1 Nov · 21 min

Diya Sawhny, Head Comml Strategy & Head Customer Engagement, Moody’s Insurance Solutions: Beyond the slip: how connected intelligence is changing underwriting (421)

Underwriters have access to more data than ever before, but how much of the risk are they actually seeing? A submission might identify two ports and one supplier, while the reality is a far more complex network of exposures. According to Diya Sawhny (https://www.linkedin.com/in/diya-sawhny-8227157/), Head of Commercial Strategy and Head of Customer Engagement at Moody's Insurance Solutions, connecting these hidden relationships could fundamentally change how insurers assess and price risk. Joining Matthew Grant on the podcast, Diya explains how knowledge graphs, connected intelligence and AI are making it possible to bring together information that has traditionally been scattered across multiple systems. Drawing on her experience across property, casualty and financial risk analytics, she explores how insurers can move beyond the information provided in a submission to develop a more complete understanding of the businesses and assets they insure. The discussion examines the practical impact of better risk intelligence, including a case study where combining credit, financial and company data helped a US specialty insurer identify opportunities to improve underwriting profitability. Diya explains how removing the riskiest 10% of a surety portfolio in a historical test resulted in a reduction in loss ratio of more than 50%, demonstrating the potential value of applying established analytical capabilities to new areas of insurance. They also explore how AI is changing the way insurers access and use information. From automating the preparation of exposure data to making sophisticated analytics available through AI agents, Diya explains why the next generation of insurance technology will depend on more than powerful models. Reliable, governed data and insurance-specific expertise will be essential if these tools are to support decisions that underwriters can trust. Looking ahead, Diya shares her perspective on how connected intelligence could help insurers identify previously overlooked concentrations of risk, develop new insurance products and make more informed decisions without adding complexity to underwriting workflows. In this episode you'll learn: - Why traditional insurance submissions often fail to reveal the full extent of a company's risk exposures - How knowledge graphs connect corporate ownership, supply chains, property information and physical risk data to give underwriters a more complete picture - What a US specialty insurer's surety portfolio reveals about the potential impact of predictive risk scoring on underwriting profitability - How financial and credit risk analytics can be applied to casualty underwriting, including D&O, surety and trade credit - Why connecting existing datasets can be more valuable than simply collecting more information - How property characteristics such as roof condition, tree overhang and building occupancy can improve risk assessment and catastrophe modelling - Why data governance, verification and auditability are critical to the successful adoption of AI in insurance - How generative AI and model context protocol (MCP) could make risk data and analytics more accessible within existing underwriting workflows - Where AI agents could reduce manual data preparation and support faster, more informed underwriting decisions - How partnerships, acquisitions and internal innovation are shaping the next generation of insurance analytics Diya's podcast recommendations Diya shares two podcasts she enjoys listening to for perspectives on financial markets, politics and current affairs: - The Real Eisman Playbook with Steve Eisman: Exploring financial markets, investment trends and economic developments, including the property and casualty insurance sector. - Left, Right & Center: Bringing together different political perspectives to explore the issues shaping the United States.