SIRC 2026: ‘How do we fill the gap?’ Markel’s Bo Yu on AI, young talent and independent judgement

November 5 2026 by

Rather than simply using AI-driven efficiencies to increase output, businesses should invest “a meaningful amount of time” saved back into learning and development, particularly for younger talent who need real-world experience and mistakes to build expertise, according to Bo Yu, head of claims for Asia at Markel.  

“I think for the younger generation of the workforce, there’s a risk of over-relying on AI as it’s quick. The question from my end is how do we fill in the gap in terms of training them to retain the independent judgement mindset,” Bo said.  

“My approach to the team is we always need to have our own assessment first before looking at the AI output,” he added, stressing the importance of understanding a task and its expected outcome before passing it onto AI.  

“So that if one day, our system is down, we can still do our work instead of saying ‘I can’t do anything’. This is also from an operational resilience standpoint.” 

The specialty insurer has conducted training, consisting of theory and practical sessions, for staff across the region to understand AI along with its pros and cons, according to Bo.  

Having a specific prompt, checking AI’s reasoning and making sure it has analysed the entire input before jumping to conclusions are among the most critical steps, Bo added. 

“During those sessions, we always reinforce the message that there’s always going to be the tendency [to rely on AI] because it’s so convenient and efficient, particularly if accuracy is there, but let’s not lose sight of the reasoning behind the outcome,” he said.  

In terms of AI’s impact on the day-to-day work of a claims specialist at Markel, Bo recognised AI’s ability to speed up the process of consolidating factual information, including summarising a substantial number of documents related to a cargo shipment.  

“I think this is where AI is adding value. Make sure you use the right prompt, stress test the output, and then you can start to formulate your strategies from there on,” he said.  

“Once the message and framework is clear, people are often more open and receptive to using the tools.

Bo Yu, Markel

Markel launched its AI Centre of Enablement in March, with the aim of finding the most efficient way to use AI, establish control and framework related to AI usage.  

“We’re between the early and mid-phase of AI adoption. We want to get things right. Our message is clear. AI is not to replace the employees, but to embrace and supplement them,” he added. 

“Once the message and framework is clear, people are often more open and receptive to using the tools.” 

AI adoption among staff members in APAC has reached 100%, reflecting a behavioural shift from non-use to regular use, Bo said, citing the insurer’s internal tracking system.  

“Everybody has somehow used AI. That’s a success for us,” he added.  

Local empowerment

AI adoption is one half of Bo’s agenda, with the other being building local claims capability across the region. 

Since last year, Markel has expanded its regional claims capabilities beyond its original three-person team in Singapore, according to the head of claims. 

The specialty insurer has appointed a claims handler in Dubai, a financial lines claims executive in Hong Kong, and a marine claims specialist in India, with a plan underway to recruit a Shanghai-based handler to support its marine claims operations, he added.  

“We have local presences, but we are synergised regionally. We don’t just put ‘local empowerment’ out as a slogan but actually try to deliver that,” he said. 

Markel’s APAC footprint spans 10 offices, including Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.  

“Our local teams have authorities to deal with the majority of claim matters in the region. They only occasionally need to refer back to headquarters, whether it’s a complex or high-value claim,” Bo said, adding that Markel regularly reviews headquarters’ referral volume to ensure local teams are granted more authority when numbers get too high. 

“If the operation is too centralised, sometimes the clients on the ground may feel that you don’t really understand how they operate here and therefore may not have catered to the local nuances.” 

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