Case Study
When families need protection most: How Reassured is transforming into the UK's Intelligent Life Insurance Broker
From treating customers as all the same to understanding them through life's most important moments
But volume metrics don't capture what really matters. Each "lead" in the system represents someone thinking about their family's security, their children's future, or their partner's financial well-being if the worst happens. These are some of the most important decisions people make.
The real challenges include:
Conversations about mortality require understanding, not just efficiency A typical life insurance call takes 45 minutes to an hour, involving hundreds of questions – subjects require empathy and emotional intelligence, not automation and data collection.
Expensive, lengthy training Getting a call centre agent ready takes nine months. New agents lacked the experience to navigate complex cases effectively, leading to longer calls, frustrated customers, and unsuitable policies.
No lifecycle understanding Without a single customer view, each interaction starts from zero, missing the opportunity to genuinely support customers through life's journey.
Scattered insights despite rich data Despite capturing incredibly detailed information through every call, this valuable understanding sat trapped in unused datasets.
Blunt decision-making Customer routing was crude: under 24? Digital channel. Over 24? Call centre. No intelligence, no nuance, no consideration of individual circumstances or the complexity of what each person needed.
The business strategy was clear: Reassured needed to evolve from transactional interactions to lasting relationships built on understanding and trust. Families needed a broker who recognised them, remembered them, and supported them through life's changes – not just when they were buying a policy.
The challenge
Life insurance is a promise to protect the people you love most when they need it most.
Reassured is the UK's largest life insurance broker, helping families secure their futures. Over 20 years, they have built their market-leading position through volume – the most sales agents, the most calls, the most leads.
"A 20 year old's cover is very different – they might need cover because they're buying their first flat. That could be really different to a 55 year old's cover where they're interested in leaving a legacy for their family."
Beth Whelan, Chief Data & Insights Officer, Reassured
Our approach
Why Reassured chose FOIL
Reassured needed partners who understood that technology means nothing without strategy, and to deliver strategy with success, requires a true understanding of the problem.
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We didn't start by recommending AI and machine learning. We started by understanding what Reassured actually needed to achieve – and why.
"The first step wasn't just 'you need AI, ML.' But actually tying it back to something real and tangible to Reassured – ultimately what we realised was it was all about their customers.."
— Mish Naik, Head of Strategy, FOIL
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Before proposing solutions, FOIL sat down with Reassured to understand what data existed, where it could go, and what questions it could answer.
"One of the first things we did when we landed was sit down with them and really understand what data exists, where could they go, what questions can we answer."
— Mish Naik, FOIL Head of Strategy
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FOIL understood what Reassured needed wasn't technology to replace people – it was intelligence to help humans do what they do best.
"Reassured is a people business, and for us using data and AI is about complementing that human experience and that journey. It's not about replacing people. We do think that human touch is still important in this journey where customers are trying to understand what they might need for their protection."
— Beth Whelan, Chief Data & Insights Officer, Reassured
"Working with FOIL goes way beyond the traditional consultancy approach. One of the great services we've been able to benefit from is the FOIL Talent Program – we can bring in new data capability that sits within our organization, but we get all the benefit of FOIL support in developing that talent and growing that talent."
Beth Whelan, Chief Data & Insights Officer, Reassured
The solution
Three-Step Plan to a Customer Centric AI Transformation
FOIL built a comprehensive data strategy that transforms how Reassured understands and serves customers – while keeping people at the heart of every decision.
The focus today | Data Integration
A single customer view connects 15 years of fragmented customer interactions. Segmentation analysis discovered natural customer groupings in the customer book. Pattern baselines helped to establish what "normal" looks like for each segment
The mid-term focus | Data Intelligence
With the data understood, Reassured are preparing themselves to: find tomorrow's best customers from today's engagements - through look-alike scoring, understand how similar customers behave over time - through cohort analysis, and with predictive indicators, they can identify early signals across population segments.
The long-term goal | Operational Intelligence
Once Reassureds mid-term focus is established, they can now expand that intelligence to the running of the business; matching customers to agents based on historical patterns, dynamic prioritisation through real-time scoring and lifetime proactive intervention to predict lifetime events requiring support.
This connected data roadmap, enables Reassured competitive advantage by putting the customer at the heart of what they do.
"One of the first things we did was sit down with them and really understand what data exists, where could they go, what questions can we answer.."
Mish Naik, Head of Strategy
The results
Intelligence that changes everything
Reduced training time
Data-driven insights enable new employees to make informed decisions from day one, dramatically reducing the nine-month path to success.
Journey for growth
Moving from volume-based thinking to intelligent family lifecycle approach demonstrates strategic maturity, social purpose, and sustainable competitive advantage that resonates with investors.
The right customer outcome
Proactive intervention and better matching between customer needs and channel/agent capabilities reduce costly policy changes.
Regulatory confidence
Data proving Reassured's excellence in serving families from more deprived communities provides clear justification for commission structures in FCA market studies.
Optimised resource
The insight gathered collectively enables strategic prioritisation, ensuring high-value opportunities receive appropriate attention.
Enhanced relationships
Corporate partners benefit from Reassured's enhanced ability to truly understand and serve the families who trust them.
"From my perspective, data is the new oil. FOIL has helped us have that deeper understanding of customers, meaning we can effectively serve them and give them the best experience that's right for them."
Beth Whelan, Chief Data & Insights Officer, Reassured
Understanding complexity leads to powerful personalisation A 20-year-old buying their first flat needs different protection than a 55-year-old planning their legacy. Data intelligence enables personalisation at scale while maintaining the human touch.
Sensitive conversations require human connection – technology should enhance it, not replace it Life insurance involves mortality, health vulnerabilities, and family fears. AI can provide intelligence and efficiency, but the emotional intelligence and empathy must remain human.
Your data tells stories about the people you serve Reassured discovered they excel at serving more complex, underserved communities. Data gave them evidence to prove their value and defend their approach to regulators and partners.
Key Takeaways for Leaders