October 2022, Singapore – Ancileo has appointed Soraya Essalhi as its Chief Operating Officer, who will step into the role to optimize service and technology delivery and the overall customer experience as the insurtech scales amid an upsurge in availing travel insurance and the travel industry bouncing back post-pandemic.
A 20-year travel insurance veteran, Soraya was former head of transformation and digital at Allianz Partners, where she led the global onboardings of travel partners within the insurer’s ecommerce digital solutions across all markets and sub-segments such as airlines, online travel agencies (OTAs), and banks.
Prior to assuming the role, Soraya assumed leadership roles for business support and account management to help accelerate the growth of Allianz Partners business on B2B2C and ecommerce platforms.
Olivier Michel, Ancileo Founder and CEO, said: “I am excited to welcome Soraya, as her track record in scaling travel insurance portfolios globally and the customer centricity it requires are a great addition to our team and our mission to be both a reliable technology provider as well as consultant and intelligence partner to insurance players who are keen to grow their business with and through us.”
Soraya Essalhi, the newly appointed executive based in Paris, France, said: “I was impressed with how Ancileo helps insurers and all its partners tap into flexible and customizable insurtech solutions. It’s a powerful, unique offer, so I’m happy to share the industry knowledge as well as partnership and implementation experience I’ve amassed over the years. I’m drawn to its laser-sharp focus on helping insurers build and grow a profitable travel insurance portfolio and seize opportunities for the long term.”
Ancileo’s software as a service (SaaS) platform powers the distribution of embedded travel insurance for some of the most recognized travel brands in the world such as Etihad Airways, Scoot, One Vasco, and some 15 other partners that include a top 3 Chinese OTA and a top 5 global hospitality group.
It delivers customized digital solutions that complement existing insurer legacy systems, empowering them to partner with any distribution ecosystem and tap into entirely new growth opportunities.
The appointment comes on the heels of Ancileo receiving strategic investment from Fermion (part of Silverlake Axis, a Singapore-listed company – SGX: 5CP), which builds primary ecosystems across the insurance industry and working with over 150 insurers in 27 markets, in June 2022.
The funding is poised to help insurers improve and modernize their insurance distribution models, where Ancileo gains access to some 230 banks and 150 insurers to offer digital transformation solutions for embedded insurance.
“Our new COO is in a strategic, well-aligned position to help Ancileo deliver not just robust, secure, enabling digital technology solutions but also deep expertise and know-how in travel insurance that will help insurers build and grow profitable portfolios,” Olivier added.