Leading InsureTech with Authenticity - Kelly Dudley, Sureify

Last week, I attended the world's largest Insuretech conference, InsureTech Connect Vegas.

While still a heavily male-dominated space, I was excited to scope out the women leading the charge in this new era of technology and insurance.

Meet Kelly Dudley . Mom of 2 boys, a Niners fan and Chief of Staff at Sureify - a San Jose, CA-based digital insurance platform designed to modernize the life insurance and annuity industry.

We spoke about the Insuretech space advancements and the challenges Sureify helps customers solve, and we particularly bonded over motherhood and the importance of being fully yourself in both roles. So much so, that Kelly flew home to San Jose during the conference to take her kids trick-or-treating - what a champion.

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoyed the interview.

Kate: Tell me about your role as Chief of Staff at Sureify

Kelly: I'm the Chief of Staff at Sureify. I act as a conduit between our CEO, our president, and the various departments, ensuring communication is seamless. I keep an ear to the ground in all parts of the business—product, customer success, sales—to ensure alignment and that crucial information is shared across the board. My goal is to solve problems at my level before they escalate to the CEO or president.

Another vital aspect of my job is nurturing our company culture. We have a culture committee focused on engagement and upholding our values, like family first and valuing our employees beyond the work they do. It's about creating a supportive environment where personal milestones matter—like pausing a staff meeting to celebrate my son losing his first tooth. That's the DNA of our company, and it's my responsibility to help maintain that.

Kate: Can you tell us more about Sureify products and its global presence?

Kelly: Sure! We focus on building software for life and annuity companies. We offer five different products that cater to a variety of needs within the life insurance industry. Currently, we have around 65 employees in the US, and we're expanding internationally, with approximately 300 employees located in regions such as South America, India, and Poland. Our global presence allows us to serve clients around the world and meet their diverse requirements.

Kate: What excites you the most about the insurance industry and the challenges it faces?

Kelly: We're not talking about the basics anymore, like a digital application is table stakes. What I'm really excited about is getting the infrastructure in place to support all those mechanisms and help carriers solve the very old problems. We know that a life insurer needs to be able to interact with their customers on an ongoing basis. And for us at Sureify, with our newest product Sureify Connect, the ability that we have to help carriers solve really, really long big strategic problems is exciting.

Kate: What advice do you have for women looking to break into the male-dominated Insuretech industry?

I believe it ALL boils down to confidence. You've got to be willing to pipe up with questions, to admit when something's beyond your grasp and just be like, 'Hey, can someone break that down for me?' You also need the confidence to say, 'That's not going to fly with me’ and be honest.?

My situation is a bit unique, having worked with our founder since right out of college. We've built this rapport where I can outright say, 'That schedule won't work for me—I need this to change,' and it's respected. This open dialogue has given me the confidence in my career to be forthright about who I am: a professional who's also a mom and Secretary of the PTA.

Some say you shouldn't mix those aspects at work, but for me, there's no separating them. To excel in both areas, they've got to intersect. Being upfront about this has simplified my life enormously. Like flying back from a conference just to go trick-or-treating with my kids before heading back—it might seem unprofessional to some, but for me, it's non-negotiable. It’s about being vocal about what I need to make things work.

At Sureify, advocating for this kind of environment has been critical, but luckily, it's been in our DNA from day one. And you've got to feel empowered to speak up about it. Besides this, you’ve got to be ready to learn new things, which is a given in any job.

And sure, there are some unique dynamics—like being able to chime in on sports conversations during dinner meetings because that's what's on the table. Instead of resisting it, I dive into the discussions we're all interested in.?

It’s a little bit of a lot of things. I didn't grow up with brothers, just a sister, but now I'm raising two boys, and our house is football central—go Niners! Knowing my stuff, whether it's player stats or strategies, it's part of my world. It helps bridge gaps, and honestly, it's just part of who I am.

Kate: As someone who travels frequently for work, what are your top three conference essentials?

Kelly:

1. Powerbank for my phone: It's essential to have a reliable power source to keep my phone charged throughout the day.

1. Altoids: I carry Altoids to combat dry mouth when I'm talking to people extensively during conferences.
2. Coffee: Conferences can be long and tiring, so coffee keeps me energized and focused.

Thanks for the great chat, Kelly Dudley . If anyone wants to check out more about Sureify , visit: https://www.sureify.com/

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