Simon Glairy stands at the forefront of a paradigm shift in the insurance industry. As a senior vice president overseeing a massive personal lines portfolio, he has not only delivered record profitability but has fundamentally reimagined the relationship between a carrier and its customers. His work champions a move away from the traditional, reactive model of insurance toward a proactive partnership, leveraging technology and a deep sense of mission to protect what people value most, long before a loss ever occurs.
You champion a shift in insurance to being a “partner in protection.” What were the biggest hurdles in changing this customer perception, and can you share a specific story of how this proactive approach made a tangible difference for a policyholder before a loss ever occurred?
The biggest hurdle, honestly, is history. For generations, we’ve taught customers that insurance is a promise we fulfill only after something terrible happens. At the end of the day, we’re selling a promise, and in the traditional model, insurance is only there to make you whole if you experience a loss. That’s how most customers perceive its value. Shifting that mindset is a huge undertaking. We had to show, not just tell, that we could provide tangible value every single day. I think of the first time we got a note from a policyholder whose Ting device flagged an electrical arcing fault in their wall. An electrician found a major fire hazard that would have gone unnoticed. That family didn’t have to experience a devastating fire; they just felt a sense of relief and security. That’s the tangible difference—we didn’t just pay for a new house, we helped them keep the home they love safe.
You’ve successfully rolled out free risk-prevention technology like Ting and LeakBot. Can you share some key metrics showing their impact on preventing losses, and walk us through the journey of taking one of these devices from a pilot program to a standard offering for customers?
The journey from pilot to a standard offering was really driven by our core mission to create real value beyond a claim. When we first explored concepts like Ting for electrical hazards or LeakBot for water lines, there was a lot of industry buzz around “predict and prevent,” but few were putting it into practice at scale. We started with a focused pilot to see if customers would even use them. The response was incredible. People felt empowered. They had peace of mind knowing something was monitoring their home. We saw this not just as a loss-reducing tool—though it certainly is—but as a massive driver of engagement. When we provide a licensed electrician or plumber and cover parts for a necessary repair found by the device, we’re building a relationship of trust. That trust, and the tangible protection, is what convinced us to make it a free, standard offering for our policyholders.
The Focused Driving Rewards app is unique because it’s open to non-customers. What was the business strategy behind this inclusive approach, and what data can you share about its success in improving driver safety or creating new business leads?
The strategy was simple: safer roads benefit everyone. Distracted driving is a public health crisis, and we felt a responsibility to be part of the solution, not just the financial backstop. By making the app available to everyone, we’re investing in the entire driving ecosystem. The app coaches people to break dangerous habits, like picking up their phone, and rewards them with things like gift cards. It’s a positive reinforcement loop. While it certainly introduces our brand to potential new customers in a very positive way, the primary goal was bigger than lead generation. If we can get consumers thinking about how they can make roads safer, ultimately it benefits everyone—our policyholders, other drivers, pedestrians, everyone. It’s a long-term investment in a safer society, which is a win for us all.
You’ve driven impressive growth in the smart home program, reaching almost 20% of new writings. What are your key strategies for hitting the next tenfold growth target, and what is a surprising lesson you’ve learned about what truly motivates customers to activate these devices?
The growth has been phenomenal, going from a negligible number to being included on almost 20% of new writings this year. To hit that next tenfold increase in active devices over the next two years, we need to double down on what’s working: making it seamless, valuable, and deeply integrated into the customer experience. But the most surprising lesson has been that the motivation isn’t purely financial. Customers don’t activate these devices just for a discount. They do it because they’re trying to protect the things they care about. The true motivator is the emotional component—the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re actively preventing a disaster. Our strategy is to lean into that. We’re not just selling a policy; we’re providing a service that empowers people to safeguard their homes and families. That’s a far more compelling reason to engage.
You delivered record profitability in personal lines. How do you balance the need for disciplined underwriting with bold investments in cutting-edge solutions? Could you describe a time you had to make a tough call between a short-term financial goal and a long-term innovation?
That’s the central challenge, isn’t it? My entire focus is guiding the organization to achieve growth through both disciplined underwriting and the adoption of cutting-edge solutions. They aren’t mutually exclusive; they’re two sides of the same coin. A great example was the initial decision to offer devices like LeakBot free of charge. The short-term view would be to see it purely as an expense—a cost hitting the bottom line with no immediate return. I had to champion the long-term vision. The data showed that a single prevented water claim could pay for hundreds of devices. More importantly, it would build loyalty and retention in a way a simple price point never could. It was a calculated risk, a bet that investing in our policyholders’ safety would ultimately be the most profitable and sustainable path forward. That bet has paid off, delivering those record turnarounds.
Fostering collaboration between your product, analytics, and underwriting teams is central to your role. Can you describe a specific initiative where this synergy was crucial, and detail the steps you took to align these diverse teams toward a common, successful outcome?
The smart home program is the perfect case study for this. It simply wouldn’t exist without tight, cross-functional collaboration. We have over 260 associates across these teams, and getting them aligned was critical. It started with a shared vision. I brought the leaders from product, analytics, and underwriting together and framed the mission not as “launching a new product,” but as “redefining how we deliver value.” The product team identified and vetted the technology. Analytics then built the models to understand risk reduction and customer engagement. Underwriting had to figure out how to integrate this into our core offerings in a way that was simple for agents and customers. The key was constant communication and a unified goal. We weren’t just a product team launching a gadget; we were one team becoming true partners in protection for our customers.
Your volunteer work with YWCA is focused on providing shelter and safety. How does this personal passion connect to your professional mission of protecting people’s homes, and in what ways has it shaped your leadership philosophy?
The connection is incredibly direct and personal for me. My work with both YWCA and Habitat for Humanity constantly reinforces a fundamental truth: providing shelter and safety are foundational to life and health for families. It’s the bedrock upon which everything else is built. This passion isn’t separate from my day job; it’s the very heart of it. It shapes my leadership by keeping me grounded in the human element of what we do. We aren’t just managing a portfolio of risks; we’re protecting people’s sanctuaries, their stability, their lives. It fuels my drive to innovate, to push beyond the traditional model, because I see firsthand what’s at stake. It makes the mission to prevent loss, not just pay for it, feel urgent and deeply personal.
What is your forecast for the evolution of the carrier-customer relationship in the P&C industry over the next decade?
The transactional relationship is becoming obsolete. My forecast is that over the next decade, the lines between insurance, home services, and safety technology will continue to blur. Customers will expect their insurance partners to be active participants in their lives, providing real-time insights, preventative services, and personalized support that goes far beyond a policy document. Carriers that fail to make this shift—that continue to see their only role as sending a check after a catastrophe—will struggle to remain relevant. The future belongs to those who truly embrace being partners in protection, using data and technology not just to price risk, but to actively reduce it and enhance the well-being of the people they serve.
