Cogitator POV: Why Cogitate?

As one of Cogitate’s newest team members, Darren Bloomfield, Account Executive, shared his perspective on technology’s role in underwriting. Darren is a member of the sales team at Cogitate, focusing on the technology needs of MGAs and Program Administrators.

Darren, given your background in insurance and underwriting, what drew you to Cogitate?

What drew me in immediately was Cogitate’s mantra: insurance technology by insurance people. And that isn’t a marketing line. The people here come from underwriting teams, carrier operations, programs, compliance, and the real day-to-day of the business. I’ve also found people who genuinely care about the industry.

I spent years inside underwriting operations where the tools slowed teams down more than the risk itself. When you’ve lived that pain firsthand, you instantly recognize when a company truly “gets it.” Cogitate gets it. The DigitalEdge Policy Platform feels like it was built by people who have actually quoted, bound, endorsed, renewed, and fought through the same bottlenecks underwriters deal with every single day. That alignment matters. It keeps the product grounded in how insurance actually works, not how someone imagines it works.

What makes Cogitate different from other core system providers?

We focus on modernization without the mystery. Insurers don’t need another three‑year core replacement or a transformation program that freezes the business. They need a partner who respects time, communicates clearly, and listens. What stood out to me in my onboarding was how much emphasis the leadership places on response time, clarity, and attention to detail, not as KPIs but as values and everyday behaviors. It’s a culture built around doing what is right for our customers and for the industry.

In insurance, acknowledging someone quickly, even if the full answer takes time, builds trust. Underwriters and brokers definitely know this. When I was underwriting, brokers would tell me that a quick “no” was sometimes just as valuable as a yes. Cogitate applies that same principle of responsiveness to implementation, delivery, and support. Cogitate take detail seriously. Precision is clearly part of the culture.

You’re inspired to help underwriters. What can MGAs expect when they work with you?

They’ll get someone who knows exactly where underwriters lose time and where operations quietly drain efficiency. Most of my closest friends are still underwriters, and I want them, and every underwriter I meet, to hit their new business goals without fighting their systems all day.

My focus is understanding:

• what slows the team down
• where operational friction lives
• what is blocking growth
• where technology is working against them instead of for them

I’ve seen too many insurers stuck between outdated systems on one side and over‑engineered “modern” systems on the other. My job is to help them escape that trap. My focus is to provide the technology their teams actually need so they can grow revenue and market share profitably.

I believe my job at Cogitate is to bring clarity, not complexity and I’m thrilled to be here.