Hippo Appoints VP Of Growth, Bolstering Investment in Smart Home Innovation To Drive Better Outcomes For its Home Insurance Customers


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We are on the cusp of truly incredible advances in the near future; it’s finally the time for homeowners to fully embrace these protective technologies to keep their homes safer. Ultimately, the big winner of these programs is the customer.

Hippo, the home insurance group leading a new standard of care and protection for homeowners, today announced the appointment of Dave Wechsler, formerly the lead of Comcast Xfinity’s smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) strategy in emerging markets, as Vice President of Growth Initiatives. As the company pursues its mission to create better outcomes for homeowners, Dave will oversee the growth and development of Hippo’s industry-defining smart home program, including driving key initiatives that will create deeper levels of protection and smart home discounts for customers.

Hippo has the most widely adopted smart home program in the U.S. homeowners insurance sector,* providing homeowners with smart devices that equip them with the information to better protect their homes and access premium discounts on their home insurance policies. The company’s innovative home insurance model is rooted in its vision to create a product that drives better outcomes for homeowners through the proactive use of technology and connected sensors. When small problems arise, Hippo’s smart home program enables homeowners to identify and solve them before they become big issues.

“Hippo is peerless when it comes to helping homeowners identify potential problems. With more than 500,000 smart sensors shipped to customers we are eons ahead of others in this space,” Dave Wechsler, VP of Growth Initiatives, said. “I have been working as a partner of the Hippo team for several years and have been impressed by the company’s use of smart home technology to transform the overall insurance ecosystem. Hippo was one of the first to advocate for the pairing of smart devices with a home insurance policy, which has proved critical for detecting events that cause the costliest home damages such as water and fire. We are on the cusp of truly incredible advances in the near future; it’s finally the time for homeowners to fully embrace these protective technologies to keep their homes safer. Ultimately, the big winner of these programs is the customer.”

Dave has more than two decades of experience on the frontlines of smart home technology, most recently leading Comcast, the nation’s largest internet provider, with bringing the technology to emerging markets. In 2018, Dave led Comcast’s official move into “smart home” insurance offerings — following a strategic and ongoing partnership with Hippo.

“Dave has the unique expertise and proven track record that will drive our next stage of growth as we double-down on smart home innovation and the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Daniel Blanaru, Chief Growth Officer at Hippo. “As we utilize smart home insights gathered over the last three years, we’re in a prime position with Dave at the helm to build new offerings that give customers more flexibility and education to protect themselves, and take Hippo’s smart home program to the next level.”

More than 70 percent of Hippo customers opt-in to Hippo’s smart home program. To date, the company has delivered more than 500,000 smart sensors to customers that detect potential issues like water leaks, smoke alarms, open doors and windows, and drastic temperature changes. To learn more about Hippo’s Smart Home Program, visit http://www.hippo.com/smart-home.

*Statement attributed to Matteo Carbone, founder of the IoT Insurance Observatory

About Hippo

Hippo is on a mission to transform home insurance for the modern household. The company brings homeowners closer to a modern home insurance experience with an efficient online purchase experience using trusted data sources, a smart home device kit included with eligible policies and more available coverage for possessions like appliances, electronics and home offices. Hippo Insurance Services is part of Hippo’s family of companies that brings together home wellness and home insurance for today’s homeowners. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with insurance products available to over 70 percent of homeowners in the U.S., Hippo Insurance Services is a licensed property casualty insurance agent with products underwritten by various insurance companies. For more information, including licensing information, visit http://www.hippo.com.

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