What does an innovation scout do?


Digitalisation & innovation, 14.11.2017

Christian Riepe knows where to find great ideas: in London. He came here in October 2016 to work as an innovation scout for ERGO – and is always listening and engaging with start-ups and other pioneers.

Photo: Janina Fleckhaus

The word innovation is more likely to conjure up visions of Heath Robinsonesque contraptions. So what benefits do innovations offer for an insurance company like ERGO?

Christan Riepe: Innovations play a valuable role across all segments of ERGO, from insurance business to areas such as Human Resources or IT. In many cases, the process starts with a technical development that can present new risks for which the appropriate insurance products may need to be developed. Just think of selfdriving cars or drones! But changing consumer habits are also something we need to identify and respond to by offering new services and communications channels.

Can you give us a few examples?

Right now, I am developing ideas together with 11 start-ups which could be very exciting for ERGO. Aerobotics, for instance, a start-up from South Africa, has designed a data analysis plat-form that uses drones. At present, farmers use this platform to survey and analyse their fields. The start-up is aimed at the primary insurance market; its mission is to provide better data capture of fields, lower costs for agricultural insurance and support with claims administration. Another current example is our pilot project in collaboration with the start-up TrackActive to provide a rehabilitation programme for back and spinal injuries. We have developed a checklist of symptoms for early diagnosis and a telemedicine programme for diabetes management. At the moment, we’re looking at the feasibility of these projects and their impact on our customers, at the communications options, and at existing and new products.

What are your responsibilities as an Innovation Scout?

My job is primarily about building networks. Start-ups are incredibly important for me. Their ideas and solutions – and particularly in the digital sector – are often the spark that lights the fuse for many of our projects. I also regularly communicate with investment companies, management con-sultancies and other insurance companies in order to sound out the areas where innovations could pay off.

Which qualifications and skills do you need in your job?

Communications skills are probably top of the list; you need them to address and develop relationships with the right people, to promote ideas and initiate projects. Creativity and structured thinking are also important: I need to know how the things I hear can be translated into a business model. But the two characteristics that are probably the most important in my job are my natural curiosity and my passion for innovations.

ERGO doesn’t have an office on London. What took you there?

From the point of view of starts-ups, London is Europe’s beating heart for innovations. The greatest ideas are born and nurtured here! If, as a company, you want to benefit from this innova-tive buzz, you need to be on site. I am very fortunate that ERGO sent me here as an innovation scout – but it is also a challenge. Next to Barcelona, London is for me the most beautiful European city. It is so alive and so full of surprises. Recently, I was out shopping and I discovered an exhibition of Bob Dylan’s paintings in a side street. That’s what I love about the city: its constant ability to astonish. And, if I may just get rid of a prejudice: the weather in London really isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be.

Personal information

Christian Riepe has worked in the insurance sector since 1999. He left Victoria Versicherung in 2006 to join ERGO Direkt, where his positions have included key account manager for business with corporate customers (B2B) and an executive position in Inhouse Consulting. While working for the company, Riepe, who is a qualified insurance clerk, gained a master’s degree in marketing. He moved to London in 2016 to work as an innovation scout for ERGO. For the 37-year-old, this is the ideal place to make exiting professional, cultural and cultural discoveries.

Author: Elena Winter

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