Q&A with Adam Nunes, Sixfold’s New Sales Director
How long have you been working in the insurance and insurtech industry? Tell us about that!
There’s an old adage in the insurance world: you were either born into insurance, or you tripped and fell into it. I’m firmly in the former category! Insurance has always been the family business, and I started my career quite literally at the footstool of our family agency.
I began on the distribution side of the business, working as a producer, but over time, I realized the value I could bring to insurers by being a part of the technological change for good.
And after being part of the insurance ecosystem for so long, I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve witnessed during your time in the insurance space?
The easy answer is to say “AI” and “Machine Learning.” And yes, those are monumental advancements that are already transforming how carriers operate. But they won’t change the core business of insurance.
To me, the bigger shift has been the role the business now plays in technology decisions. With so many new tools focused on solving business problems, underwriting leaders need to be active stakeholders in technology decisions, rather than passive consumers.
To me, the bigger shift has been the role the business now plays in technology decisions. With so many new tools focused on solving business problems, underwriting leaders need to be active stakeholders in technology decisions, rather than passive consumers.
There’s an overwhelming number of options and decisions to be made to modernize underwriting. That’s why it’s more important than ever for the business to drive decisions and to collaborate closely with their partners in IT.
What was the first product or service you ever sold?
That’s an easy one—insurance! I’ve been around the industry since before I could walk, and it was the very first product I learned to sell.
What’s unique about selling insurance is that it’s not a tangible good. You really have to understand someone’s business and their risks before you can make the right coverage or policy recommendation.
That mindset of trying to understand before making a recommendation has been something I’ve carried with me throughout my career. At the end of the day, technology is only as valuable as the business problem it solves.
With underwriting technology evolving rapidly, how do you approach understanding and anticipating the needs of customers in such a fast-moving space?
Anticipating a customer’s tech needs starts with understanding their business. I’m an insurance person first and, a technologist second. And while technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the core business model of insurance hasn’t really changed.
The most important part of my job is understanding the nuances of how each insurer operates, so I can help guide them toward solutions that solve their unique business needs, while also taking into account where they are today.
How do you stay on top of the latest industry trends?
I’m a voracious reader of insurance content and trends, but honestly, my greatest learnings come from the friends I’ve made along the way, the peers I respect deeply, and the clients I work with.
One of the beautiful parts about the insurance community is that there’s always something new to learn and people who are willing to share their knowledge. It’s amazing how helpful folks are when you’re genuinely trying to learn.
Looking back at your career, what are some key lessons you've learned that you plan to bring to your role at Sixfold?
There are two main lessons I’ve learned along my career. The first is that insurance has been and always will be a people business. Even though insurance companies are large, complex organizations, they’re made up of incredible individuals who genuinely want the industry to be a force for good.
The second lesson is incredibly important: selling software can be challenging–but buying software for a large, complex organization is even harder. That’s especially true when the technology is new and evolving quickly. It’s important for us to remember that in every interaction.
The second lesson is incredibly important: selling software can be challenging–but buying software for a large, complex organization is even harder. That’s especially true when the technology is new and evolving quickly. It’s important for us to remember that in every interaction.
That’s why I don’t see my mission as “selling” software, but as helping insurers make an informed, consensus decision about the best options available to them.
What do you think sets Sixfold apart in this space and what excites you the most about joining the team?
While Sixfold is the first generative AI solution built specifically for insurance underwriting, what really excites me is that Sixfold is solving problems that have challenged insurers for years. Whether by solving the front door problem for P&C carriers or bringing the right medical context to life & disability underwriters, Sixfold addresses real-life business problems.
We meet underwriters where they are—we don’t ask them to change how or where they work.
Besides, insurers today face IT resource constraints, legacy systems, and never-ending implementation cycles. Sixfold inverts the paradigm. We meet underwriters where they are—we don’t ask them to change how or where they work. We prioritize explainability, and we don’t need an army of tech resources to get up and running quickly.
Want to join Adam and the rest of the Sixfold team? Check out our job openings here.
