August 7, 2024  –  Cover Genius, the insurtech for embedded protection, has announced a series of new appointments to its extended leadership team to set the stage for its sustainable growth. 

The company will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary later this year, has amassed more than 35 million customers around the world, works with hundreds of merchant and payment partners, and raised more than $250 million in funding. To reach new heights in the next 10 years and beyond, Cover Genius has made strategic additions to its global team so it can continue to hire and retain the best people, develop long-lasting partnerships with insurance companies and underwriters, and grow its market presence around the world. 

To set that in motion, the company welcomes three new strategic hires in the United States and the Netherlands.

Ann Watson – Senior VP of People 

Ann Watson joins Cover Genius’ San Francisco office as the new Senior Vice President of People and brings with her more than 20 years of Human Resources experience. She specializes in the growth and hyper-growth phases of startups, building sustainable and efficient HR infrastructure, and helping teams navigate cultural changes. She joins Cover Genius after having led global teams at high-growth companies like 8×8, Inc., Fandom (Powered by Wikia), Varo, MasterClass, and Verana Health. 

Angus McDonald, Cover Genius’ CEO and Co-founder said, “With Ann’s experience, we are in a great position to continue building our position as a leading global insurtech company . Ann will be a great advisor to me and a supportive strategic partner to the business, and I’m confident that her dedication to facilitating talent, culture, and strategy for growth companies will contribute to Cover Genius’ ongoing success.”

As part of her role, Ann will focus on Cover Genius’ employer brand and ensure the company grows sustainably from 600 employees to more than 1,000 over the next few years. “Cover Genius is in an important phase of growth as it nears its 10 years as a company, which means it’s time for a shift towards making it the employer of choice for new and experienced talent around the world,” she said. “Our focus towards diversity, key processes and navigating a modern hybrid workforce will be instrumental in ensuring we work with the best of the best in their given fields.”

Russell Corbould-Warren – VP Insurance for EMEA and Asservo

Russell has led teams and developed innovative insurance solutions for more than 20 years, including the last eight years at Uber and Onsi.com in the on-demand, gig economy. He joins the global team from Cover Genius’ European headquarters in Amsterdam.

At Uber, Russell was the Director of Insurance for EMEA, implementing motor, liability, and accident insurance for millions of customers, and launching income protection insurance for 1+ million drivers and couriers in 35 countries. He most recently served as General Manager for Europe at Onsi.com, where he took his past experience from Allianz, Uber, and Zurich to create next-gen payments, banking, and insurance solutions for the flexible workforce.

Barney Pierce, CBO, APAC and EMEA at Cover Genius said, “Russell’s expertise in insurance and protection for a changing economy will be crucial in taking Cover Genius forward. Our partnerships with global underwriters and traditional insurers are instrumental to our success, and allows for under-insured groups to access a range of products and services previously unavailable to them.”

When asked why he wanted to join Cover Genius, Russell replied, “Cover Genius is at a perfect inflection point as a global insurtech at a time when customers are switching to – and expect more from – digital solutions for their experiences, purchases and investments. This presents a rare opportunity for us to focus our energy on strengthening strategic partnerships for longer term value and leveraging the insurance structures and deep capabilities of our teams. As a global insurtech we have unique capabilities to provide companies, customers and insurance partners with solutions that deliver value from end-to-end, as we aim to serve our next 35 million customers.”

Matthew Doris – VP, Marketing

Leading the Cover Genius global marketing activities from Los Angeles, is Matthew Doris, VP, Marketing. Matthew joins the team with a deep understanding of marketing to B2B and B2C audiences, as well as online marketplaces. He spent most of his career at digital companies most notably, Google, Facebook, and Etsy. 

Kyle Keogh, CBO, Americas at Cover Genius said, “Barney, myself, and the whole Cover Genius team are very excited about Matthew joining the team. He brings a wealth of experience in marketing leadership, having spent two decades at top-tier pre-IPO tech companies like Google and Meta. Throughout his career, Matt has consistently built and led high-performing teams, driving impressive results and I’m sure he’ll be able to work his magic with Cover Genius, as well. His extensive experience, combined with his global perspective, makes him a fantastic fit for our team.”

Most recently, at Redfin, Matt played a pivotal role in the post-acquisition turnaround of Rent. Group. During his time there, he drove profitable growth, executed a strategic rebrand, and revitalized their product offerings. 

“I am so impressed by the brand Cover Genius has built over the last decade. For me, the magic of our technologies lie in how they add value to consumers and merchants alike, through a seamless embedded solution. Truly, everybody wins,” said Matt. “I’m thrilled to be joining the business at this pivotal moment and eager to share Cover Genius’ remarkable story with the world and extend protection to even more brands and their consumers.”