Business-Driven Innovation Requires Fresh Perspectives #
Equisoft champions business-driven innovation. We help insurers and investment firms solve real challenges—modernizing operations, improving customer experience, and accelerating growth. But achieving that takes more than just technology. It requires fresh thinking, diverse perspectives, and a sharp focus on the people behind every process.
That’s why we partner with visionaries like artist WHATISADAM, creativity expert Duncan Wardle, and customer experience strategist Doug Lipp, both former Disney leaders. Over the past few years we’ve made them a part of our events to showcase to our clients what we stand for: bold ideas, human-centered innovation, and solutions that deliver real outcomes.
WHATISADAM – Blending Innovation and Tradition #
At CAILBA 2025, Equisoft partnered with Montreal-based artist WHATISADAM to bring the event theme—“Growing the Future: Tradition with Innovation”—to life in a bold, visual way. Known for his ability to remix iconic Canadian imagery with a modern edge, WHATISADAM was the perfect fit to interpret the transformation of life insurance distribution through an artistic lens.
At the conference, the mural itself became a centerpiece for conversation. It featured symbolic imagery from both the insurance industry’s heritage and its digital future—tied together by powerful words like “Transformation,” “Growth,” “Trust,” “Innovation,” “Confidence,” and “Promise.”
Duncan Wardle – Equipping Clients to Think Differently #
At Elevate, our annual customer event, Duncan Wardle—former Head of Innovation & Creativity at Disney—delivered a keynote that challenged attendees to rethink how innovation happens. His message resonated with a truth our clients know well: you can’t expect creativity without giving people the tools to be creative.
Drawing from his Disney experience, Duncan shared simple, powerful tools like “What If” and “How Else?” to help teams break free from legacy thinking and spark new solutions.
By bringing in Duncan, we gave our clients a firsthand look at how curiosity and creativity can drive meaningful change.
Doug Lipp – Reinventing Customer Experience from the Ground Up #
At the previous year’s Elevate, we invited Doug Lipp—former head of training at Disney University—to share how the legendary brand built its reputation for delivering exceptional customer experiences. His message: great customer experience isn’t accidental—it’s cultural, intentional, and operational.
Doug outlined key lessons from Walt Disney’s leadership that resonate deeply with the challenges facing life insurers today. He spoke about the power of “walking the park”—getting direct input from frontline staff and customers. He encouraged leaders to adopt a “Yes, if” mindset that welcomes big ideas instead of shutting them down. And he emphasized thinking big while acting small—taking calculated risks to build toward a larger vision.
By bringing Doug to Elevate, we created a space for life insurance leaders to learn from one of the world’s most customer-obsessed organizations—and to see how principles from outside the industry can unlock new ways of thinking inside it.
Conclusion: Visionaries Who Reflect Our Purpose #
WHATISADAM, Duncan Wardle, and Doug Lipp each brought something different to the table—art, creativity, and customer experience—but they all helped us tell the same story: that meaningful innovation in insurance is often sparked by perspectives from outside it.
By inviting these visionaries into our events, we’re showing our clients who we are and what we value. We believe innovation means combining modern solutions with the human connection that’s always defined great service. That creativity needs structure and tools to thrive. And that delivering a strong customer experience in life insurance requires intentional design—not just at the point of sale, but across every interaction.
When you're deep in the challenges of core modernization or digital transformation, it's easy to focus only on technical solutions. But some of the biggest breakthroughs can come from voices far outside your usual circle—people who challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and bring a new lens to customer experience.
So here’s a question worth considering:
How can you strengthen your own transformation by bringing in unique, talented experts from outside the traditional insurance industry?
At Equisoft, we’ve seen firsthand the value of this kind of cross-industry collaboration. And we’re not done yet.
The final question we’d like to leave you with today is:
Who should we partner with next?
