Dinosaurs, DNA, design and ... insurance? How three very different career paths led these data scientists to Suncorp
Suncorp’s Carly Bergmann, Maddi Boggan and Hayley Pfeifer are part of a growing number of highly skilled data scientists shaping a dynamic digital future for the insurance sector. Each also has a remarkable early career story, using data science to analyse fossils, DNA and technology before bringing their skills to Suncorp where they positively impact processes to help improve the customer experience.
Share
Data has many stories to tell. It can tell us where we’ve been and help us get to where we want to go. Just as a palaeontologist gathers and analyses data to construct narratives about the past, a data scientist in insurance looks at data to help create better future outcomes. Both roles pursue the art of storytelling through data, and require research, critical thinking, and strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Data science is increasingly becoming a critical driver of change in the insurance industry, leveraging the fields of mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer engineering to convert data into actionable insights.
Suncorp employees are invited to regular AI Hackathon events to help solve customer issues with innovative ideas.
Suncorp Principal Data Scientist Carly Bergmann said: “One of the aspects I’ve always enjoyed about Suncorp is the emphasis we place on data as an asset. Suncorp recognises its value, and this creates opportunities for all of us to innovate through exploration and communication of data.”
Insurance companies are required to analyse enormous volumes of data as the industry’s digital transformation continues to evolve. At Suncorp in FY24 for example, 4.7 million service transactions* were completed digitally. Finding meaning from extraordinary amounts of raw data is the future of a more efficient, more equitable insurance industry.
And for that, we need data scientists.
Data scientists like Ms Bergmann, Ms Boggan and Ms Pfeifer can find hidden patterns and trends that create opportunities for improved processes that benefit insurance customers - from risk assessment, fraud detection, personalised products, and efficient claims processing.
* Suncorp FY24 Annual Report, page 24.
Meet Carly Bergmann - Suncorp Principal Data Scientist, Data Science and AI Centre of Excellence
As a Principal Data Scientist within the Data Science and AI Centre of Excellence at Suncorp, Ms Bergmann leads teams in developing and implementing AI and machine learning models and solutions. In addition to her leadership role, Ms Bergmann also mentors and guides the data science teams.
Suncorp has invested significantly in AI initiatives, which can help streamline claims processing, enhance underwriting, and create more personalised customer experiences. By effectively leveraging data, Ms Bergmann and her team enable Suncorp to make informed decisions that benefit customers, ensuring customer-facing teams can meet their needs in a more efficient and impactful manner.
Ms Bergmann explained: “The impact of our work as data scientists on the business is substantial. For example, we’ve developed solutions to automate claims triage and processing, which leads to faster and more accurate outcomes, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.”
“Most recently, I led the data science team in creating Smart Knowledge. This tool harnesses generative AI and is vital for our Customer Service teams, providing frontline users with quick access to essential information needed to support customers.
Suncorp Principal Data Scientist, Data Science and AI Centre of Excellence, Carly Bergmann
I find great satisfaction in helping others understand what’s possible with AI.
Ms Bergmann’s career wasn't always focused on improving customer experience, however. It started with dinosaurs.
“From a young age, I was absolutely fascinated by fossils and dinosaurs. That curiosity led me to study geology and palaeontology at university. I initially envisioned a career in academia, unearthing fossils in remote locations around the world,” she said.
However, after a move to Melbourne and a change of heart that led to a role at Suncorp, Ms Bergmann quickly moved into the business intelligence and data analytics field, where she has been for 23 years.
From dinosaurs to insurance, Ms Bergmann said storytelling is a key component in each. As a palaeontologist or geologist, she explained, you gather and analyse data to uncover meaning from the past, and in insurance, data, combined with tools like AI, is used to help predict future outcomes.
“What I particularly appreciate about my varied career at Suncorp is the focus on data communication,” she said. “My role enables me to demystify complex AI concepts and effectively translate them for business audiences.
“The rapid advancement of AI research means our team must continually stay updated on new techniques, tools, and best practices. This keeps us on our toes but also provides exciting opportunities for innovation.”
Meet Maddi Boggan, Suncorp Data Scientist, Business Performance and Reporting (CFO Insurance Australia)
While it might not be immediately apparent, there are many transferable skills between the field of genetics and data science, too. Suncorp Data Scientist Maddi Boggan has a degree in genetics, which included an honours thesis on antibiotic resistance. Ms Boggan’s early passion for research and complex problem-solving has since evolved into a rewarding career at Suncorp.
Ms Boggan explained: “To me, data is data, whether its DNA or claims, it's the ability to use the data we have to explain what we observe in the world around us and using those observations to guide problem solving and decision making - that is the most fascinating.”
After completing her degree in genetics, pursuing a PhD or career in academia was not something that appealed to her. “I knew I wanted to go into an industry where I could apply my skills to real-world cases that would make a direct impact on people, rather than through research,” she said.
Ms Boggan joined Suncorp’s graduate program in Business Performance & Reporting, identifying problems where data science can be leveraged to build solutions.
“It's very easy to see a business as an ecosystem,” she said. “How the problems that we solve can be framed in the same way as any scientific research. It all follows the same process and thinking.
Suncorp Data Scientist, Business Performance and Reporting (CFO Insurance Australia), Maddi Boggan
Our work primarily uses AI to solve problems or resolve blockers within the claims business. This means front-line claims consultants can spend more time helping customers with their claims, creating a better and more focused claims experience overall.
"We also use AI to uncover hidden insights in our data, especially text data in claims or from customer surveys.
“Using AI to enhance the claims business directly benefits our customers, and to me that's very fulfilling.”
Meet Hayley Pfeifer, Suncorp New Zealand Senior Data Scientist, Data, Automation and Process (DAP)
With a Master of Information Systems, Hayley Pfeifer’s early career in consulting and analysis roles refined a number of core skills including project administration, testing, business analysis and technical design. After five years at an IT consulting firm and then a stint as an analyst in a contact centre engineering team for an Australian Telco, an opportunity arose at Suncorp New Zealand in her hometown of Auckland that would further develop her suite of technical skills.
“Looking to move home to New Zealand from Melbourne, I saw a position as Lead, Customer Analytics & Storytelling,” Ms Pfeifer said. “It appealed to me because it involved using data to create insight about customer experiences and sharing this insight to different parts of the business.”
She soon moved into the role of Senior Data Scientist in the Data Science and Performance (DAP) chapter, where her role is focused on "making things right for customers where something has gone wrong”.
Suncorp New Zealand Senior Data Scientist, Data, Automation and Process (DAP), Hayley Pfeifer
Our customers benefit from the work that our Suncorp NZ data scientists, engineers, and analysts undertake because we are in the depths of the data every day creating insight and knowledge that tells us how to better design things like product, pricing and customer experiences.
With strides being taken in AI fields, Ms Pfeifer said data protection was paramount as technologies and the use of data science methodologies continues to evolve.
“The ethical handling of data as well as the sheer volume of data available to everyone are some of the biggest challenges in the field of data science,” she said.
Finding the balance between governance and automation is something the insurance sector will continue to navigate. Advancing the adoption of data science and the value it creates simultaneously, however, is the sweet spot for Ms Pfeifer.
“The sheer amount of data that we have, and the complexities of the Suncorp New Zealand business means no two projects are ever the same. It can feel like every day here is a new puzzle to solve—but luckily this is a fun challenge to tackle.”
