Ash Jokhoo is the brilliant ‘creative technologist’ currently leading the digital transformation transition at Direct Line Group – one of the UK’s most prominent insurance providers. 

His greatest preoccupation involves using the latest technologies to serve customers more efficiently. And although he describes the insurance industry’s attitude to change as ‘somewhat glacial’ but is passionate about its potential to provide well for its consumer customers, and for many wider industries. 

Johkoo’s past experiences have seen him work with Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic team in the transformation of Virgin Atlantic, British Gas and various UK Telco’s TalKTalk, Tiscali and BT – as an implementer of change strategy and someone who embraces and drives innovation with passion and velocity. 

Tell us about your current role, what it involves and what you do on a day-to-day basis.

Sure. My focus is on customer-centric growth and technology innovation. I prioritise balancing transformation with modernisation and cost management, ensuring strategic investments enable sustainable progress. Building and empowering a brilliant team is key in driving effective capabilities across the business. While my early tenure involved groundwork, our progress now warrants sharing my amazing team’s achievements and the speed in which we will be modernising with technology in 2024/5.

Tell us a bit about your background as a ‘creative technologist’

Throughout my career journey, my focus has always been on driving innovation and leveraging technology to enhance growth and address fundamental challenges in various sectors. I’ve had the privilege of working in highly regulated environments such as telecommunications, where consumer safety and focus are paramount. Organisations like Ofcom, Ofgem, and the CAA/FAA have set standards for excellence, serving as beacons of maturity in regulatory capability.

My background has equipped me with the skills to navigate and inform complex regulatory landscapes while driving transformative change. From building broadband networks for the NHS Spine and Reuters at British Telecom to spearheading start-ups like Tiscali and TalkTalk, I’ve been at the forefront of technological innovation. These experiences have shaped my approach to problem-solving, emphasising the importance of customer-centric solutions and disruptive technologies.

At TalkTalk, we revolutionised the telecommunications industry by offering competitive pricing and innovative services, challenging established players like Virgin and BT. Our vision was clear: to provide customers with superior options and drive competition in the market. The success of TalkTalk underscored the power of technology to transform industries and empower consumers.

Following my tenure at TalkTalk, I embarked on new challenges, including a transformative role at British Gas/Centrica, where I played a pivotal role in driving operational focus and cost structure review. The journey involved setting up innovative ventures like Hive and navigating the evolving landscape of energy services, contact centre modernisation and building great high performing teams. Creativity is also about doing less with more. Removing cost and complexity is a specialism, doing it creatively to leap competition is an art.

My career trajectory reflects my passion for innovation and my commitment to driving meaningful change. Joining Direct Line Group represents the next chapter in my journey, where I look forward to leveraging my expertise to shape the future of insurance and deliver value to customers in new and exciting ways.

How did you become involved with Direct Line and is there a story there? What drew you here?

Before joining Direct Line Group, I had the privilege of contributing to the remarkable turnaround at Virgin Atlantic during the final years of COVID-19. The experience of reinventing the business fueled my passion for change and innovation, leading me to explore new opportunities at Direct Line Group. I learnt so much from the executive at Virgin. Risk, reward and making bets with surgical precision. I’ll never forget my time there.

Transitioning here felt like a natural fit for my background as a creative technologist, especially in the context of the evolving insurance sector with its regulatory shifts and consumer focus, was balanced with modernity and cost structures to stay ahead.

Direct Line Group represents a new chapter, where I aim to shape and help accelerate some pretty established views with perhaps a different lens of the future of insurance. Forward-thinking strategies and customer-centric solutions, using things that are well understood outside of Insurance.  Driven by curiosity, passion, and a commitment to meaningful change. Bring it on!!

Do you think the insurance industry needs to widen the net and take on people with skills from multiple industries? 

The fact that the industry is reinventing itself and re-imagining the art is what is inspiring me because competition breeds performance and performance is better for customers. If you are stuck and everyone’s doing the same thing and relatively the customers and consumers are not feeling the difference, then that’s not OK. It’s not OK for everyone. 

I absolutely believe new ideas are what are required. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for core insurance capability and SME expertise that is always at the core of any sector that I’ve been in, there are always capabilities that are quite frankly essential.

You cannot do your business without them. I think these capabilities are all slightly misunderstood, but they are extremely creative and want to be part of a different way using their expertise. That’s where I come in with my team… we are now in a world, in an era where you cannot ignore technology, data and digital. It augments their capabilities so they become bionic but also exceed customers’ expectations, with far better, beautifully resolved journeys. This is where I think external (to insurance) mindset and thought processes really make a difference.

What are the main challenges that are facing insurers right now in the UK market specifically?

Direct Line operates exclusively in the UK market, and as a leader in this field, we must address various challenges. Rising inflation, increasing claims costs, and global economic volatility impact the insurance landscape significantly. In the UK motor insurance sector, factors like evolving car technology, such as electric vehicles, contribute to longer and potentially costlier repair processes. Moreover, advancements like Driverless Systems (ADAS) add complexity to risk assessment and pricing but are better for customers safety of course!

Beyond motor insurance, we face challenges in home insurance due to climate change, evident in the increased frequency of weather-related events like floods and storms. These occurrences, once considered unprecedented, have become more frequent, indicating a new norm.

In addition, shareholder and investor expectations heighten pressure on business leaders to innovate and adapt. Discussions around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its application in enhancing customer experiences are now imperative at the executive & board level. Furthermore, combating fraud remains a persistent challenge in this dynamic macro environment.

The confluence of societal, economic, and technological factors, coupled with the real impacts of climate change, poses significant hurdles for the insurance industry in the UK. I think modern CIOs have to be able to solve for some of these things through data, digital and technology. I have no concerns about this ability. Bring it on!

How important is the role of Insurtech to an industry giant, like Direct Line

Sharing is so important. Knowledge transfer and being able to discuss these strategic challenging issues is essential. And the ability to connect to a network.

I am new to insurance, I’ve been here two years, and so I never discount the valuable insight of insurance expertise across the industry. And insurtech is part of that. So supporting and enhancing customer experience whilst also impacting what we are doing at Direct Line Group, that is the role I think of insurtech and having an open mind that all technology will really drive the benefits that we’re looking after and what we’re trying to get as an industry. However, many ideas have been solved so much more simply outside of insurtech. We ignore these at our peril.

Your role as A CIO involves managing teams, bringing people on board, holding them together, and retaining that talent through some very difficult times. So are there any strategies that you personally employ to maximise good team management? 

Being authentic is paramount, unlike what many in the industry portray as a core value. It’s not just a slogan; authenticity builds trust, crucial for fostering open and honest collaboration within management teams. Defensive attitudes hinder progress, while openness and trustworthiness, traits valued at Direct Line Group, facilitate effective leadership. Transitioning from Virgin Atlantic to Direct Line required cultural alignment for me, given my role as a member of the executive committee  with over a thousand employees under my supervision. Creating an environment where failure is discussed openly is equally vital. Not just focussing on the enormous successes we have had and are driving.

In response, the interviewer emphasises the importance of embracing failure, albeit swiftly and infrequently. Recognizing that perfection is unattainable, especially in times of transformation, is key. The insurance industry, often fixated on flawless execution, must embrace the reality of setbacks. Effective risk management includes retrospectives to identify areas for improvement and lessons learned. Encouraging dialogue about failures enhances Direct Line Group’s effectiveness and performance. With Consumer Duty, the balancing act is about ensuring that the impacts are not detrimental – so you do not impede progress in digital but allow innovation to progress to improve positive customer outcomes.

If you could transform one big problem within the insurance industry with a click of your fingers, what would it be and why?

I wouldn’t necessarily label it a problem, but rather an aspect deserving heightened attention: genuine customer centricity. Let me illustrate with the Direct Line Group. We’ve established labs where actual ‘real’ customers engage with our products and offerings. This approach, free from the veneer of agencies or forums, offers genuine insights. We watch, listen and allow them to use out beta apps, websites and new ideas/products that are coming.

I believe this focus needs amplification industry-wide. It’s about understanding the customer experience deeply and using that understanding to drive meaningful change. When we truly listen to our customers, we’re compelled to act. It’s a pivotal aspect that I would urge both our competitors and our industry to embrace and enhance.