Automation, Digitization and Data with Deb Waters, Chief Technology Officer at Aegon

Life Accelerated

Step into the world of innovation and visionary leadership within the life insurance space. Meet Deb Waters, a true technologist and trailblazing force behind the digital transformation of Aegon N.V.. As Chief Technology Officer and esteemed member of the Management Board, Waters thinks of digital transformation as an end-to-end process, beginning with infrastructure and resulting in first class customer and distributor experience.

On this episode of Life Accelerated, host Anthony O'Donnell sits down with Deb, and together they delve into her simplification of core systems and of the customer experience powered by emerging data sources and capabilities as well as the challenges that companies like Aegon face in the process. Waters shares her insights on employee retention and attraction, and the importance of creating interesting job roles. Additionally, she discusses the digitization of the retirement experience and the importance of customer feedback in the development process. Tune in to hear about the current status of Aegon and their progress towards digital transformation.

Key Takeaways

• Digitization will continue to be a priority, and specifically, continuity in the technology architecture is crucial for simplifying the end-user experience.

• Moving to cloud-based software solutions is important for scalability and growth, as it allows automatic capacity expansion and eliminates the need for ordering and bringing items into a data center.

• Improving the advisor experience, in an agile way, is key for digital transformation so that advisor concerns and client feedback is heard and solutioned.

Timestamps

[00:00 - 01:53] Introduction to Deb Waters and Aegon N.V.

[01:53 - 04:29] What led Deb into her current role and what she does at Aegon

[04:29 - 05:28] The history of Transamerica and when Agon came into the US market as the acquirer of Transamerica

[05:28 - 06:52] How Aegon think about digital transformation in the US

[06:52 - 08:17] Some of the most important business challenges faced by life insurers and how technology can address them

[08:17 - 11:17] The importance of utilizing cloud

[11:17 - 13:10] The importance of data and data quality in the insurance industry

[13:10 - 15:47] ChatGPT and using it to your advantage in insurance

[15:47 - 18:54] Concrete initiatives that are happening at Aegon

[18:54 - 10:47] How Agon has experienced the talent challenge and retaining employees

[20:47 - 22:34] How Aegon works with employees in different geographical areas

[22:34 - 24:37] What Deb would identify as the major external issues thatcher and her insurance industry executive peers are facing

[24:37 - 26:00] What Deb would identify as her three indispensable initiatives for digital transformation

[26:00 - 26:50] Closing

Resources

Connect with Deb on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-waters-41b90a1/

Learn more about Aegon https://www.aegon.com/