Helping insurance companies navigate change to capture growth opportunities and create value in an increasingly digital world
What we do
Strategy
We build enduring value by identifying future growth opportunities across lines of business, market segments, and geographies.
Transformation
We unlock an organization’s full potential, achieving a competitive advantage by leveraging new technologies reimagining every facet of operations.
Productivity
We improve performance through digital innovation in products, services, processes, and business models.
Impact at a glance
Examples of our work
Scaling a holistic-agile transformation
A large European insurer sought to strengthen its market position by developing the ability to respond to conditions faster and in a more dynamic way. We supported an enterprise-wide agile transformation that included setting a target and vision, leading an end-to-end pilot, and scaling impact across the entire organization, including the introduction of a new IT organization. Management layers were reduced from seven to three, and average product time to market decreased from six months to six weeks.
Developing a cross-industry ecosystem
A leading Asian insurer wanted to expand beyond its core product offering to become the dominant financial-services company in the region. We developed a growth strategy driven by diversification and M&A, and designed an integrated organizational structure to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve cross-selling capabilities. The insurer created an ecosystem that spans seven business categories and serves more than 350 million customers.
Devising an enterprise digital strategy
A leading North American insurer was looking to differentiate its digital capabilities from those of competitors. We partnered with the insurer to develop an end-to-end digital strategy specific to each business unit and prioritized capabilities that would generate outsized bottom-line value and establish the insurer a digital leader in several critical areas. The execution achieved quick wins, long-term ROI, and sustainable digital capabilities across the organization.
Enhancing the quality of underwriting execution
A national multiline-US insurer wanted to improve its midmarket profitability. We performed a detailed diagnostic to understand the root causes of underwriting performance and designed an integrated set of initiatives that included improved analytics, frontline routines, tooling, and underwriter guidance. The program significantly reduced variability among underwriters in risk selection and pricing decision.
Supporting an agency overhaul
A large Asian insurer needed to turn around a declining agency force and improve both capacity and productivity in a highly competitive market. We supported the client on a multiyear program that consisted of bettering core operations, developing digital tools and analytics models across the agency value chain, and rolling out a company-wide effort. The program set the agency force on a growth trajectory and achieved sustainable productivity improvements.
Embedding analytics across claims
A leading global insurer sought to fundamentally reimagine the claims function in a competitive European market. We supported the design and delivery of a program encompassing more than 20 use cases that provided intelligent decision augmentation across the claims value chain. Working closely with the client, we established a new analytics capabilities consisting of data scientists, data engineers, business translators, and user interface (UI) developers; built a series of reusable data assets by consolidating internal and external data; and established additional safeguards around the deployment of AI-related risk and fairness standards.
Featured Experts

Umar Bagus
PartnerJohannesburg
Leads McKinsey’s work in insurance and advanced analytics in Africa; advises companies on advanced analytics and digital transformations...

Violet Chung
Senior PartnerHong Kong
Supports digital and innovation in financial services across Asia and Greater China, serving clients with digital transformations,...

Luís Cunha
Senior PartnerCasablanca
Leads our Banking, Insurance, and Risk practices in EEMA, advises clients on strategy, operations, and organization—with a particular...

Kweilin Ellingrud
McKinsey Global Institute Director and Senior PartnerMinneapolis
Leads insights and discussions on the future of work, gender equality, racial equity, and productivity. Serves clients across...

Bernhard Kotanko
Senior PartnerHong Kong
Serves insurance and asset management companies in Asia–Pacific and globally on large-scale strategy and transformation programs...

Jaime Morales
PartnerMedellín
Jaime is the leader of the McKinsey Latin America insurance practice. Helps companies across sectors transform and grow by developing...

Dr. Jörg Mußhoff
Senior PartnerBerlin
Coleads the firm’s global insurance work and leads the European insurance sector; advises executives and financial-services organizations...

Fritz Nauck
Senior Partner, and Chief Risk OfficerCarolinas
Advises financial services executives as they set and pursue new strategies to achieve sustained financial performance; advises...

Elixabete Larrea Tamayo
Senior PartnerBoston
Brings a depth of experience in serving property-and-casualty insurers, specializing in designing next-generation operating models...
Featured Insight
Case Study
Aviva: Rewiring the insurance claims journey with AI
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By instilling a digital first culture augmented by AI, Aviva is settling claims faster, more accurately, and with better outcomes for customers