45 to 60 min
Keynote
A signature main-stage talk that reframes how your audience thinks about AI, leadership, and the road ahead. Tailored to your event's theme.
Operator First. Strategist Always.
Awais Farooq
Keynote Speaker · Chief Claims Officer
The Future Isn't AI. It's Human Leadership.
“AI will continue to outperform humans in speed, scale, and detection, but it will never replace human connection.”
Venbrook◆State Farm◆Chubb◆Berkshire Hathaway GUARD◆Crawford & Company◆Wall Street Journal◆InsurTech Connect◆Venbrook◆State Farm◆Chubb◆Berkshire Hathaway GUARD◆Crawford & Company◆Wall Street Journal◆InsurTech Connect◆
The Book · Available now
The Future Isn't Fully Automated
Why Humans Still Matter in a High-Tech World
A field guide for insurance leaders navigating the AI era, built on two decades inside the claims operations of the world's largest carriers. Less prediction, more playbook.
- Why automation alone is a dead end
- The capability flywheel that compounds
- Leading teams through real transformation
The thesis
The future is augmented. AI will reshape how work gets done, but the industry's outcomes will be defined by how well people and technology work together, not by machines replacing people.
Awais Farooq
Human judgment
The hardest calls in claims still come down to people, not models.
Leadership
Technology shifts fast. Teams need someone to steer them through it.
Empathy
Behind every claim is a person having one of their worst days.
“Technology doesn't transform an industry. People do.”
About Awais
Operator first. Strategist always.
DesignationsCPCU®AIC®AIC-M®LPCS®
I'm the Chief Claims Officer at Venbrook and a nationally recognized voice on insurance transformation, leadership, and the future of work. Over nearly two decades across State Farm, Chubb, Berkshire Hathaway GUARD, and Crawford & Company, I've led large-scale claims operations and enterprise transformation, from catastrophe response to building a P&C claims organization from the ground up.
My belief is simple: technology will transform how insurance operates, but the most important moments in the industry will always require human judgment, leadership, and empathy. The organizations that win won't be the ones that automate the most. They'll be the ones that use AI to make their people sharper, faster, and more human in the moments that matter.
Education
MS, Insurance Management
Boston University
BA, Human Performance Management
Immaculata University
Recognition
- Making Waves Award Winner, Industry Thought Leader
- RISE Professionals Mentor of the Year
- RISE 35 Under 35
- National Board Member, Asian American Insurance Network
0yrs
In insurance & claims leadership
0
Tier-one carriers led through change
0+
Leaders reached from the stage
Signature Keynotes
Four talks that reframe how leaders meet the moment.
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how insurers process claims, assess risk, and serve customers. But the biggest transformation will not come from technology alone.
This keynote explores how AI will redefine workflows, decision-making, and leadership across the insurance enterprise.
Rather than asking whether AI will replace human roles, the conversation focuses on how organizations can design operating models where technology enhances human capability.
Audience Takeaways
- What AI will realistically change inside insurance organizations
- Where human judgment will become more valuable, not less
- How leaders should prepare their workforce for the next decade
Automation is creating new capacity inside insurance organizations. The most important leadership question is what companies choose to do with it.
This keynote explores how insurers can redeploy talent toward higher-value work, improved customer experience, and innovation rather than simply reducing cost.
Leaders will learn how to rethink workforce strategy as technology reshapes operational roles across the enterprise.
Audience Takeaways
- How automation will reshape insurance job roles
- Why workforce strategy must evolve alongside technology
- How organizations can unlock new value from existing talent
Periods of rapid technological change often create uncertainty within organizations. Employees worry about their roles. Leaders struggle to align teams around transformation strategies. Cultural resistance slows progress.
This keynote focuses on the leadership behaviors that help organizations successfully navigate disruption.
Drawing on real experiences leading transformation initiatives across multiple insurance organizations, Awais shares lessons on how leaders can guide teams through change while maintaining trust and performance.
Audience Takeaways
- Leadership behaviors that build trust during transformation
- How to align teams around a clear strategic vision
- Lessons from real industry modernization efforts
As technology reshapes industries, leadership must evolve alongside it.
This keynote explores how leaders can maintain strong cultures, develop talent, and inspire teams while navigating rapid technological change.
The conversation focuses on how human-centered leadership will become even more important in organizations increasingly shaped by automation and data.
Audience Takeaways
- Why leadership will matter more in an AI-driven world
- How to build resilient teams during industry disruption
- The leadership capabilities organizations must develop for the future
Media & thought leadership
Trusted on the stages and pages shaping the industry.
Featured in
Selected writing
Next Gen Claims: What is a Claims Adjuster in 2026?→Turn Risk Into Opportunities→The Nobility of Insurance: A Perspective on Humanity and Empathy→Navigating Catastrophic Property Loss: An In-Depth Look at Risks and Industry Evolution→Litigation at a Tipping Point: Why Insurers Must Fight Back Now→Learning by Doing (Chief Transformation Officer Exchange)→
Selected speaking
InsurTech Connect (ITC Vegas)
PLUS (Professional Liability Underwriting Society)
Chief Transformation Officer Exchange
Operational Excellence Week
The AI Journal
Temple University
InsurTech America Symposium
Complex Claims & Litigation Forum (PropertyCasualty360)
Young Risk Professionals
RISE Professionals Leadership Summit
Pacific Claims Executive Association (PCEA)
Insurance Tech & Innovation (ITI)
Public Agency Risk Manager Association (PARMA)
Podcasts & Appearances
A steady presence across the shows shaping the conversation.
Risk Insurance DialoguesArtificial Intelligence PodInsurance SyncWhat's the Scenario? with PLRBClaims Never SleepNavigating Cyber RiskClaims ConversationsWhatfixAIPOOOLRisk Insurance DialoguesArtificial Intelligence PodInsurance SyncWhat's the Scenario? with PLRBClaims Never SleepNavigating Cyber RiskClaims ConversationsWhatfixAIPOOOL
The Only Constant: A Playbook for Change LeadersInsurance NerdsOmnistructRISE ProfessionalsRoloff ConsultingSimon KucherWisdom WednesdayFiveMThe Only Constant: A Playbook for Change LeadersInsurance NerdsOmnistructRISE ProfessionalsRoloff ConsultingSimon KucherWisdom WednesdayFiveM
On LinkedIn
The conversation, as it happens.
Posts open on LinkedIn. New writing appears here as Awais publishes.
Ways to work together
Built for your stage, your team, your moment.
Half / full day
Workshop
An interactive working session for leadership teams. We move from big ideas to a concrete plan your people can act on Monday morning.
30 to 60 min
Fireside & Panel
A moderated conversation or panel appearance, candid and unscripted, drawing on two decades inside the largest carriers.
Ongoing
Advisory
Strategic guidance for carriers navigating transformation, from claims modernization to building AI-augmented teams that last.
Check availability→
Virtual or in-person, worldwide.
Let's talk
Bring this conversation to your stage.
Booking a keynote, exploring an advisory engagement, or want updates on the book? Send a note. I read every one.
Or connect on LinkedIn →