VIU by HUB Executive Team Reflects on the Launch and Lessons Learned

The challenge: provide consumers with real-time quotes from various trusted carriers, combined with expert counseling to ensure the policies meet their needs and avoid insurance gaps. And do so with an elevated digital insurance alongside human interaction and advice.

Six months after the launch of VIU by HUB , I wanted to take a moment with the executive team to look back on the challenge, see what we learned and what stayed with us from the experience. ?

The challenge was daunting. I’m most thankful for the way our cross-functional team came together around a common goal of making the insurance process easier for our customers. Our team worked toward a unified purpose and worked together to achieve something great.

After researching options, a path forward developed for the team to adopt the real-time quotes with a call back system that gives consumers a chance to discuss their options and customize where necessary.

Travis Hodges, VIU by HUB managing director of Omni-Channel Sales and Service, said it came together quickly after cracking that code.

“The speed in which this was delivered was remarkable, as was the collaboration between so many groups,” he said.

The team aspired together to embark on the journey towards our broad noble purpose of mitigating the insurance protection gap. Even with the hardships along the way, our agile team learned to overcome those hardships with what we like to call ‘anxious confidence.’ That’s what enabled us to launch a brand-new venture inside of a legacy business in eight months. And for that, I’m truly grateful.?

Jennifer Martinez, VIU by HUB senior vice president of Strategic Implementation and Partnerships, agreed.

“We started off 2022 with an MVP that was anchored on redefining a modern brokerage experience through an embedded digital brokerage platform,” she said. “I’m so proud that we were able to go beyond an idea and truly execute strategy (from the ground-up) in an agile, high-velocity and high-efficacy manner, and build a seamless experience for customers and strategic partners, equally.”

Building on the strength of those strategic partners will be a big focus in 2023, as will nurturing a culture that shed silos to work better together.

“I’m most thankful for the culture we’re building to sustain the momentum from our launch in June,” said Shaun Hochradel, VIU by HUB vice president of Strategic Execution. “Culture attracts talent and when you’re in somewhat of a start-up mode like we are, attracting talent is foundational to success.”

Delivering a project quickly is not normally associated with the insurance industry but instilling a start-up mentality within VIU by HUB is pushing the team to gain more traction in 2023, said Mike Keegan, VIU by HUB managing director of Strategic Partnerships.

“The vision, hard work and determination to build and launch VIU by HUB as quickly as we did was very impressive,” he said. “That’s not to say that we’ve done everything perfectly or didn’t face any obstacles, but the team used our agile, entrepreneurial skillset to overcome those challenges.?In only six months since our launch, I think the VIU team has built, and continues to build, an innovative omnichannel digital brokerage that gives consumers choice and expert advice to purchase their personal lines insurance.”

We are off to a good start. But I think the best is yet to come. What excites me the most is the art of the possible to what VIU by HUB can do to make our customers even more confident that they are adequately protected for what matters most to them. The ability to bring a modern mindset and an adaptation into our customers' worlds instead of them having to adapt to our ‘insurance’ world…I’m excited to embark on that journey together with my team.?