Manish Shyam NachnaniInsurance Operator — 21 years moving NPS, claims, renewal, digital, and operations
Ex-ICICI Lombard · Ex-UnitedHealth Optum (New York) · CEO Leadership Award · 3× Innovation Awards
manish.nachnani@gmail.com · +91 8169 157 775 · WhatsApp
Delivering in India · UAE · United States (remote-compatible time zones)
Currently engaged with 1 carrier. Slots may open in the future — write in if the interest is genuine. Inbound only. Status updated 17 Apr 2026.
One board-visible KPI. 100 days. Measured, moved, handed off to your team. The fee model is just the alignment mechanism. The point is the number.
I move the numbers insurance boards report on — in 100 days embedded, or across a fractional COO / CDO / CXO role.
NPS · renewal · claims cost · combined ratio · cashless TAT · grievance · digital sales · non-linear growth · AI adoption · M&A integration · greenfield payer build · core platform migration · org build-out.
21 years across ICICI Lombard, UnitedHealth Group Optum (New York), and Indian general insurance. I build digital products, migrate core systems, run claims adjudication, set up renewal desks, install NPS governance, stand up greenfield carriers, integrate M&A books, build product / BA / PMO / automation org layers, and run vendor governance — across motor, health, life, and reinsurance. I do the work, not just write about it.
Or email manish.nachnani@gmail.com · call +91 8169 157 775
+15 NPS pts at ICICI Lombard · −20% claims processing cost · +12% renewal YoY · 5 zero-downtime migrations · India's first PHYD/PAYD · greenfield US payer in 180 days
I am the person you hire when the board is tired of hearing "next year."
Full career stats and named references shared under NDA after the first working call.
The boardroom clock
Four regulatory triggers on the Q1 FY27 agenda. Six evergreen pressures that never leave the boardroom — what every insurance board is actually talking about in 2026. Each one maps to a specific engagement track below.
Carrier-agnostic digital marketplace launching. If your app, journey, and pricing aren't ready, you lose the renewal.
Phased rollout through FY26–27.
→ Fractional CDO · Digital channels
Expense-of-management caps force cost-out on service, claims, and acquisition.
Live. Boards already behind on glide path.
→ Fractional COO · 100-Day Fix
Master Circular on Health Insurance (May 2024) sets 1-hour pre-auth and 3-hour discharge SLAs. General Insurance Council's Cashless Everywhere initiative (Jan 2024) pushes the same direction on network coverage.
In force. TPAs, hospital desks, and claims teams under weekly pressure.
→ 100-Day Fix · Claims TAT
Digital Personal Data Protection Act operational. Consent architecture, data-principal rights, breach reporting — all board-reported now.
Enforcement ramping FY26.
→ Board Diagnostic · Digital
Scale the book without scaling cost linearly. Top-line growth that doesn't drag expense ratio along with it. The single hardest question on every CEO's desk.
Every board meeting.
→ Fractional COO · 100-Day Fix
Core platform modernisation still unfinished at most carriers. Legacy stacks, vendor lock-in, partial migrations. Distribution tech lagging insurtechs. Board patience running out.
Ongoing. Permanently behind plan.
→ Fractional CDO · Digital channels
GenAI in claims triage, underwriting assistance, service ops, fraud detection. Every board wants a "plan". Few have shipped anything beyond a pilot. Proving ROI, not the model, is the hard part.
2026. Boards want results, not POCs.
→ Board Diagnostic · What to build
Motor and health loss ratios elevated. Fraud, leakage, and provider abuse on every CRO review. Underwriting profitability is the number that never leaves the board agenda.
Every quarterly board pack.
→ 100-Day Fix · Claims cost
Insurtechs, standalone health insurers, new general entrants scale fast. Motor OD price wars. Every board reviews market share, NPS vs peer, and pricing pressure weekly — not quarterly.
Permanent. Intensifies quarterly.
→ Board Diagnostic · Fractional CXO
Product, BA, PMO, automation program office — the bench is never deep enough. Lean org build-outs sit permanently on the CRO and COO list. What to build, and who runs it.
Always open on the executive agenda.
→ Fractional COO · Org buildout
Why me
Partner and delivery in one person.
Big 4 firms sell you a partner and ship the work via junior analysts. I am both. Who you meet in the first call is who runs the engagement.
Fee tracks the outcome, not the time.
Base covers my time. Success fee tied to one board-visible KPI. Alignment is not a promise — it is the contract.
Have run the job, not just advised it.
₹90 cr+ operating budget at ICICI Lombard. $100M+ annual tech budget at UnitedHealth Optum. 1,000+ staff, 10+ TPAs under direct governance.
Work across functions, not inside one silo.
Digital, UI, UX, NPS, CX, operations, claims, renewal, vendor governance — in one engagement. The number is usually stuck between functions, not inside one. I operate in the gaps.
Problems I solve
Eight problems. Each grounded in board-meeting reality. Find yours — or describe yours at the bottom and I will reply within 24 hours.
Your NPS is flat. Health insurance complaints rose 41% sector-wide in FY25. The board sees your name on the IRDAI table.
Every point of NPS you do not recover puts 3–4% of your portfolio at risk of non-renewal. Every spike on Bima Bharosa triggers a PMO/MoF letter the CX Director cannot wave away.
What I do
- NPS setup and governance — baseline, cadence, board reporting
- VoC to VoP — wire Voice of Customer signals (surveys, complaints, NPS, social) into Voice of Process (SOPs, dashboards, daily operational change)
- Omnichannel consolidation — one voice across app, WhatsApp, call centre, chat, email, SMS, agent
- Grievance and escalation governance — IRDAI-tracked, board-visible, Bima Bharosa-aware
- Customer journey redesign across digital and assisted channels
Proof
ICICI Lombard · 2017–2021
Lifted NPS by 15 points across health claims. Redesigned the customer journey end-to-end. Shipped IL Take Care app for fully digital paperless health claims. CEO Leadership Award.
Current employer (anonymized) · 2021–present
NPS past 60 — industry-leading in Indian general insurance. Built India's first PHYD and PAYD motor insurance products. Service cost down 18%.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Renewal is slipping 2–3 points a year. New business masks the churn. Persistency cohorts tell the truth.
A 2-point renewal slip on your premium base is 15–20 crore walking out annually. And you are paying acquisition cost to replace customers you already had.
What I do
- Renewal funnel engineering — attribution, leakage points, drop-off fixes
- Outbound renewal desk setup and daily operations
- Digital-first renewal flow — app, WhatsApp, chat, self-service
- Win-back campaigns for lapsed customers with data-driven outreach
- Persistency management and cohort retention reporting
Proof
Current employer (anonymized) · 2021–present
Set up the outbound renewal desk from scratch. Renewal rate up 12% year on year. 30% of renewals shifted to app and chat. 18% win-back success on lapsed customers.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Claims cost is creeping up. Cashless TAT is your number one customer complaint. The CFO wants 20% out and the customer wants 20% faster.
ICR creeping up 4–6 points in a quarter triggers reserve adjustments, hostile analyst calls, and a 48-hour board memo. You need both cost and TAT moving in the same direction.
What I do
- Six Sigma process redesign for claims adjudication
- OCR and ICR scanning, straight-through processing, rules-engine checks
- 24×7 operations with part-time doctor teams
- TPA accountability — SLAs, leakage controls, fraud and waste analytics
- Same-day reimbursement and 30-minute cashless models
Proof
ICICI Lombard · 2017–2021
Cut claims processing cost 20% via Six Sigma and automation. Introduced 30-minute cashless discharge and same-day reimbursement. Built claims tech stack with OCR/ICR. Managed ₹90 crore+ operating budget, 1,000+ staff, and 10+ TPA vendors.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Your core systems need migrating, your brand is transitioning, or your post-merger tech integration is stuck on two cores and two CRMs.
Every month of delayed migration leaks customers, duplicates operating cost, and burns the credibility your board gave you to get this done.
What I do
- System implementation, development, and migration — core admin, claims, commission, CRM, KYC, renewal
- M&A tech integration — platform consolidation, data reconciliation, zero-downtime cutover
- Brand transitions and corporate separations — rebrand the systems, comms, and operations
- Operating model unification across merged entities
Proof
ICICI Lombard × Bharti AXA · 2020–2021
Led the tech integration of the health business during the ICICI Lombard × Bharti AXA general insurance merger.
UnitedHealth Group (Optum) · 2010–2019
Led BCBS integrations, the Sutter Health integration, and the Monroe Health / YourCare brand transition and system migration.
Atos Syntel · 2006–2008
Built the customer-facing platform during the separation of Ameriprise from American Express — a full corporate demerger with system, brand, and operational realignment.
Five zero-downtime platform transitions across my career.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Your digital channels exist but they are not delivering revenue. Traffic is flat, conversion is poor, the app is a cost centre. The HDFC Ergo benchmark is 70%+ claims digital, 80%+ service digital. You are not there.
Every month your digital channels underperform, you are paying acquisition cost for customers you could have converted organically.
What I do
- Digital channel strategy and scale — website, app, WhatsApp, self-service portals, agent portals
- Organic traffic growth — 4X improvement through funnel re-engineering and CX-led content
- Visitor-to-lead conversion — 40% improvement through journey redesign and UI/UX
- Lead-to-customer conversion — 25% improvement through operational follow-through
- Digital product builds — myUHC, Rally for Health, IL Take Care, India's first telematics app
Proof
Current employer (anonymized) · 2021–present
Built the website and India's first telematics app. 150% traffic growth. 250% digital sales growth. WhatsApp servicing and app-based renewal journeys.
UnitedHealth Group (Optum) · 2010–2019
Built myUHC app features (member ID, claims tracking, provider search, benefits). Built Rally for Health app (wellness, rewards, provider discovery — 80% adoption growth). Member of the UHG Innovation Council.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
You have a license, capital, or a health system that wants its own plan. The board gave you 18 months to a working insurer. You need someone who has done this before.
Every month without production operations is regulatory runway burned and competitor advantage lost.
What I do
- Greenfield payer buildout — core admin, claims, provider network, member portal, agent portal
- Trizetto and HealthEdge deployment and production operations
- Global operations setup and US-to-India transitions
- Operating model design from scratch — training, quality, governance frameworks
Proof
UnitedHealth Group (Optum) · 2010–2019 · New York
Ran $100M+ annual tech budget. Built two greenfield health plans end to end — Monroe Health (New York) and Sutter Health — covering core admin, claims, provider network, and member portal. Deployed Trizetto and HealthEdge. Three Innovation Awards.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
You need to stand up a product team, a BA team, a PMO, or an entire technology organization — and the board wants it lean, not bloated.
Wrong org shape is 2X headcount cost for half the output. Overhire and drain runway. Underhire and ship late. Either way, the next quarter's numbers suffer — and the fix takes another year.
What I do
- Product department build-out — charter, roles, rituals, vendor mix, PM-to-BA ratio
- Business Analyst team build-out — span of control, career ladder, hiring filters
- PMO and Program Office setup — governance cadence, RAID, stage gates, board reporting
- Technology organization design — in-house vs GCC vs partner mix, capability mapping
- Automation Program Office — what to automate first, ROI model, tool selection
- Right-sizing existing teams without service collapse — the hardest one
Proof
UnitedHealth Group (Optum) · 2010–2019
Established the System Implementation & Integration Practice from scratch. Led an 80-plus cross-functional team of developers, product managers, BAs, and PMs. Built and ran a 500+ global team in India supporting US operations. $100M+ annual tech budget under governance.
ICICI Lombard · 2017–2021
Ran 1,000+ staff across health, PA, and travel claims with 10+ TPA vendor governance. Designed the operating model that supported ₹90 crore+ operating budget without linear headcount growth.
Current employer (anonymized) · 2021–present
Set up the outbound renewal desk from zero. Built the API-first ecosystem integration team for Bharat Stack, ABHA, OEM, and aggregator APIs.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Your tech team ships on time but the numbers don't move. You are building things, just not the right things.
Every quarter of building the wrong thing is a quarter of runway, opportunity cost, and board patience burnt. Sunk cost becomes a commitment trap — and the team defends what was built, not what moves the number.
What I do
- Product bet sizing — small fast wins vs big platform bets
- Build vs buy vs partner decisioning — what is core, what is commodity
- Dev-time reduction — what to cut, what to automate, what to outsource
- Vendor selection when build does not make sense (I know most of the vendors that matter)
- Technology ROI governance — every board-visible KPI ties to a feature-level owner
- Retire zombie products quietly — without blowing up the team that built them
Proof
UnitedHealth Group (Optum) · 2010–2019
Prioritized the ICD-10 Crosswalk build — adopted by 12 US health plans, $50M new revenue. Productized Optum services as Business-Process-as-a-Service — $75M new revenue stream. Built Health Plan In A Box — four new enterprise clients, $100M+ TCV. Member Enablement Platform scaled to 1.5M+ users and $500M+ annual rewards. Member of the UHG Innovation Council.
Current employer (anonymized) · 2021–present
Bet on telematics when UBI was unproven in India — built the first production PHYD and PAYD. Bet on WhatsApp for renewal over email and SMS — shifted 30 percent of renewals to digital.
Infosys BPM · 2008–2010
Led 18+ POCs on the iTransform platform. Prioritization discipline converted product strategy into $80M+ in won TCV and the 2009 Healthcare Innovation Award.
This is my problem → manish.nachnani@gmail.com
Don't see your problem above?
Tell me yours in two lines — function and KPI. I will reply within 24 hours with whether I can help.
Tell me your problem →Recognition
CEO Leadership Award — ICICI Lombard. Innovation Awards (3×) — UnitedHealth Group Optum. Healthcare Innovation Award — Infosys (2009). Industry firsts: India's first PHYD/PAYD telematics motor insurance; IL Take Care paperless claims app; 30-minute cashless discharge; same-day reimbursement.
Reference panel — former CEOs, board members, group heads — shared under NDA after the first working call. Named references only with written consent.
Board-ready 1-pager
Printable summary of the practice — designed to be forwarded by a CEO to their independent directors or selection committee.
How I work
Five engagement tracks. Every engagement includes a success-fee component tied to outcomes. Pricing discussed in conversation.
Board Diagnostic
Written audit of one functional area — NPS, renewal, claims, omnichannel, grievance, digital channels, or core platform. Prioritized fix list. One hand-off call with the CEO or Board.
The 100-Day Fix
Pick one KPI. I embed three to four days a week, take operating control with CEO air cover, and hand the function back fixed — SOPs, dashboards, trained team, governance rhythm.
Done this for: NPS lift, renewal rate, claims TAT, claims cost, omnichannel stand-up, VoC-to-VoP loop, platform migration.
Fractional COO
Operations transformation. Non-linear scale — grow volume without proportional headcount. Process discipline, Six Sigma, vendor governance, operating model redesign. For CEOs who need the operations floor run by someone who has managed ₹90 crore+ budgets and 1,000+ staff.
Fractional Chief Digital Officer
Digital transformation with ROI accountability. System implementation, core platform migration, digital product builds, vendor selection. I can run your RFP, shortlist, negotiate, and implement in 90 days what internal teams take 365 to figure out.
Fractional Chief Experience Officer
NPS, UX, omnichannel, VoC-to-VoP, renewal, grievance governance. For CEOs who need customer-facing metrics moved by someone who understands both the digital touchpoints and the operations underneath.
All fractional roles: P&L visibility, quarterly KPI reviews, base fee plus KPI-linked kicker. Maximum three concurrent clients.
Outcomes first, then fees
The only thing boards measure is the number.
Every engagement starts with one board-visible KPI — NPS, renewal persistency, claims cost, claims TAT, digital sales, grievance volume, core platform go-live. We agree the target delta, the measurement methodology, and the 100-day window before anything else. Fee conversations happen after the outcome is defined — not before. If the number cannot be agreed upfront, there is no engagement.
The Netflix 10X principle, applied to insurance.
Netflix pays top-of-market for one A-player because they produce ten times what average teams produce. Insurance operations work the same way. One operator who has done your migration eight times will ship in 90 days what an internal team of ten will not finish in 365. The fee is a function of the outcome — not of hours, decks, or face-time.
Career
- Leading Indian general insurer — 2021–present · Head of CX, Operations & Digital Transformation (current, not named)
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance — 2017–2021 · Head of Health, PA & Travel Claims, Wellness, Customer Service
- UnitedHealth Group (Optum) — 2010–2019 · Head, System Implementation & Digital Transformation · New York
- Infosys / Infosys BPM — 2006–2010 · Product Owner, Healthcare Insurance
- Atos Syntel — 2006–2008 · Business Analyst, US Insurance (Ameriprise Long-Term Care)
- Mercator / Emirates Group, UAE — 2006 · Business Consultant, Insurance & Travel
- Hexaware — 2005–2006 · Business Analyst, Insurance Ops Tech
Clients served: ICICI Lombard · UnitedHealth Group · BCBS · Aetna · Wellpoint · Ameriprise · Monroe Health / YourCare · Sutter Health · Emirates Group
Credentials
Education
B.E. Computer Science — Mumbai University · PGDIM/MBA Insurance — Symbiosis · Business Analysis Diploma — Boston University
Certifications
PMP · CBAP · Six Sigma Black Belt · CSM · CSPO · FAHM (AHIP) · FHIA (AHIP) · MHP (AHIP)
Awards
CEO Leadership Award — ICICI Lombard · Innovation Awards (3×) — UnitedHealth Group · Healthcare Innovation Award — Infosys (2009)
I do not name current or former employers in public case studies without written consent. What appears named here is because the employer agreed. What appears unnamed is because the relationship is active. The same discretion will protect your engagement.
Let's talk
Every engagement includes a success-fee component tied to outcomes. Diagnostic work can start in any month; fractional and 100-day engagements against the FY27 slot (see header for availability).
Two lines is enough
Email me the function and the KPI you need moved. I reply within 24 hours with whether I can help and a suggested time.
Call +91 8169 157 775
WhatsApp wa.me/918169157775
Based in Mumbai, India
Delivering India · UAE · United States
Start a conversation → Download 1-pager (PDF)
References from former CEOs and group heads shared under NDA after first working call.