Future broker will be an ‘orchestrator’ of insurance ecosystem

Brokers will need to evolve into “orchestrators” that bring together a range of partners to create customer propositions as insurance distribution continues to change, delegates at the Innovate This 2026 conference heard.

Speaking during the panel session Brokers: Gatekeepers or Growth Engines, Andre Santos, senior director and affinity business development lead for the UK at WTW, said the traditional broker role was expanding beyond acting solely as an intermediary between customers and insurers.

“The true broker of the future is advancing to a more orchestrator role of the ecosystem,” he said.

Santos explained that brokers would increasingly be responsible for connecting technology providers, assistance firms, claims specialists and capacity providers to create propositions that insurers may struggle to deliver alone.

He added that brokers would also need to develop “new exciting entry routes to the markets” as customer expectations and distribution models continue to evolve.

Value beyond technology

The panel also heard that brokers are not necessarily falling behind insurers when it comes to innovation.

Alastair Crossley, global head of travel solutions at Axa, said some brokers were leading the way on technological development and growth and in some instances were “more advanced than some of the insurers” they work with.

“We see some really strong innovation, some strong drive for change and some strong drive for growth from the broker community,” he said.

Crossley added that the most successful broker-insurer partnerships were those built around shared objectives and a collaborative approach to keeping customer propositions relevant.

Meanwhile, Santos said that brokers do not need to develop technology themselves to remain competitive. Instead, he said their value are in identifying and integrating the right partners into an overall proposition.

He added that AI could strengthen this role by reducing administrative workloads and back-office processes, allowing brokers to spend more time understanding customer needs and developing tailored propositions.

Trust

Despite advances in technology, panellists said trust and advocacy would remain key differentiators for brokers.

Crossley said trust would continue to play a central role in broker-client relationships, while Santos highlighted the importance of supporting customers when claims become complex.

“When does something go horribly wrong? I think that’s when customers really find out the value of a broker,” he said.

Santos added that brokers who can advocate effectively for customers during difficult claims situations would continue to demonstrate their value, even as insurance distribution becomes increasingly digital.