Description

In this episode, Jochem Van Der Veer is joined by Angelique Wyszynski, Global Head of Insurance Innovation and CX at HSB (Hartford Steam Boiler). With over two decades of customer experience leadership in risk-averse industries like insurance and finance, Angie shares how she’s transforming CX from the inside out, without creating new silos. They unpack how to embed CX into legacy systems, operationalize customer insights, build credibility with finance, and scale innovation in heavily regulated environments.

Angie offers a playbook for CX leaders to drive value in complex organizations, showing how her centralized team delivers high-impact research, innovation strategy, and operational alignment, while fostering a culture that’s both customer and employee obsessed.

Guest Bio

Angelique Wyszynski is the Global Head of Insurance Innovation and Customer Experience at HSB (Hartford Steam Boiler). She has spent 20+ years leading CX strategy, innovation, and transformation in some of the most regulated industries, including insurance and finance. Angie previously held senior roles at Travelers and The Hartford, where she built one of the most comprehensive voice-of-customer programs in the industry.

At HSB, she leads a multidisciplinary team focused on embedding customer insights, enabling innovation across product and service lines, and translating customer feedback into measurable business value. Known for her expertise in behavioral economics, strategic foresight, and cross-functional collaboration, Angie is redefining what it means to be customer-centric in complex B2B environments.

Takeaways

• First CX hires must co-create, not impose: Build programs with business partners, not for them.
• Start with listening: Angie interviewed 45+ leaders to define CX maturity and align strategy.
• Embed research as function, not an afterthought, to democratize insights and enable innovation.
• Quality CX output = actionable, contextualized insights tied to business outcomes.
• Partnering with finance is critical to prove CX value and secure long-term credibility.
• Prioritization is structured by strategic alignment, not the loudest voice.
• Centralized teams enable agility and scale in complex organizations.
• Teaching others to “fish” helps scale CX without bottlenecks.
• Journey maps are powerful, if made simple, shareable, and built with the business.
• Innovation thrives when insights are pushed to the edge and new ideas come from everywhere.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Angelique Wyszynski

01:11 Why HSB Was Ready for CX Transformation

04:49 Avoiding the Trap of CX Silo Creation

06:28 Running a 45-Interview CX Diagnostic

09:06 The Universal Insight that Sparked Her Team

11:37 How to Get Early Traction

15:52 High-Quality Research Means Actionable Results

18:14 Partnering with Finance to Show CX ROI

23:17 Building a 20-Person CX & Innovation Team

25:41 How the Team Prioritizes Work Across HSB

27:43 The Innovation Funnel and Idea Scoring

30:59 Defining Innovation at HSB

33:54 Can Organizations Innovate Without CX?

34:55 Why Centralized CX Still Works

36:47 Managing Strategic Focus vs. Business Requests

38:14 Will AI Make CX Fully On-Demand?

41:22 Journey Mapping: Keeping It Tangible

46:36 Taxonomy Trouble: What’s a Journey, Really?

49:24 Why Journey Thinking Is Back

52:08 Can Insurance Organize Around Journeys?

53:23 Best, Worst & First Customer Journeys

58:21 Current Focus Areas at HSB

1:00:11 Connect with Angie on LinkedIn

LinkedIn

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