Karun is a Senior Analyst within Celent’s insurance practice based in London. His research efforts have centred around identifying and analysing insurance technology trends and software platforms in the insurance industry, particularly in the EMEA region, encompassing property and casualty (P&C) and life and health (L&H) lines of business. Karun is a highly accomplished and technology-focused professional with a wealth of experience in the global IT industry, specifically within the insurance, pensions, and investment management sectors.
Before joining Celent, Karun spent 22 years at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s insurance portfolio in Europe. During his tenure, Karun excelled in securing and executing large-scale, multi-million-dollar global IT contracts. He assumed complete solution and cost ownership, providing strategic guidance to clients on transformative initiatives.
In addition to his extensive insurance industry experience, Karun has a background in manufacturing and supply chain management. He has led consulting engagements focused on IT strategy and Enterprise Architecture, further enhancing his expertise.
Karun’s recent reports have covered a wide range of subjects, including core systems analysis, digital twins in insurance, best practices in cloud adoption, quantum computing, parametric insurance, ESG, and climate change.
Since joining Celent, Karun has been a featured speaker at industry events in London and Celent events in Europe, covering topics such as NetZero Transition, Climate Change, Cloud, Customer Experience, and Legacy Modernization.
Becks leads Digital Accessibility across NatWest Group, a team she founded. She heads a specialist team tasked with building an accessible bank by design, with a company wide remit she focuses on technology innovation and how everyone can play a role. Prior to this, Becks has worked in both technical and UX roles, giving her a broad perspective and insight into how to create the best accessible experiences.
When she’s not working on accessibility, she runs the virtual code club sessions with school kids. Thanks to her work on leading accessibility and guiding children into coding has been awarded winner of Outstanding Transformation of the year at Women in Tech Excellence 2022, NatWest Gender Network Women in Tech 2023 and Best Digital Accessibility Mission 2023.
She’s also talked about the impact of being Neurodivergent in her career, as well as how she manages a chronic condition. If you ever meet in person Becks she is open to a ‘warm hug’, coffee and a chat.
In his current role Dr. Maier works with pharmaceutical companies throughout the world to provide regulatory, strategic and scientific guidance on medical treatment development and commercialisation with a focus on rare disease.
Education:
• PG Dip (Organisational Development), Tavistock Institute, London, UK – 2009
• Ph.D. (Epidemiology), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US – 1995
• M.P.H. (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), San Diego State University, US – 1989
• B.A. (Biology and Cell Biology), University of California, San Diego, US – 1986
Employment history:
Dr. Maier has over 27 years of experience in drug development and commercialisation at pharmaceutical companies in Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia, as well as over 16 years’ experience working at ICON.
Simon is MD of MLP, one of the UK’s biggest rewards and loyalty businesses. Simon is also a fellow and marketer in residence at Lancaster University.
He is a self-confessed loyalty, rewards, and gamification geek with over 20 year’s marketing experience, both client and agency side, creating award-winning marketing campaigns and loyalty propositions for some of the world’s biggest brands.
Simon’s life mission is to ‘create positive emotions’ – as he believes that true loyalty (and profitability) comes from creating emotional connections and relationships with clients and customers– or, as he calls it “ Delighting Customers, Delivering Results
