“RiskCellar uncorks the latest insurance headlines with a dash of sophistication and a sip of wine.”
That’s how Brandon Schuh, Head of Speciality Insurance at US brokerage Christensen Group, describes the new podcast he’s hosting.
Each episode begins with Brandon and co-host Nick Hartmann savouring a glass of wine before delving into the world of insurance and mobility.
“Our show is unique – there’s no other mobility focused insurance podcast of this nature anywhere around the world,” Schuh says.
“We differ from podcasts like Micromobility Industries because we look at the sector through the lens of risk, whether that be de-risking a device as a manufacturer, or mitigating risk as an operator or insurer.”
The show taps into the hosts’ decades of experience in the insurance industry with insights from Christensen Group – a brokerage insuring more than half a million micromobility devices around the world and offering a full suite of policies for operators and OEMs.
The birth of RiskCellar
Schuh has become quite the expert in product liability and the sharing economy since he joined Christensen Group in 2019 and has played a key role in developing these areas. The two focus areas give him a unique perspective on the interrelationship between the insurance sector and new mobility, and he was keen to find a way to channel this.
“The idea for RiskCellar came about when me and Nick were sitting together at a trade show in Las Vegas, drinking a glass of wine and discussing insurance,” Schuh explains.
“It was a really enjoyable, free flowing conversation and we just clicked. At the end we thought, why not turn this into a podcast?”
And so the pair launched the first episode in January 2024. Less than a year on and they’ve stacked up 25 episodes, secured Ascend as a sponsor and average 3,500 listeners per week.
“The goal is to combine insurance, mobility and risk management insight with friends having a relaxed chat,” Schuh explains.
While Schuh and Hartmann will often record shows as a pair, they also welcome guests to bring listeners new subjects and perspectives.
“Recording the podcast gives me the opportunity to interview people that I wouldn’t have access to in my day-to-day life or through my work and to ask questions I believe our listeners want to know the answers to,” Schuh says.
While RiskCellar is still in its early days, Schuh is ambitious about what it can achieve.
“Other than entertaining listeners and having a fun chat with Nick, my goal is to advance this industry and normalise mobility insurance and this podcast is a vehicle for that.”
Focus on new mobility
RiskCellar attracts a range of listeners from insurance and risk-management professionals to fintech entrepreneurs, investors and start-up founders. But one of the core themes remains the same – new mobility.
“My day to day work is all about mobility, so that’s what this show is largely focused on. I want to use my experience to educate listeners about insurance and mobility, while also making it an interesting and digestible topic.”
Technology entrepreneur Greg Appelhof recently joined Schuh and Hartmann on the show to discuss how he’s connecting retailers with new mobility OEMs through his new venture TradeHubb.
“We’re seeing pushback from cities such as London, Paris and New York that is making it more difficult for operators to run shared schemes,” says Schuh.
“I think we are seeing a pivot to the direct-to-consumer model and TradeHubb hopes this could prove a big opportunity to grow the use of micromobility devices.”
Another regular topic of discussion on the podcast is battery safety. Schuh has been outspoken on the issue in the past, and says that battery fires are becoming a huge talking point in insurance circles.
“The fire risk fears could result in significant increases to the insurance premiums for commercial or residential properties where batteries are being charged,” he says.
“We discuss recalls on every episode and unsafe batteries are one of the most common products being withdrawn due to safety concerns. Battery fires are not just limited to micromobility of course but given the sudden popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters we are seeing property managers and owners require insurance policies that they didn’t in the past.”
As the new mobility space grows, Schuh and Hartmann will continue tracking the industry closely and offer their wine-infused opinions on its latest developments.
“I’m not interested in making this my career. This is about sharing our thoughts and acting as a voice for the sector.”
