Think AI is only for the tech-obsessed early adopters? Think again.
In this episode of the IBAC Tech Trek Podcast, host Tom Reid sits down with Tom Hickey, CEO of Wedgewood. Tom Hickey is a 42-year veteran of the Canadian property and casualty insurance space. He grew his father’s small, three-employee family brokerage into a major regional force with over 80 employees.
If anyone has earned the right to say, “I’ll stick to the way we’ve always done it,” it’s him. Instead, he’s stepped away from day-to-day operations to dive headfirst into investigating and investing in AI.
But don’t expect the usual vendor hype here. With over four decades of perspective, Tom Hickey cuts straight through the “snake oil”.
Inside this episode:
-
The Hype vs. Reality Check: Why predictions about AI replacing 40% of white-collar jobs by 2026 are completely overblown, and why you aren’t going out of business if you haven’t fully transformed by next week.
-
No-Code Python Solutions: How an insurance leader with absolutely zero programming knowledge used Claude to write a Python script that automated a massive policy-checking workflow—saving 20 minutes per policy without a complex BMS integration.
-
The Secret Executive Advisor: Why the single best near-term use for generative AI isn’t in your back office—it’s at the leadership table for meeting prep, agenda setting, and aggressively challenging strategic biases.
Whether you are an early adopter or an AI skeptic, Tom Hickey’s realistic, practical approach proves that artificial intelligence isn’t a tech issue—it’s a change management opportunity. You don’t need a tech team to get into the game; you just need to know how to ask a good question.
