INFUSE Recap: Why Strong Foundations Will Define Underwriting in 2026

Underwriting transformation is often framed as a technology conversation. Faster systems, smarter automation, better pricing tools, more data, and more AI. As the market moves into 2026, the real differentiator is becoming much clearer. It’s not, can insurers adopt new technology? It’s have they built the operational and data foundations needed to make the technology work at scale?

That was the focus of Send’s latest INFUSE webinar, where host Tony Tarquini was joined by Matt Carter, Practice Director, Insurance Specialty Markets at Altus Consulting, Daryn Upil, who leads international technology at The Hartford, and Kevin Klestinski, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer at SECURA Insurance. Together, the panel explored a timely question for insurers: What does it really take to build an underwriting engine fit for 2026 and beyond?

The answer was consistent…strong foundations are no longer back-office housekeeping. They are what make speed, trust, adaptability and AI value possible.

Foundations are not boring plumbing. They are a competitive advantage.

In insurance, tech foundations rarely get the spotlight. Data quality, system alignment, decision logic and workflow design can feel less exciting than automation, digital distribution or AI. But the panel was clear that these unglamorous capabilities now sit at the heart of underwriting performance. As Daryn Upil put it, “speed and automation are increasingly table stakes. The real question is can you trust the output?” Trust only comes when systems are aligned, data is usable, and there is a clear source of truth behind every decision. Without that, automation does not remove risk, it amplifies it, helping organizations make bad decisions faster. That stands out as insurers race to prove AI value. Many firms can run a pilot on a clean, narrow dataset. Far fewer can take that pilot into live production and scale it across the enterprise. The moment they try, issues like inconsistent data fields, unclear ownership, gaps in workflow, and fragmented systems begin to emerge and underwriters who do not fully trust the result. The lesson is simple: Perfection is not required but a strategy is. Insurers do not need flawless data to move forward. They need enough structure, discipline and clarity to ensure that what works in isolation can also work in production.

Legacy is not just old technology. It is fragmentation, duplication and drag.

The discussion also challenged a common misconception around legacy environments. The issue isn’t just that systems are old. The real problem is that many underwriting environments have become fragmented over time, with disconnected platforms, duplicate logic, manual workarounds and inconsistent data processes. Matt Carter argued that modernization should not be treated as a rip-and-replace exercise. Instead, insurers need to be much clearer about intent and prioritize. What is truly core? What can be modular and composable? Simply, what needs to get out of the way? That shift in thinking matters. You can’t treat it like a low bearing wall in a house.  Now, we have more practical ways to modernize around the core without destabilizing the business. The goal is not just newer systems. It is a digital core built on clean data, interoperability, strong integration layers and security, all designed to support flexibility. Kevin Klestinski added another dimension to the legacy problem is talent. Long-standing insurers often rely on systems that have served them well for decades. As younger talent enters the market, there is a widening gap between the technology people use in everyday life and the systems they encounter in the workplace. Insurers are trying to attract and retain modern underwriting talent, and legacy systems are becoming a people challenge as much as a technology one.

Better underwriting decisions start with better design.

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the webinar was that technology alone will not improve underwriting. To get the full benefit of AI, automation and data, insurers must rethink how underwriting work is designed in the first place. That means understanding which decisions matter most, who should make them, what information they need, and how that information should be presented. Underwriting is increasingly a decisioning business. The challenge is no longer just collecting data. It is turning growing volumes of signals into decisions that are timely, accurate and effective. For Matt, the future underwriting organization must make sure work is routed to the right worker, with the right knowledge, at the right time. That sounds simple, but it requires substantial redesign behind the scenes. It means reimagining processes, simplifying handoffs, making knowledge more accessible, and ensuring underwriters are supported by systems that enhance judgment rather than overwhelm it. This is where new technologies can have a transformative effect, only if organizations are willing to redesign around them. As Tony Tarquini observed during the discussion, AI cannot simply be dropped into existing ways of working. Processes need to be re-engineered to get the best from it. This doesn’t mean the role of the underwriter becomes less important. It’s quite the opposite.

The technical work may change. The human judgment will not disappear.

As underwriting becomes more data-rich, some parts of the role will become faster and more automated. External data sources can increasingly tell insurers about building construction, location, crime exposure, weather risk and other critical underwriting factors. AI and workflow automation can reduce manual effort, support triage and improve consistency. Overall, the panel was equally clear that underwriting will remain a balance of art and science. Kevin Klestinski made the point powerfully. Insurers may soon know more than ever about the physical attributes of a risk but they still will not know everything that matters. They may not always understand the character of a business owner, the culture of an organization, the seriousness with which a company approaches safety, or the strength of a broker relationship. Those soft skills require conversation, commercial instinct and human judgment. Underwriting isn’t becoming less human, it is becoming more demanding. As technical data becomes easier to obtain, underwriters will spend more of their value on interpretation, relationship management, negotiation and the judgment calls that sit beyond the reach of a model. It’s reassuring for those who fear technology will erase the profession to focus on how their role will evolve as more of the technical groundwork is handled by machines.

Data quality matters most when it affects decisions

The panel returned repeatedly to the role of data, but with an important nuance. Data quality should not be approached as a generic hygiene exercise. It should be tied directly to underwriting outcomes. Daryn Upil suggested starting with the decision itself. What breaks when the data is wrong or missing? Does it affect quote turnaround? Referral quality? Portfolio insight? If the answer is yes the data matters. If no, insurers should be careful not to waste time obsessing over data that has no material impact on decision-making. This is a more commercially grounded way to approach data strategy. The goal is not perfect data. It is decision-fit data. This distinction matters enormously for AI adoption. If underwriters are presented with outputs they do not trust, confidence can collapse quickly. One highly visible error can set adoption back significantly. Therefore, trust is not a soft concept. It is a real operational dependency. Insurers need to be able to explain where the data came from, how decisions were generated, and why an output should be trusted. This will not emerge overnight. It needs to be built progressively, through smaller use cases, clear feedback loops and explainable outputs that help people understand the logic underneath the recommendation.

Leadership must create focus, not just urgency

Another important discussion point centered on leadership. How do insurers create enough space to solve the right problem when the pressure to launch quickly is so intense? Kevin’s answer was focus. Insurers are facing constant pressure from the market, from vendors and from internal stakeholders eager to move on AI, automation and digital transformation. Everything cannot be prioritized at once. Leadership teams need to decide what really matters, what plays to their strengths, and what will support their strategy over time. That means staying close to what makes the business distinct. It could be service, product expertise, underwriting discipline or distribution strength. Technology should reinforce that advantage, not distract from it. Matt and Daryn added that leadership maturity is also about accepting the shape of the journey. Sometimes insurers need to move slowly at the beginning to move faster later. And, they must be comfortable with incremental progress, rather than waiting for a perfect end-state that never arrives.

The real underwriting winners in 2026 will be the ones who can adapt safely

As the webinar wrapped up, the panelists each landed on a similar idea from different angles. Matt emphasized that underwriting transformation is a journey, not a destination and trust must be actively managed along the way. Daryn reinforced that strong foundations are what allow insurers to move fast and safely, and to respond when disruption comes rather than scrambling after it. Kevin returned to the importance of focus, urging insurers to be clear on their priorities, strengths and the value they want technology to unlock. Together, these perspectives offer a reality check for the market. That it needs sharper prioritization, stronger execution, and a clear focus on the data, workflows, and trust that help drive underwriting outcomes. That is how you protect and lean into your secret sauce.

The insurers that get those foundations right will not just be ready for 2026; they will have an underwriting engine built for what comes next.

Watch the full webinar here.