why distribution, domain expertise, and long-term viability matter more than hype
• How actuarial workflows may evolve as AI lowers the barrier to building software

For actuaries, innovation leaders, and insurance professionals trying to navigate the next wave of AI-enabled transformation, this episode offers a grounded discussion on what creates durable value — and what may disappear as quickly as it arrived.

Recorded live at the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, this episode of Almost Nowhere explores how Japan’s insurance industry manages some of the most concentrated catastrophe risk in the world.

Hosts Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli are joined by Suguru Fujita, Yohei Konishi, Takuro Oyama, and Kenta Ito for a conversation on earthquakes, typhoons, reinsurance structures, catastrophe modeling, public-private partnerships, and the cultural mindset behind resilience in Japan.

The discussion dives into how Japanese insurers approach pricing, regulation, AI, claims response, and long-term catastrophe management — and what U.S. actuaries and insurers can learn from a system built around collaboration, preparedness, and recovery.

Climate risk is changing faster than actuarial practice.

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, Jim Weiss challenges how actuaries think about responsibility when models, data, and assumptions start to break down. From overlooked casualty impacts to the limits of today’s frameworks, this conversation pushes beyond the usual climate narrative.

Plus, what AI means for all of it — and why the real risk might not be what you think.

Filmed at the 2026 CAS RPM Seminar in Chicago.

AI is rapidly reshaping how actuaries are trained, hired, and evaluated. In this episode, Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli talk with Charles Johnson—actuary, educator, and founder—about what’s changing across the talent pipeline.

From AI-assisted learning to AI-influenced interviews, the gap between high-performing candidates and those relying too heavily on tools is widening. The conversation explores hiring challenges, why traditional interviews fall short, and how hands-on work is becoming the clearest signal of real ability.

As the profession evolves, one question stands out: who will adapt—and who will fall behind?

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, we dig into the CAS AI Primer and the problem it was built to solve: a growing divide between actuaries actively experimenting with AI and those keeping their distance.

Our guests, part of the CAS AI working group, explain why that gap exists—and why it matters. While some practitioners are already building, testing, and validating AI-driven workflows, others are holding back due to uncertainty, risk, and lack of a clear starting point.

Access the Primer: https://www.casact.org/publications-research/research/ai-tools-and-resources

Josh Pyle, Head of Corporate Actuarial, Reinsurance Strategy & ERM at Root Insurance, joins Max Martinelli, Alicia Burke, and surprise co-host Sergey Filimonov for a deep dive into generative AI agents. From governance and regulation to experimentation and business alignment, we unpack where actuaries should be exploring—and where they should proceed with caution. Whether you’re prototyping your first agent or weighing build-vs-buy, this episode brings real-world perspective to a fast-moving space.

Live from the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting, Alicia Burke and Erin Olson sit down with Alp Can to talk climate risk, tipping points, and what actuaries can do when the baseline itself is shifting. From disclosure frameworks to systems thinking to using the Actuaries Climate Index, this episode reframes climate not just as a risk—but as the new context for everything else.

In this crossover episode with Actuarial Review, Sergey Filimonov returns for round three to talk AI hype, hard truths, and what’s actually working. From compute costs and evals to regulatory gaps and sustainability risks, we get into the real impact AI is having on actuaries—and what to watch for next.🎧 Recorded live at the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting.

What do trade wars, tariffs, and extreme weather have in common? They’re not just headlines—they’re actuarial inputs. Michel Léonard joins Alicia Burke and Sara Chen (Actuarial Review) to talk about modeling the unpredictable, why actuaries need to rethink volatility, and how economic risk signals are evolving faster than our frameworks.

DJ Falkson joins Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli live at the CAS Annual Meeting to unpack what housing, zoning, and migration have to do with insurance risk. From his work at Lemonade to his advocacy for smarter urban design, DJ shares why actuaries need to look upstream—not just at where risk lands, but what creates it. Expect history, policy, politics, and a reading list that’ll keep you busy.

What Ancient Climates Teach Us About Modern Risk

In this special minisode of Almost Nowhere, we continue the conversation with Brandon Katz, Executive Vice President at KatRisk, recorded at the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.

Brandon, one of only a handful of insurance professionals with formal training in paleoclimatology, takes us back in time to explore how Earth’s ancient climate history can inform today’s catastrophe modeling and climate risk decisions. We discuss what long-term climate records reveal about variability, extremes, and uncertainty — and why looking millions of years into the past can help actuaries better understand the risks ahead.

A thoughtful add-on to our full episode on climate data and catastrophe modeling, this minisode is perfect for listeners curious about how deep climate science connects to modern insurance practice.

What Actuaries Need to Know (and Avoid) in Cat Modeling

Recorded live at the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, this episode of Almost Nowhere features Brandon Katz, Executive Vice President at KatRisk, in a deep dive on climate data, catastrophe modeling, and the limits of what models can tell us.

Brandon brings a rare perspective to insurance, with formal training in meteorology, climate science, and paleoclimatology, to unpack what we truly know about climate risk — and where uncertainty remains. The conversation explores how climate signals are (and aren’t) incorporated into catastrophe models, which perils have higher versus lower confidence, and how actuaries can responsibly interpret model outputs amid regulatory and stakeholder pressure.

We’re back from the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting—and kicking off a slate of new episodes with a quick minisode on something big: the AI Fast Track is now available on demand.

Alicia and Max break down why this shift matters, how you can fit it into your year-end CE plans (attestation season, anyone?), and what makes this course a solid way to level up before the ball drops.

🎁 Use code almostnowhere before December 15, 2025 for $100 off registration.

Learn more:

https://thecasinstitute.org/press_release/ai-fast-track-program-now-available-on-demand/

Rob Lieberthal joins Alicia Burke and guest co-host Brian Fannin in our final episode recorded at 2025 CLRS to unpack his CAS-funded research project focused on turning messy, unstructured claims data—like medical notes and adjuster reports—into actuarial insights using large language models (LLMs). From the promise of synthetic medical records to the limits of explainability, Rob shares how he and his team are building an end-to-end framework that could change how we work with complex claims data. Plus, hear how you can get involved and provide input as the project evolves.

Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli talk with Ted Rock, owner of Rock Roofing, about everything from storm chasers and hail claims to why insurers and contractors so often talk past each other. Ted shares an unfiltered view from the other side of the claim.

It’s a conversation about trust, timelines, and what happens when boots on the roof meet spreadsheets at the desk.

Following our conversation with TomTom’s Vinod Poomalai on personalized insurance and mobility data, Geoff Werner joins Alicia Burke and guest co-host Mallika Bender to go deeper into telematics. From harsh braking to pricing fairness, Geoff explains how telematics is evolving from add-on to centerpiece—and why actuaries can’t afford to ignore it.

They explore data portability, behavioral insights, equity concerns, and the role of telematics in claims, underwriting, and even urban planning. A must-listen for anyone serious about the future of auto insurance.

Max Martinelli and Alicia Burke pull back the curtain on sponsored episodes. Almost Nowhere will always feature thoughtful, unsponsored conversations—but we also partner with select companies that have something real to offer our audience. We’ll keep asking the hard-hitting questions you count on. No fluff.

Curious about sponsorship or ad opportunities? Reach out at podcast@casact.org.

When actuaries talk about location data, most are still thinking in zip codes. Vinod Poomalai of TomTom joins Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli to challenge that mindset—and introduce a new world of map, traffic, and mobility data that’s reshaping pricing, claims, fraud, and more.

This is our first sponsored episode of Almost Nowhere, created in partnership with TomTom. You’ll hear how one in four cars on the road today is powered by TomTom data, and how that data is now being used by insurers to improve loss ratios, sharpen driver scores, and even influence public infrastructure. Vinod also shares why small and midsize carriers shouldn’t sit this wave out—and how to get started without getting overwhelmed.

Dr. Anne Cope doesn’t just study storms, she builds them. In this episode, Alicia Burke and guest co-host Len Llaguno talk with the Chief Engineer of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) about the science behind resilience. From full-scale house destruction to wildfire ignition labs and hailstorms on demand, Anne shares how engineering, data, and insurance come together to drive real-world change.

They explore how research influences building codes, how insurers can use that data, and why actuaries have a critical voice in shaping the future of resilience. Whether you’re in underwriting, modeling, or policy, this one’s for you.

Sergey Filimonov is back—and the AI landscape looks radically different than it did just seven months ago. In this follow-up conversation with Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli, we explore what's changed, what’s been overhyped, and what’s only just beginning. From reasoning models and GPU economics to the race for decentralized AI and the energy crisis no one’s talking about, this episode cuts through the noise.

We also dig into the core message of Sergey’s newly published paper, “Bridging Data Divides: AI as a New Paradigm for Unstructured Data,” and why the real value of AI for actuaries isn’t just in replacing work—but in reshaping it entirely.

Read Sergey’s article in the CAS E-Forum

Beyond Borders: AI, Regulation, and the Global Evolution of Insurance

In this episode, Alicia Burke and guest co-host Mallika Bender sit down with Ran Guo, CAS Fellow and Country Director for China, to explore how insurance—and actuarial careers—are evolving across global markets.

From AI productivity tools and legacy tech challenges to rating regimes and emerging risks, the conversation traces how different cultures approach bias, data privacy, and innovation. You’ll hear how EV telematics is reshaping risk signals, why actuarial training varies around the world, and what the next generation of actuaries might actually be doing in ten years (hint: not using laptops).

Points, Perks and P&C: How Actuarial Thinking Powers the Loyalty Economy

What do airline miles, hotel points, and your favorite store rewards have in common with insurance reserves? More than you’d think.

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, hosts Alicia Burke (CAS Institute) and Max Martinelli (Akur8) sit down with Len Llaguno, FCAS — board member of the CAS and founder of KYROS Insights — to explore how actuarial skills are reshaping the $100B+ loyalty economy.

Len shares how his firm blends machine learning and actuarial science to help loyalty programs predict redemption behavior, manage liabilities, and design smarter customer strategies. From airline programs now worth more than the flights themselves, to surprising consumer red flags, to why actuaries may be the missing ingredient in industries far beyond P&C, this conversation shows how risk thinking travels.

Key themes you’ll hear:

• Why loyalty points are reserves in disguise

• The wild economics behind airlines’ biggest profit centers

• How consumer patience (or lack of it) reshapes program sustainability

• Why de-averaging data beats triangles every time

• And Len’s candid advice for actuaries who want to leap beyond insurance

If you’ve ever wondered where actuarial skills can create new value—or if you’ve just gamed a loyalty program for that free trip—you won’t want to miss this one.

On Chain, On Point: Reinsurance, Stablecoins, and the Tech That Actually Matters

Reinsurance, blockchain, capital structure innovation, and that “actuarial charm”—Jonathan Lim, FCAS joins Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli to map where the future of insurance is headed and who’s actually building it. From AI in underwriting to the hard truths about data silos, from the promise of stablecoins to the myth of fully autonomous insurers, this episode examines the shifts in risk, value, and tech adoption. If you've ever wondered what underwriting with DeFi looks like—or whether legacy carriers will keep up—we've got you.

What’s capital modeling really about, and why should actuaries care? In this episode, we sit down with David Mamane, FCAS, from RSM to unpack what capital modeling is, why it matters, and how it’s evolving.

David shares what it was like helping European companies navigate Solvency II, how capital modeling is moving from the CRO’s office to the CFO’s, and why understanding the full balance sheet matters more than ever. We also explore how AI is starting to shift what’s possible (and what’s not) in this space.

If you’ve ever wondered how pricing, risk, and capital actually connect, or how smarter capital modeling can give your team an edge, this one’s for you.

Reserving isn’t just about closing the books. It’s a signal. A feedback loop. Maybe even a warning. Why listen? Because ignoring reserves is risky business.

In this episode, we’re joined by Charlie Stone, Partner at Lane Clark & Peacock, and Brian Fannin, FCAS, to unpack why reserving deserves a front-row seat in strategy conversations. From deterioration trends flagged by the NAIC to using reserving insights for faster pricing pivots, we explore how reserves can be your secret weapon—not just a regulatory checkbox.

We talk about:

• Why ignoring the reserving-pricing feedback loop is a competitive miss

• How regulators (and you) can use machine learning to spot red flags

• Reserving for the unknown: inflation, catastrophes, and the surprises you can prepare for

• The promise (and pitfalls) of individual claims reserving

Whether you’re a pricing actuary, data scientist, or product leader, this episode will change how you think about reserves—forever.

Featuring Frank Chang, VP of Applied Science at Uber and Immediate Past President of the CAS Board

The growth set. What’s changing in the actuarial profession — and how do we flex the right muscles to grow?

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, Frank Chang joins Alicia Burke, Max Martinelli, and Josh Meyers live from the 2025 CAS Spring Meeting to talk about:

• How actuaries are solving non-traditional problems at companies like Uber and Google

• What needs to change in how we train, credential, and promote actuarial talent

• Why judgment is the irreplaceable skill in the age of AI

• And whether it’s finally time to bring Max back into the credentialing fold

You’ll also hear a debate about global AI adoption, a vision for modernizing actuarial work, and yes — a brief segment on everyone’s bench press max.

This episode is about finding balance: technical and human, tradition and innovation, strength and judgment.

Our guest, Kay Wakeman of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, is a trusted voice for insurance-embedded research.

Her CAS sessions are routinely standing-room only — and after hearing this conversation, you’ll understand why.

Join us as Kay helps answer some big questions:

• Which collision-avoidance systems actually reduce losses?

• Why are EVs both safer and more expensive to insure?

• How is speed-limiting tech reshaping conversations about regulation and underwriting?

• And could partial automation be doing more harm than good on real roads?

Whether you're an actuary, a product manager, or just someone wondering why your car keeps yelling at you — this episode is a crash course in what today’s safety tech gets wrong, and what the data says we should do next.

Recorded live at the 2025 CAS Spring Meeting in Toronto, this episode of Almost Nowhere separates the marketing from the math when it comes to vehicle safety tech.

In this episode, we talk with Jim Guszcza — former US Chief Data Scientist at Deloitte and current CAS Board Member — about what the future of AI should look like. We challenge the ideology of artificial intelligence, explore how actuaries can lead the shift to human-centered systems, and dive into the power of collective intelligence, participatory design, and explainability. If you’ve ever wondered how to build models that actually work — and what we’re missing when we treat AI as magic — this episode is for you.

Jim's latest publications

In this episode, we talk with Drew Hill, a product manager at Mutual Capital Analytics, about what happens when product, actuarial, and data science roles start to blend — and why that might be exactly what the future of insurance needs. We get into AI, upskilling, regulatory hurdles, model trust, and how cross-functional teams are reshaping product strategy from the inside out.

We are joined by Molly Mowery, AICP, a national leader in wildfire mitigation and land use planning. She’s the founder of Wildfire Planning International and co-founder of the Community Wildfire Planning Center.

We explore how data, AI, and smart planning are shaping wildfire risk mitigation across the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Molly walks us through the evolving tools and policies designed to protect communities, the challenges that come with rapid growth in high-risk areas, and what insurers and data scientists need to understand about the future of this growing threat.

Links Mentioned & Other Research:

• Molly’s Publication: Planning the Wildland-Urban Interface
• Could this Irvine neighborhood be the blueprint for a more fire-resistant L.A.?
• 2025 RPM Aligning Industries for Wildfire Resilience 
• KCC Wildfire Losses Whitepaper 
• Florida's wildfire season and weather: what's at play? 

This conversation takes a look at the aftermath of recent hurricanes, focusing on the restoration processes, challenges in building materials, and the complexities of insurance claims. The discussion highlights the importance of communication between contractors and insurance adjusters, the need for data transparency, and the evolving trends in construction and disaster preparedness. Insights from industry experts provide a comprehensive view of the current landscape and future directions.

In Episode 4 of Almost Nowhere, hosts Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli are joined by Howard Kunst, Chief Actuary at Cotality (formerly CoreLogic), to explore the evolving role of data science and AI in catastrophe risk management. Recorded at the Casualty Actuarial Society’s Rate Making, Product and Modeling Seminar (RPM) in Orlando, this episode explores the challenges of pricing insurance products amidst a changing climate and the innovations helping to mitigate these risks.

Howard shares his insights on how the insurance industry is adapting to new climate realities, with a focus on building codes, resilience, and the future of catastrophe modeling. The conversation also touches on the intersection of AI and catastrophe risk, highlighting real-time data solutions and the role of AI in enhancing catastrophe predictions.

As the industry faces rising natural disaster risks, Howard also discusses how data-driven approaches are reshaping the insurance landscape, ensuring insurers stay proactive and capable of adjusting to new realities. Whether you’re an actuary, underwriter, or risk manager, this episode provides valuable insights into the future of catastrophe risk and how AI and data science are playing pivotal roles in its evolution.

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, hosts Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli sit down with Devyn McNicoll, an actuarial and statistical consultant, to explore the evolving intersection of AI, data science, and the actuarial profession. Recorded live at the Casualty Actuarial Society's Rate Making, Product, and Modeling Seminar (RPM) in Orlando, this episode dives into the future of AI in the insurance industry and how it’s reshaping the actuarial landscape.

Devyn shares her reflections on a keynote address by a futurist discussing AI's rapid evolution and its implications for actuaries, particularly around automating tasks, improving efficiency, and enhancing decision-making processes. The conversation emphasizes the importance of human oversight in AI’s role within the industry and the challenges of embracing new technologies.

Devyn also opens up about her personal journey, transitioning from a traditional actuarial career to a more data science-focused role. She discusses how branching out into new areas of expertise can create new opportunities and drive growth for professionals in the evolving insurance landscape.

In this episode of Almost Nowhere, host Alicia Burke speaks with Sergey Filimonov, CTO at Matrisk, about the transformative power of AI in the P&C insurance landscape. They discuss the AI Fast Track Bootcamp, the challenges of working with unstructured data, and the evolving role of actuaries in an AI-driven world. Sergey shares insights from his journey in data science, the importance of evaluating AI outputs, and predictions for the future of AI technology. The conversation also touches on the implications of massive capital expenditures in AI, the global landscape of AI development, and practical advice for individuals and organizations looking to adopt AI solutions.

In this inaugural episode of the Almost Nowhere podcast, hosts Alicia Burke and Max Martinelli discuss the origins and goals of the AI Fast Track initiative, aimed at bridging the gap between AI advancements and the actuarial community. They are joined by Josh Myers, a key contributor to the program, who shares insights on course design, the importance of discussion boards for community engagement, and the evolving role of data in actuarial science. The conversation also explores the potential for personalization in insurance, international perspectives on rate making, and the future of predictive modeling. The episode concludes with advice for data professionals looking to enter the insurance industry and book recommendations from Josh.