Today’s Podcast is all about innovation and today’s guest has been responsible for doing more of it than most. James Slaughter is Chief Underwriting Officer at Apollo Group, a Lloyd’s business that has been behind collaborations and new product launches galore in recent times. Be it exploring semi-automatic underwriting and the application of artificial intelligence, the development of its own ibott syndicate, helping launch a parametric syndicate, or other specialist start-ups focusing on risks as diverse as Cyber, Drones, employee parental benefits or unlocking new business from Africa, Apollo has become one of the go-to market enablers for innovation in the London Market in recent times. James is always incredibly direct as an interviewee – and what you see is what you get – I find he’s exactly the same person whether the microphones are switched on or off. And that’s why this Episode is such a treat, James always says what he thinks - and it’s clear he thinks a lot more than most. Listen on and you’ll learn a lot about what is coming down the track, how some of the vanguard technologies are best being exploited and which of the newest developments at the insurance cutting edge James is most excited about. It’s breathless stuff – I had a lot of fun recording this one and I think you’ll enjoy a listen.   NOTES:Abbreviations: UNL – Ultimate Net Loss. In this context it is shorthand for traditional contract-of-indemnity insurance versus a parametric insurance structure. GUA – the General Underwriters Agreement, which is a leading underwriters agreement designed to govern and streamline how amendments to subscription market placements can be carried out, often allowing a leader or leaders to bind on behalf of following markets. ICX and TCX – Lloyd’s class of business codes for innovation and the energy transition respectively. LINKS:We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: https://www.advantagego.com