“The best ideas arise when different perspectives come together”
A CEO conversation
Michèle Rodoni is the CEO of Mobiliar, Switzerland's oldest private insurance company. In this interview, she explains why innovation cannot happen without failure – and what funeral costs have to do with it.
Text: Isabel Hempen (AWP) | Photography: Alessandro della Valle
Ms. Rodoni, what does innovation mean for Mobiliar?
Innovation is vital for every company. Mobiliar will be 200 years old next year – we owe our success to our ability to constantly reinvent ourselves and anticipate the needs of our customers.
What role does innovation play for you as CEO?
A central one. Entrepreneurship means daring to try new things in order to stand out from the competition. This also includes allowing mistakes to be made. Innovation is only effective when employees are empowered to experiment and when failure is recognised as an opportunity for learning. We actively seek to embed this attitude in our culture.
Can you give an example of such an experiment?
Some time ago, we launched a funeral insurance product that is very successful in France. In the event of death, an insurance sum is paid out to the surviving dependants to cover the costs of a funeral. Unfortunately, it didn’t gain a foothold in the Swiss market, and after two years we discontinued it. But for us, it was still a valuable test.
“Innovation is only effective when employees are empowered to experiment and when failure is recognised as an opportunity for learning.”
Michèle RodoniCEO of MobiliarHow is innovation implemented at Mobiliar?
We see innovation as a task in all areas – with a focus on our core business of insurance and pensions. One example is our Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern, which we have been funding since 2014. Researchers use our data to develop applications that are available to municipalities in Switzerland to accurately predict flood risks. We also drive product innovation. For example, we offer farmers insurance solutions that provide protection against crop failures resulting from climate-related events, supported by cutting-edge technologies.
What is your recipe for success when it comes to innovation in companies?
Innovation cannot be mandated. The decisive factors are the conditions that enable it: diversity in teams and thinking, and a willingness to take risks. It is also important that innovation comes from experts – for example, when product specialists work closely with data scientists or IT specialists. The best ideas arise when different perspectives come together. But innovation must also have economic potential and real benefits for customers; it's not an end in itself.
What opportunities does artificial intelligence create?
I’ve worked in the insurance industry for more than 30 years. Many technologies have been heralded as revolutionary, but with generative AI, I see real potential for transformation for the first time. It can simplify processes, improve interaction with customers, and enable the development of new products. But there are also risks, like cybercrime, which is an area of insurance that is growing.
Michèle Rodoni
Michèle Rodoni has been the CEO of Mobiliar since 2021. Prior to this, she was head of the pension division from 2012 and head of market management from 2017. Born in Geneva but with roots in Ticino, she holds a degree in actuarial science from the University of Lausanne. Rodoni’s professional career has taken her to the top of Mobiliar via various private insurers in Switzerland and abroad. She has also been a board member of the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA) since 2021.
Mobiliar
Founded in 1826, Mobiliar is Switzerland's oldest private insurance company and a cooperative organisation. It provides insurance and pension solutions for individuals and businesses, runs over 80 general agencies and serves around 2.3 million customers. Research and innovation form an integral part of its strategy. At the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern, for example, researchers develop practical solutions to support the authorities and protection organisations in assessing and managing natural hazards such as hail, flooding and storms.
Where does AI offer the greatest opportunities for the insurance industry?
Pretty much everywhere: back office, product development, sales, claims processing – all these areas are changing. That's why we trained our employees early on and introduced tools such as ChatGPT on a broad scale.
New technologies require new skills. How is Mobiliar preparing for this?
Many employees stay with us for decades, which is why we place a strong emphasis on continued education. We continuously develop our people internally and at the same time draw inspiration from abroad, for example through partnerships with consulting firms that identify trends and innovations. In this way, we combine internal skills development with external knowledge to address potential business improvements and opportunities.
What does Switzerland need to remain a leading innovation hub?
Above all, a clear vision – and in my view, that is currently lacking. I would like to see a resilient Switzerland that is also considered digitally secure. If we manage to use data responsibly and transparently, we can make our country stand out on the world stage.
Innovation brings opportunities but also risks. What are your thoughts here?
I am an optimist by nature and tend to view innovation as something positive. I believe that innovation is a driver of progress, differentiation and growth. At the same time, as a risk manager, I am aware that every innovation has two sides. It’s essential to assess opportunities in a realistic manner while also managing the related risks.
What innovation has had the greatest impact on your personal life recently?
Definitely ChatGPT. I use it almost every day – and was really impressed when I first received a precise, well-written answer within seconds that would have taken a person an hour to research and write. It was a real “wow” experience.