12 Questions with Seraina Macia
Welcome to 12 Questions, a Q&A series where we pose the same set of 12 questions to intriguing folks at the intersection of insurance, risk management, commercial real estate, and digital innovation.
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This week, we chat with Seraina Macia, CEO & Co-Founder of Joyn Insurance.
1. What is the most interesting idea you’ve encountered in your world lately?
My friend’s company, BanQu. It is a for-profit company with a purpose. Essentially, BanQu leverages blockchain technology to shine a light on the entire supply chain and provide the people on the last mile with an economic identity so that they can participate in the economy and give them a chance to be lifted out of poverty.
2. Where do you think no one is looking right now?
I believe the space that we at Joyn Insurance as an insurtech are focused on – which is the lower end of middle-market commercial insurance – is wide open for innovation. The marketplace is fraught with customer and broker pain points, legacy processes, and a lack of congruent data and modern technology. While there are many other insurtechs, we don’t see anybody looking at this space in the same holistic way we do.
3. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your industry?
I would fix our legacy technology and move everyone onto a modern cloud-based technology stack.
4. What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?
Interacting with my team. They are so passionate and very impressive in how they don’t accept the status quo in our industry, but – instead – look for new ways to deliver commercial insurance in a joyful way.
5. What do you envision the next 12 months will bring?
I think the world is becoming more and more unpredictable, but my hope is that the next 12 months will bring us more stability – in particular with regard to the ongoing challenges with the pandemic.
6. What’s your favorite building?
The Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna. It has interesting architectural shapes, incorporates the environment, is colorful, and looks like a friendly place to live in with good energy.
7. Please dispel a myth or misconception about your work.
A lot of people view insurance as boring. They forget that nothing works without insurance and our industry literally touches every aspect of human endeavor from the most simple things in life to something like putting a rocket into space.
8. What are the tools, apps, or gadgets that you just can’t live without?
The most obvious one – my iPhone!
9. What’s your biggest pleasant surprise related to remote work?
I love the fact that you are able to get meetings set up with much less notice. Before Covid, it would sometimes take weeks to find a mutually convenient time with business partners, but, in today’s environment, I feel that people are generally more available.
10. What’s your favorite productivity tip for staying motivated and getting work done?
Take breaks.
11. What or who do you read/watch to keep informed?
I know it sounds kind of boring, but I love the Economist and I try to either read or listen to it every week, in addition to reading daily Economist Espresso emails.
12. Please nominate folks who should answer this next.
Thank you to Gary Kaplan, President of Construction at AXA XL, for nominating Seraina for 12 Questions.
Suggest someone we should feature next.
