Agency Leadership in the Age of AI: Kicking Off the ACT 2026 Tech Trends Report

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of AI and technology on agency leadership and the insurance industry, highlighting insights from the ACT Tech Trends Report.

In this special kickoff episode tied to the release of the “2026 Big ‘I’ Agents Council for Technology Tech Trends Report,” Kasey Connors, executive director of the Big “I” Agents Council for Technology (ACT), is joined by Andy Siegel, president of Siegel Insurance, and Michael Mellars, President and COO of Legacy Risk Solutions and members of the ACT National Committee. Together, they unpack what made 2025 a turning point for the insurance industry, from the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to a broader mindset shift that brought technology into leadership-level business conversations. “Technology moved from the back office into leadership conversations. It’s no longer about what tools exist—it’s about how technology impacts profitability, staffing, risk and long-term sustainability,” Connors notes. The discussion explores how agencies of all sizes are navigating change management, evaluating new tools and balancing AI with the human touch. From direct bill reconciliation and AI-powered call summaries to policy checking and workflow automation, Siegel and Mellars share real-world examples of what’s working and what agencies should focus on in 2026. This…

People in this episode

Host: Kasey Connors

Guests: Andy Siegel, Michael Mellars

Topics covered

• agency leadership
• artificial intelligence
• insurance industry
• technology trends
• change management
• profitability

Keywords

• AI
• insurance
• technology
• leadership
• automation
• profitability
• change management
• 2026

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Big “I” Agents Council for Technology, Siegel Insurance, Legacy Risk Solutions, ACT National Committee

Products: AI-powered call summaries, direct bill reconciliation, policy checking, workflow automation

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