In this instalment of our Q&A series, we sit down with Gari Gono, Head of Customer Solutions, to talk about the focus behind Send’s platform, the value of industry exposure, and what truly separates modern underwriting transformation from the buzzwords that surround it.
What initially drew you to Send and what made the company stand out from your previous roles?
There were two sides to it. One was what Send is doing in the market, and the other was my own personal view of what matters in underwriting technology. What pulled me in was the clarity of focus here. Send is built around a specific, real problem underwriters face. I have worked with plenty of technologies in previous roles that try to cover too much and end up overwhelming users. Send’s direction feels different. It is defined, grounded, and aimed at an issue that is worth solving. That level of focus made the decision very simple.
When you look back at your career so far, what experience has been most valuable in your work at Send today?
The time I have spent with real underwriters throughout various roles has been the most important. In consulting, I approached underwriting from a vendor-agnostic perspective, focusing on how processes could be improved regardless of the tools in use. That experience gave me a clear understanding of what truly adds value in underwriting workflows. Now, at Send, I work on software that underwriters actively choose to use, tools designed to make their work more efficient and effective. Every interaction, challenge, and insight I’ve gained along the way helps me bring a genuine customer perspective to everything we build. It may seem like a long journey, but the combination of hands-on experience and technology development has been essential in shaping the approach we take today.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different. If I strip it back to the foundations, my day revolves around working with our tech and delivery teams to shape solutions that make sense, bring value, and can actually be delivered in a short timeframe. It takes different forms depending on the project, but the core of it is guiding teams to a clear, achievable answer.
Is there anything you are working on right now that you feel will have a big impact for Send and your customers next year?
There’s a lot in motion at the moment. Internally, we’re focused on strengthening processes and governance to make scaling the business more consistent and repeatable, something that has become increasingly important as we’ve grown. For our customers, we’re working on fully automating underwriting for business classes where automation makes sense. This will deliver substantial value and has the potential to change how the specialty market approaches underwriting for certain lines, setting a new standard for efficiency and effectiveness.
What do you think truly differentiates Send’s approach from others in the market?
The focus. Many companies will say yes to everything, which slows delivery and makes it hard for clients to stay clear on what they should ask for. If you tell someone you can do everything, they will ask for everything. Send has a very specific view of the problem we solve. The platform orchestrates what underwriters need to do in one place without pretending to be every system. Customers can still keep the tools they rely on, such as their rating engines or policy admin systems, and Send acts as the orchestration engine to tie it all together. That solves a real challenge in the market.
How do you help customers distinguish between what they think they want and what will genuinely move their business forward?
I rely on a technique I learned very early in my career. Keep asking why. It helps peel back the layers until people reach the real value they are trying to achieve. Often, the solution becomes clearer once the goal is clearer. Another advantage at Send is the amount of customer exposure across the team. We have all seen different organisations approach the same problem in different ways, and that collective experience helps customers think about their choices more effectively.
What do you think has driven Send’s momentum and recent growth?
The market has struggled with the sheer number of systems involved in underwriting. For traditional insurers, they could be chair-swivelling between 7-10 different systems. Send gives them one structured place to work while still allowing them to use the systems they want to keep. Customers who first believed the workflow problem could not be solved are seeing that it is solvable. That proof has driven a lot of interest and confidence.
You work closely with teams across the business. How do you keep coordination smooth and aligned?
It all comes down to people. Everyone on the team understands the importance of their role and how it connects to the bigger picture. Coordination doesn’t need to be forced; it happens naturally because people recognise their responsibilities to each other. As the business grows, we’re putting more structured processes in place to preserve that clarity, but the real foundation is a team of exceptionally talented individuals who grasp both the value of their work and the accountability that comes with it.
How does the culture at Send compare to the rest of the market?
It is the lowest ego environment I have ever seen. Everyone understands the mission and moves in that direction together. There is no ownership mentality of “this is mine, stay away.” There is no competition to outshine someone else. It is team first, always. A lot of that comes from the founders. They get involved at the right level and treat conversations like a sounding board rather than a top-down instruction. It sets a tone that filters through the whole organisation.
If you could remove one misconception about modernising underwriting workflows, what would it be?
There’s a common misconception that adding more technology automatically creates a modern workflow, but that’s not the case. True modernisation comes from improving the process itself. Technology should enhance and support the workflow, not hide its inefficiencies. The discipline of underwriting isn’t going away; what needs refining is the journey from submission to policy. With the right tools, that path can be streamlined, but technology alone cannot replace the need for clear, thoughtful process design.
Connect with Gari on LinkedIn here.