Press Releases 2026

‘How VOLKSWOHL BUND is shaping customer?centric growth with partnerships and AI’
- Interview with Stefanie van Holt on the balance between personal proximity, digital efficiency and sustainable growth in broker sales

Under the focus topic ‘Driving Customer-Centric Growth,’ Stefanie van Holt, member of the Executive Board of VOLKSWOHL BUND Versicherungen, provides insights into the company's strategic direction in the run-up to insureNXT 2026. In the interview, she explains how VOLKSWOHL BUND is strengthening personal contact with its sales partners, using modern technologies responsibly and thus driving customer-centric growth.

‘Agentic AI as a game changer – why transparency, trust and willingness to learn are decisive for success’
- Interview with Hamidreza Hosseini on the real added value of AI in the insurance industry

Artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the insurance industry – from process optimisation and new business models to customer-centric communication. However, there is still a gap between pilot projects and productive use in many companies. In the run-up to insureNXT 2026, digital and AI strategist Hamidreza Hosseini, CEO of Ecodynamics, explains how insurers can make the leap from idea to scalable implementation, what role agentic AI systems play in this, and why governance, transparency and training are the key success factors for a sustainable AI strategy.

"Transformation often begins with a conversation you never planned to have"
- In this interview, Tobias Krüger talks about openness, responsibility and the future viability of organisations

Focus Topic 3, ‘Shaping Insurance of the Future,’ at insureNXT 2026 asks the central question of how insurers can actively shape the future – through resilient structures, new forms of collaboration and the courageous use of technology. This is not just about regulatory stability or digital efficiency, but about a profound cultural and organisational transformation: How can we connect an ageing workforce with new talent, use agentic AI responsibly and create a working environment in which hybrid human-agent teams can reach their full potential? Tobias Krüger, CEO of Hello.Beta, discusses precisely these topics in the following interview – with a focus on how companies can not only anticipate the future, but consciously shape it.

"Customer centricity is not a buzzword – it will determine the future of insurers."
- Interview with Stephanie Peterson on the opportunities and challenges of true customer centricity.

For Focus Topic 2 of insureNXT 2026 – ‘Driving customer-centric growth’ – we spoke with Stephanie Peterson, Chief Customer Officer at AXA, about the opportunities and challenges of true customer centricity in the insurance industry. Peterson is considered one of the most important voices for customer centric transformation in the insurance environment. She will also speak on this topic at insureNXT 2026. In the interview, she explains why true customer centricity goes far beyond digital tools, how personalisation can create trust instead of surveillance, and why the insurance industry is not as ‘low interest’ as many believe.

„AI in practice, customer-centric growth and future viability in focus”
- Congress trade fair for the insurance industry on 20–21 May 2026 in Cologne

insureNXT 2026 focuses on the transformation of the insurance industry. It centres on three topics that will shape the industry in the coming years: the use of artificial intelligence as a competitive advantage, customer-centric growth through new sales and service approaches, and the creation of resilient and sustainable organisations. The aim is to classify current developments, discuss concrete solutions and provide impetus for a resilient insurance ecosystem.

„Scaling innovation from in- & outside the organization”
- insights from insureNXT 2025

At insureNXT 2025, it became clear that successful scaling of innovations in the insurance industry is based on clear strategic foundations, not on isolated pilot projects. Insurers that pursue a small number of prioritised fields of innovation achieve a more sustainable impact. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), API-first approaches and cloud-native platforms not only enable more efficient processes, but also new approaches in claims processing, product development and customer service.

“Setting sails towards growth – the marketing & sales view”
- insights from insureNXT 2025

insureNXT 2025 made it clear that marketing and sales in the insurance industry are facing a fundamental change. New digital possibilities, changing customer behaviour and technological developments open up a wide range of opportunities - but also require structural and cultural adjustments.

“Unlocking the full potential of artificial intelligence”
- insights from insureNXT 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from an innovation driver to a strategic core technology in the insurance industry. At insureNXT 2025, it became clear that individual applications such as chatbots or process automation are not enough to create sustainable added value. Instead, what is needed is an overarching, strategically anchored use of AI to rethink processes and exploit entrepreneurial potential.