Federato opens Australia office and appoints former Guidewire executive Roland Slee as Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan
Key takeaways
- Expanding into APAC and Japan, Federato is introducing the first AI-native insurance platform to cover the entire policy lifecycle, a solution already validated by Fortune 100 carriers in the United States.
- The expansion targets carriers and MGAs writing commercial lines in Australia and New Zealand first, with Singapore, Japan, and Korea to follow
- Federato is opening its first office in Sydney, with Roland Slee appointed as Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan
- Asia Pacific is one of the most significant insurance markets on earth. Combined, the five priority markets generate hundreds of billions of dollars in gross written premium annually. Yet, there is a lack of penetration of significant AI solutions across the full policy lifecycle
- APJ insurance executives have moved past debating whether AI matters. The conversations are now about how to apply it at the core of underwriting and claims, not the edges
- Federato is the Presenting Sponsor at ITC Asia 2026 (30 June – 2 July, Singapore). Visit the team at Booth B09
SYDNEY & SAN FRANCISCO--BUSINESS WIRE--
Federato, the AI-native platform that changes the way insurance work gets done, today announced it is bringing its proven AI-native insurance platform to APAC and Japan. The platform, proven with Fortune 100 carriers in the U.S., will initially focus on carriers and managing general agents (MGAs) writing commercial lines in Australia and New Zealand, and a broader mandate spanning Singapore, Japan, and Korea.
Ex-Guidewire exec Roland Slee will lead Federato’s expansion
As evidence of Federato’s commitment, the company is opening its first permanent presence in the region with an office in Sydney, Australia and has appointed Roland Slee as Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ).
"Asia Pacific is one of the most significant insurance markets on earth. Combined, the region’s priority markets generate hundreds of billions of dollars in gross written premium annually,” said Slee. "Insurance executives across Asia Pacific have moved past asking whether AI matters. The carriers and MGAs I've spoken with here are sophisticated, well-capitalised, and eager to explore the improved business outcomes Federato’s AI-native platform has delivered in the rest of the world."
Federato co-founder and CEO Will Ross said: "Federato is fully committed to serving insurers across APAC and Japan, and Roland Slee is key to this effort. As an ex-Guidewire executive who has spent his career in this market, Roland is deeply familiar with what insurers need and the challenges they face trying to make progress with legacy systems.”
Slee brings direct experience with both the opportunity and the challenge. He spent four years leading Guidewire's business across Asia Pacific and Japan, giving him a clear view of where legacy core systems fall short. Before that, he spent nearly 20 years at Oracle in Asia-Pacific sales leadership and subsequently led Bravura Solutions' Sonata platform in the region from 1% to 26% of global revenues, contributing to a successful ASX listing. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the University of Technology Sydney and a Fellow of Engineers Australia, and is based in Sydney.
ITC Asia 2026: Federato on the main stage
The launch coincides with Federato's role as Presenting Sponsor at ITC Asia 2026 (30 June – 2 July, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore), where the company will demonstrate its platform to insurance leaders across the region. Attendees can visit the company at Booth B09 or join one of its featured sessions throughout the week.
As Presenting Sponsor, Federato will participate throughout ITC Asia 2026 with a full programme of sessions:
- Kick Off Workshop — 30 June, 2:30–3:30 PM SGT
- Keynote Session — 1 July, 9:30–9:45 AM SGT
- C-Suite Reception (co-sponsored by Federato) — 1 July, 5:30–7:30 PM SGT
- Panel Session — 2 July, 9:00–9:30 AM SGT
Insurance leaders attending ITC Asia are invited to visit Federato at Booth B09 to meet the team and see the platform in action.
About Federato
Federato is the only AI-native platform that spans the full policy lifecycle and changes the way insurance work gets done. It replaces legacy policy administration systems with AI capabilities built in to insurers' workflows, not bolted on. Its proven agentic AI conducts complex analyses with depth and rigor, freeing up insurer's human capital to focus on nuanced decisions and relationships. Federato is the independent alternative to legacy systems that enables better business outcomes.
Learn more at federato.ai.
FAQ
What is Federato announcing? Federato is opening its first office outside North America in Sydney, Australia, and appointing Roland Slee as Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan. The company will focus initially on carriers and MGAs writing commercial lines in Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand into Singapore, Japan, and Korea.
Why Asia Pacific, and why now? Federato's mission is to change the way insurance work gets done, everywhere. The APJ region presents a compelling combination of market maturity, concentrated sophisticated buyers, and a clear gap between what legacy core systems deliver and what carriers need. Australia's top three carriers hold around 80% market share; Japan's top three hold close to 90%. These are large, well-capitalised organisations that are actively looking for better solutions. They're not waiting to be sold to. They're ready to engage.
What makes Australia a strategic entry point for Asia Pacific? Australia and New Zealand are highly regulated, professionally run markets with a strong appetite for technology that delivers disciplined, compliant, and profitable outcomes, a good match for what Federato offers. Also, Japan's largest insurers are growing internationally by acquiring and operating subsidiaries across Asia Pacific. Serving those subsidiaries well gives Federato a path to relationships with some of the world's most strategically significant insurance groups.
What results have Federato customers seen? QBE gave 30% of underwriting time back to its people and consolidated from 14 tools to 1 across four business units. HDVI doubled quotes per underwriter and cut time to quote from 20 days to 5–8 days. Mission Underwriting reduced submission processing time by 96% (from 24 hours to 15 minutes) and went live on its first programme in 10 weeks. Propeller Bonds grew production volume 1,500x.
Who is Roland Slee? Roland Slee is a Sydney-based enterprise technology sales leader with deep experience across Asia Pacific and Japan. He spent four years leading Guidewire's business in the region (2019–2023), giving him direct experience with carriers and MGAs evaluating or running legacy core systems. Before that, he spent nearly 20 years in Asia-Pacific sales leadership at Oracle and subsequently led the Bravura Sonata platform in the region from 1% to 26% of global revenues, contributing to the company's ASX listing. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
What is Federato doing at ITC Asia 2026? Federato is the Presenting Sponsor at ITC Asia 2026 (30 June – 2 July, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore). The company will host a Kick Off Workshop on 30 June, deliver a keynote on 1 July morning, co-sponsor a C-Suite Reception on 1 July evening, and join a panel session on 2 July. Attendees can visit Federato at Booth B09.
What segments is Federato targeting in the region? The initial focus is carriers and underwriting agencies writing commercial lines, where Federato's portfolio-level underwriting intelligence delivers the most immediate impact. MGAs and MGA aggregators are also a priority. Personal lines and embedded insurance are not part of the current go-to-market scope.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622031014/en/
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Jordan Sher | Vice President, Corporate Marketing | [email protected] | 303-503-9246
