December 5, 2025
David brings energy, adaptability and a solutions-first mindset to his work at Walnut. We talked to him about building partnerships in Canada and the United States, navigating a fast changing industry and what excites him most about embedded insurance.
Working at Walnut is a series that spotlights our team and the people behind our mission to make insurance more accessible. In this edition, we speak with David about his journey into sales, the growing opportunity for embedded insurance, and what he sees for the future of Walnut.
I have always worked with companies that move fast and try new things. I started in advertising tech, helping teams become more efficient and explore new opportunities. Over time, I realized I enjoyed being in front of partners and shaping the conversations that move a business forward.
When I met Derek and Adrien - Walnut's founders, what really stood out to me was how much they cared about people,
They cared about the product, but they also cared about the team.
and that made a big impression. I felt they were the kind of leaders who would invest in their people, and that gave me the confidence to take the leap into insurtech. Three years later, it has been a great experience.
It has changed a lot about how I work. Selling into large enterprises means long timelines, many stakeholders, and a lot of moving parts. What I learned quickly is that listening is often the most important skill.
You have to understand their goals before you can offer anything.
There is also the agility that comes with being a small team. We can adjust quickly. Even a soft no gives us insight that we can use right away. That ability to pivot has made me sharper and more thoughtful in how I approach every partner conversation.
Embedded insurance fits naturally with the types of companies we talk to, especially digital lenders. It gives them a simple way to offer protection and build a new revenue stream at the same time. For customers, it means they are supported if they lose their job or cannot make payments.
In the United States, the appetite for this is even stronger. The market is more competitive, and companies are constantly looking for ways to get ahead. For many of them, this is their first time seeing modern embedded insurance explained in a clear and simple way. When we break it down, the value becomes obvious.
I have found that Americans tend to move faster. They are more open to trying new solutions because they want that competitive edge. Canadians are thoughtful and measured, but both markets care about products that are easy to understand and genuinely useful.
Creditor insurance is a great example. It protects a customer’s monthly payment, and it fits naturally into what lenders, telcos, and utilities already offer. Some partners need light education at the start, but it rarely slows us down. As I often say,
Once we frame it in terms of their business goals, it clicks.
There is real momentum from insurers and fintechs who want to digitize and modernize. That interest creates a lot of room for collaboration. I am seeing companies expand beyond their core offerings and explore new revenue opportunities, and embedded insurance fits perfectly into that shift.
In the year ahead, the focus for us will be growing our partnerships in the U.S, building recognizable case studies, and supporting large insurers as they digitize their products. There is a lot of opportunity to scale.
Great question! There are two things on top of my head:
For me, it all comes back to listening. This space only works when you start with the partner’s goals, not the product.
You are not selling insurance. You are solving a business problem.
You need curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to dig into what a partner really needs. Sometimes that leads to the right version of a product. Sometimes it means realizing the fit is not there. Both outcomes are valuable. That mindset is what makes selling in insurtech exciting.