The delegated authority (DA) and insurtech sectors are undergoing rapid transformation, with automation, data, and compliance now at the heart of growth strategies for carriers, MGAs, and brokers alike. VIPR Solutions has become a central player in this evolution, processing more than £10 billion in premiums and experiencing record customer growth.
At the center of this momentum is chief revenue officer Tony Russell (pictured), who joined VIPR at a pivotal time and has helped steer the company through a period of reinvention and expansion.
For Russell, the decision to join VIPR Solutions was all about recognizing untapped opportunity. “The word potential is the first I would use,” he said. “The organization has been around for 16 years, and built a good profile, but the delegated space is growing. There was demand for automating systems. I saw a fantastic opportunity.
“The system had been tried and tested – it was a no brainer. Eighteen (18) months later, I am even more excited. Last year we grew by 42%. We’re on track to beat that this year.”
That momentum is being driven by a market hungry for efficiency and scalability. “The market is growing, so we’re looking to help expedite the whole supply chain. We want to make the DA environment functional.”
As the DA market expands – driven by the rise of MGAs, specialty lines, and the need for speed and compliance - VIPR’s growth reflects broader industry trends. According to industry reports, the global insurtech market is projected to grow at a double-digit rate through 2025, with delegated authority models gaining traction as insurers seek greater flexibility and access to niche markets.
VIPR’s growth is not just about new customers, but about supporting them at scale. “Demand is coming from the client base. They see delegated as a really good business model if they can do it affordably. Most people in London are looking to expand,” Russell explained.
To keep pace, VIPR has overhauled its commercial and customer success teams, ensuring that existing clients receive as much attention as new ones. “We don’t want to just get new business and forget about the existing customers. We have redeveloped the way we integrate the system. The processes and procedures we deliver are to budget and on time. We are also now revamping the back office and we made sure our helpdesk and update procedures had been revamped. We have completely reinvented the company.”
As VIPR’s client base has grown, so too has the need for smarter, more scalable technology solutions - paving the way for the company’s next phase of innovation.
Automation and artificial intelligence are at the heart of VIPR’s strategy. “We’ve always had some sophisticated algorithms. We’ll take all the data and map it to the standards. In terms of AI, it’s real and we’ve embraced it. We’re looking for areas of business impact - we’re not just trying to find a home for it,” Russell said. “We’re about to launch a switchable AI component. Also, we look at how we can use it for testing, development and expediting what we need.”
The focus is on practical, business-driven applications that deliver measurable value, rather than adopting technology for its own sake. As regulatory and data demands increase, these tools are becoming essential for DA participants that want to keep pace.
The DA space is not without its challenges, of course, including regulatory pressure and data complexity. VIPR’s approach is to standardize and streamline data from the outset. “Once we get the data from whoever the partner is, we cleanse that to a standard. We take the data and store it in an environment where it can be reported in a consistent manner,” Russell explained.
This approach not only supports compliance but also enables clients to scale efficiently. “Going forward, people are looking to scale and get their percentage of that growth of the market, and unless they’re doing that efficiently they can’t do it. We have brokers and syndicates working with us – we can automate the data being sent between them.”
VIPR’s customer success philosophy is built around flexibility and partnership. “It’s different for every kind of customer,” Russell said. “We’re seeing a lot more of our customers now looking to have a global footprint. Delegated is now being taken seriously whereas 12-18 months ago, it was a side of the desk job. Now what we’re seeing is that if we can improve that process by adding automation then the whole delegated space can achieve its potential and gather momentum.”
VIPR’s roadmap for 2025 is focused on connectivity and actionable data. “The single most exciting one is connectivity. We’re looking to link customers to their partners. We’ll take data directly from their systems. We’ll be able to distribute that data around the business. By bringing that exposure data in, they can get granular data on what the likelihood of loss is.”
This focus on seamless data flow and real-time analytics will help clients make better decisions and respond faster to market changes and as the insurance industry evolves – particularly through MGAs and specialty lines – Russell sees both opportunity and risk. “We’re dealing a lot in North America where you’d think they’d have sophisticated tech, but the space we deliver into has been left behind,” he said. “The opportunity is to take a straightforward process to get the data, bring it in and work with it. So we can simplify that, expedite it and I think that’s where the dollars are.”
For insurance firms looking to modernise their DA operations or embark on a digital transformation journey, Russell encourages a strategic, open-minded approach. “Come and talk to us. We are a supplier, we are arguably the largest at the moment, so go and talk to someone who understands what the possibilities are. Don’t just automate what you do now. Make a mind-step change. Take a step back, look at what you’re planning to achieve.”
