Hub Bets Big on AI, Tapping Insurtech Vet to Lead Sales Innovation

CHICAGO, IL – June 08, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant strategic acceleration, Hub International Limited (HUB) has appointed Faizal Mitha to the newly created role of Vice President of AI Sales Innovation, effective July 1, 2026. This appointment is more than a leadership change; it is a clear declaration of HUB’s intent to deeply embed artificial intelligence into its core sales processes, aiming to supercharge organic growth and redefine client engagement in the traditionally cautious insurance brokerage industry.

A Strategic Pivot to AI-Powered Growth

Hub International, a global brokerage with over 21,000 employees, is making a calculated wager that AI is the key to unlocking its next phase of growth. The creation of Mitha’s role is the culmination of a multi-year strategy to leverage technology as a competitive differentiator. The firm’s leadership views this not as a distant goal but as an immediate operational imperative.

"AI is a force multiplier for serving clients better, amplifying what our producers already do well by helping them anticipate risk, respond faster, and bring sharper insights to every client and prospect conversation," said Marc Cohen, President and CEO of HUB, in a recent statement. His comment underscores the strategy: using AI to enhance, not replace, the human expertise that has long been the industry's bedrock.

Central to this initiative is the enterprise-wide deployment of Anthropic's Claude AI platform, which began rolling out to HUB's vast workforce in late 2025. This was no mere pilot program. The rollout was one of the fastest and most successful enterprise AI deployments in the financial services sector, with early results showing an 85% productivity increase in targeted use cases and an average time saving of 2.5 hours per employee per week. User satisfaction has soared past 90%, validating the platform's utility and HUB's implementation strategy. The choice of Anthropic was deliberate, favoring its strong performance in complex reasoning, low hallucination rates, and robust security features—critical for a highly regulated industry handling sensitive client data.

Mitha's mandate is to build on this success, scaling AI-powered sales practices across all of HUB's business lines, from Commercial and Personal Lines to Private Client and Employee Benefits. This involves developing the resources, tools, and training necessary to ensure widespread adoption and measure its impact on new business and organic growth.

The Innovator at the Helm

To lead this ambitious charge, HUB has turned to an internal innovator with a uniquely relevant background. Faizal Mitha is not a typical corporate executive. His career represents a fusion of deep insurance industry knowledge and entrepreneurial tech savvy. Before this appointment, Mitha served as Chief Sales & Innovation Officer for HUB Canada Employee Benefits and Retirement, where he was a key architect of the division's digital modernization.

More telling is his history before joining HUB. Mitha was the co-founder of a fast-growing Canadian insurtech company that used AI and big data to drive smarter insurance decisions. This experience as a tech founder, combined with his earlier career as an underwriter for two of Canada's largest insurers, gives him a 360-degree view of the industry's challenges and technological opportunities. He joined HUB through an acquisition in 2018, bringing his expertise in digital benefits and employee health into the corporate fold.

This blend of experience—understanding the legacy systems and processes of large insurers, the disruptive potential of technology, and the practicalities of driving innovation within a large organization—makes him uniquely qualified. He is tasked with bridging the gap between entrepreneurial agility and corporate scale, a common challenge in digital transformation efforts.

Augmenting Talent, Not Replacing It

A significant aspect of HUB's message is its focus on talent. In an era where AI often stokes fears of job displacement, HUB is framing its strategy as one of empowerment. The stated goal is to use AI to augment the capabilities of its producers and client service teams, freeing them from routine administrative tasks to focus on what they do best: building relationships and providing expert advice.

For HUB’s producers, this means leveraging AI for lead prioritization, accessing data-driven insights for cross-selling opportunities, and automating mundane paperwork. This allows them to spend more time in consultative conversations with clients, addressing complex needs with greater precision. The AI platform also serves as a powerful training tool, using simulations to help agents refine their skills in a safe environment.

For clients, the benefits are expected to manifest as a more personalized, efficient, and proactive service experience. AI can help tailor policy recommendations to individual needs, provide 24/7 support through intelligent chatbots, and streamline the often-cumbersome claims process. By anticipating client needs and identifying potential risks before they escalate, HUB aims to strengthen loyalty in a competitive market.

Setting the Pace in a Transforming Industry

HUB's strategic push is not happening in a vacuum. The entire insurance sector is at a technological inflection point. According to a recent Deloitte report, 76% of insurance organizations have already deployed generative AI in at least one business function, and industry analysts at Moody’s have noted that technology investment is becoming a key differentiator for brokers.

Competitors are also investing heavily. Acrisure has built its model on massive data harvesting for cross-selling, while large carriers like Chubb are pouring hundreds of millions into AI for underwriting and claims. What sets HUB’s move apart is the creation of a high-profile, dedicated executive role focused specifically on integrating AI into the sales function across the entire North American enterprise.

By appointing Mitha and standardizing on a powerful platform like Claude, HUB is placing a clear, public bet on a future where the most successful brokers are those who can effectively merge human expertise with artificial intelligence. This move will be closely watched by competitors and partners alike, as it may well set the new standard for strategic growth and technological integration in the insurance industry.