COLUMBUS, OH (October 3, 2022) —Lakshan De Silva, Bold Penguin’s Chief Data Scientist, has been named to NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries Class of 2022 in the category of Technology Innovation. De Silva leads Bold Penguin’s data science team developing machine learning and artificial intelligence products to help automate data processes. Founded in 2016, Bold Penguin is a leading digital quote and bind platform, leading the charge to make small commercial insurance work better for all parties.

De Silva is spearheading the development of in-house-built AI and data tools. Among them is Bold Penguin SubmissionLink, which lets underwriters gather practical insights from structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data to accelerate, streamline, and improve the accuracy of quoting and underwriting processes. Data-driven products like SubmissionLink are essential to insurers’ efforts to deliver faster, more accurate quotes on the Bold Penguin platform. “I am honored to be included in the 2022 Luminaries Class. Innovation has been a cornerstone value of Bold Penguin and it’s what I love to do,” said De Silva. “Bold Penguin is one of the few places with sufficient market level scale for these sorts of products to thrive in.” 

This professional recognition program spotlights companies, people, programs, and practices for their innovation in the property & casualty insurance sector. Honorees are selected by a panel of industry experts based on how well they stated and achieved goals with regards to the nomination category; how impactful their work has been; how dedicated the nominee has been to furthering modernization and humanization in the insurance business; and the nominee’s commitment to the highest ethical standards as well as dedication to service and excellence.

“Today’s top insurance organizations recognize the industry’s history and purpose while embodying contemporary processes and services,” says NU Property & Casualty Executive Editor Elana Ashanti Jefferson. “My colleagues and I are thrilled to be able to recognize pace-setting insurance organizations, programs, practices, teams and individuals as part of the annual NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries recognition program.”

In the first half of 2022, Bold Penguin’s growth as a data sciences developer continued through the company’s acquisition of Insureon, a pioneering insurtech, whose platform technology, carrier integration, and enterprise/SaaS teams are now part of the Bold Penguin Data Science team.

De Silva is a graduate of both Harvard Business School and Singularity University, where he also taught a course designed for Fortune 500 executives on what and how to invest in AI solutions. As Head of Business Solutions at QBE Insurance, he saw underwriters run basic internet searches for data and identified a need for data science solutions in insurance. He pioneered some of the earlier versions of these solutions before building a firm around the second generation technology. He is looking forward to what the third generation of these tools brings to the industry at Bold Penguin.

About Bold Penguin

Bold Penguin is where technology enhances the human touch in small commercial insurance. With a heavy focus on agents, Bold Penguin upgrades the user experience for businesses, creates an easy tool for agents, and offers a streamlined process of underwriting and revenue growth for carriers. Bold Penguin was founded in 2016 by a group of entrepreneurs who spent their early days working with major national carriers, alongside regional carriers and established insurance agencies. For more details, please visit www.boldpenguin.com.