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AI push tests integration readiness at insurance brokerages
ALKEME CEO Curtis Barton says brokerages need centralized data and standardized processes before AI can be used consistently, warning that past acquisition sprees have left fragmented systems.
Insurance brokerages expanding AI use may find their operations are not ready, according to ALKEME founder and CEO Curtis Barton. Barton said technology cannot replace the underlying work of building centralized data and standardized processes, particularly for platforms still dealing with fragmented systems left by prior acquisitions.
Barton told Insurance Business that brokerages should establish standardized operating procedures that can run consistently across the organization before applying AI at scale. He said that could be especially challenging for acquisitive platforms where agencies were previously allowed to keep separate systems and operating models after deals closed.
His comments come as insurance brokerage M and A enters a more selective phase, with OPTIS Partners recording 292 US and Canadian agency transactions in the first half of 2026, down 15% from the same period in 2025. PwC has also predicted distribution deal volumes will moderate as buyers become more selective and integration capacity tightens.
Barton said investor expectations have shifted away from high volume consolidation toward questions about methodology, organic growth, integration readiness, and control over data. He added that ALKEME adopted a fully integrated operating model from launch and uses an M and A system to compare potential acquisitions against historical transactions by region, industry, valuation, and post acquisition performance.