Innovation in insurance isn’t stalled by lack of ideas - it’s stalled by lack of trust. And in a boardroom wired to avoid risk, trust is earned, not assumed.
As CEO of First Acre Insurance Inc., and a speaker at the upcoming Women in Insurance Summit Canada, Robin Shufelt (pictured) has built a career navigating the gap between big ideas and risk-averse rooms.
She’s led innovation projects in spaces where ambiguity isn’t welcome - and watched strong ideas stall, not because they lacked merit, but because they didn’t land with the people making decisions.
“The biggest challenge in advocating for innovation is that the people you’re pitching often haven’t worked in that kind of environment before,” she said. In a sector where failure is rarely forgiven, that kind of uncertainty can feel like a threat.
That’s where emotional intelligence becomes essential. For emerging leaders, it’s not just about making the case - it’s about reading the room, earning trust, and guiding others through discomfort.
“What can you do as an emerging leader that’s within your own control?” Shufelt said. That, she said, is where real change begins.
To overcome that discomfort, Shufelt believes leaders need to normalize innovation - and that starts by making the process less foreign. “Demystifying the process for the board giving them that comfort. That’s part of the journey,” she said.
At First Acre, she prioritizes transparency with her board, keeping them updated through every phase of change. That steady flow of communication builds the trust needed to take calculated risks.
“That communication is to keep them in the ebbs and flows of the changes that’s happening,” she said. “We have a solution, we have a change, we have that pivot - and no surprises. That transparency really helps to build credibility and trust as well.”
That same mindset extends to professionals looking to future-proof their careers in emerging sectors like cyber or agtech. While technical knowledge matters, Shufelt emphasized the power of adaptability, emotional intelligence, and soft skills.
“Focusing on the continuous learning rate, that network and collaboration piece, and developing soft skills - really important,” she said. “Technical skills are important, but being able to communicate, problem-solve, and demonstrate leadership skills - focus time on that as well.”
For her, some of the most formative moments have come from discomfort.
“My biggest learning experiences in my career have come out of those times where I’ve taken on a new opportunity that felt really uncomfortable,” she said. “And so, if something feels uncomfortable, it may mean you’re on the verge of learning something really important.”
Still, even the most capable professionals face invisible barriers. For women pushing for leadership in traditionally male-dominated spaces, soft skills can become a strategic edge - not just in communication, but in navigating culture.
“It’s taken me a while to learn this, and I’m still learning,” she said. “You can only control your own actions and your own reactions to things.”
In rooms where you feel like an outsider, “it can be tempting to try to mirror those in the room,” she said. “But what you bring is your unique perspective, those differences. That’s your value.”
Her framework is direct: develop emotional intelligence, be authentic, and find allies and mentors. Emotional intelligence in particular was a turning point for her leadership style, shaped by experiences that taught her the value of trust and vulnerability.
While volunteering in Sri Lanka, Shufelt found herself culturally and linguistically isolated. Building trust with the local women seemed impossible - until a simple moment shifted everything.
“I rolled out my lunch and sat with them at the table and admitted to them, I have no idea how to eat with my hands. Can you show me how to do this?” she said. “I couldn’t communicate. I couldn’t gain that trust - and this allowed me to do so. That example sticks out to me so much.”
It was a small act, but one that showed her how far vulnerability and authenticity can go - especially when technical skills fall short. That lesson stayed with her.
Mentorship, too, has shaped her path. One unexpected piece of advice - to step off the ladder and take a lateral move - ultimately led her to where she is today. But making that decision wasn’t easy.
“There was a point where I could have gone up to the next rung or made a lateral move,” she said. But her mentor encouraged her to hold off, build out her experience, and earn credibility she might not have time to develop later.
That move revealed a path she didn’t know she wanted. At the time, she was firmly on the cyber track - one of the early cyber underwriters in Canada - and had built much of her early career around it. She assumed that’s where her long-term focus would stay. But the lateral shift gave her exposure to something that resonated even more: building from the ground up.
“I did get to the next rung - just on a different ladder,” she said. “It was the startup of new practices and new emerging areas that really excited me.”
It’s a reminder that growth doesn’t always follow a straight line. For leaders navigating change in a risk-conscious industry, credibility isn’t a constraint - it’s the foundation for bold, lasting innovation.
The Women in Insurance Summit Canada is built for those ready to challenge expectations and reimagine what leadership can look like. It’s a space to connect, collaborate, and return empowered to lead the future of insurance.
