CFC is undergoing a major change across many parts of its business. Daniel Keeler, who leads digital underwriting and joined the company seven months ago, has already seen how deeply these changes are taking hold.
According to Keeler, half of the company’s departments are involved in some form of reorganization or improvement. What makes this effort stand out is how connected the teams are. Everyone understands how their work affects others and takes responsibility for their own role.
One example is the product team, which is designing new insurance coverage that is clearer and offers better benefits. Instead of making small tweaks here and there, the teams work together on big, coordinated changes that make CFC’s products stand out.
Change at CFC is a group effort. Rather than having one innovation department in charge, each department head leads innovation efforts in their area. George Beattie, the head of innovation, started the idea, but now all leaders are involved. Keeler describes this as a “team-sport approach” where everyone shares ideas and pushes improvements within their own teams.
This way of working is different from many companies where innovation is often kept in one place. At CFC, leaders spread responsibility and make sure teams have the freedom and accountability to take action. Keeler says this encourages creativity and keeps people engaged.
One big challenge has been updating technology without disrupting daily work. Changing computer systems and platforms takes time, sometimes years, but the business can’t stop in the meantime. The company carefully chooses what to update and when to balance progress with stability.
For digital trading, a special team is working over the next two years to improve trading capabilities. This aims to keep brokers happy while new technology is being built behind the scenes. Keeler points out that CFC has planned which parts can work now and which depend on future technology.
Digital trading involves all business done through CFC’s platform, Connect, or through partners using APIs. It includes underwriting, operations, and broker relationships. Before bringing in outside vendors, the company makes sure it clearly understands what the technology must achieve.
Keeler shares three main rules for choosing partners: know exactly what results are wanted, run a strong proof-of-value process to check abilities, and pick partners who share similar values and ways of working. This ensures smoother cooperation and better outcomes.
Looking ahead, CFC sees change as ongoing and company-wide. It’s not about one project or one group but a continuous process where every team plays a part, every process gets better, and every partner is carefully chosen. Keeler sums it up simply: transformation is a journey everyone takes together.