Keeping confidence high and risk low: Interactive and Ansvar uncover value in partnership 15 years on
Key Takeaways
- Ansvar prioritises data protection as a fundamental obligation, ensuring compliance with strict regulatory standards despite being a smaller insurer.
- The partnership with Interactive, established over fifteen years, has evolved from basic support to strategic initiatives encompassing cloud migration, security uplift, modernisation and ongoing advisory - always centred on reducing risk.
- Ansvar's collaboration with Interactive fosters proactive planning and governance, enhancing security and compliance while navigating a complex regulatory.
Compliance is a challenge for any organisation, for Ansvar – a specialist insurer serving diverse community-focused sectors, this is more than compliance – it’s a fundamental obligation. Ansvar’s customers have entrusted their data to Ansvar, and its Ansvar’s strong commitment to protect that data.
Despite being a smaller insurer, Ansvar is held to the same regulatory standards as the country’s largest institutions. The organisation must operate with precision, discipline and absolute confidence in the systems that protect its customers’ information.
Understanding and managing risk is more than a business requirement for Ansvar, it’s embedded in the organisation’s DNA, shaping how it engages customers, designs products and plans for the future.
As a leading insurance and risk specialist in Australia, Ansvar brings unique expertise and a longstanding commitment to supporting organisations that care for people and communities. With a team of around 160 locally based employees, the organisation delivers tailored insurance solutions, specialist service and education initiatives designed to strengthen community resilience.
From safeguarding policy documents across dispersed locations to staying ahead of cyber threats, the pressure is relentless. These demands, combined with lean internal resources and an increasingly complex technology landscape, makes Ansvar’s long-running partnership with Interactive essential.
“For us, our customers’ data is the most precious thing we hold, they’re entrusting us with sensitive information, and we have to be extremely cautious about how we protect it. That’s where the synergy with Interactive has been so important - they’re all about security and risk management too.” Heather Santin, Head of Infrastructure, Operations and Cyber at Ansvar.
That mindset has served Ansvar well, but it has also created a unique challenge: how does a mid-sized insurer modernise its technology environment without increasing risk?
As threats evolve, regulations tighten and expectations from customers and the community grow, Ansvar must constantly look for ways to innovate while keeping its risk posture uncompromisingly strong. Understanding and managing risk is an intrinsic part of Ansvar’s DNA, shaping every decision and guiding how the organisation operates. To achieve this effectively and sustainably, Ansvar needed a partner who understands the technical landscape and the realities of operating in a highly governed environment with carefully managed resources.
Ansvar first partnered with Interactive more than fifteen years ago, starting with hardware maintenance and support for core systems. Initially, the focus was on ensuring technical reliability and smooth operations. Over time, as Ansvar’s business evolved, the partnership expanded to include strategic initiatives that modernised infrastructure and strengthened security. What began as simple hardware support expanded over time into cloud transitions, device modernisation and ongoing advisory support.
“Ansvar is heavily risk-averse, focused on driving down risk posture, and rightly so, my role is understanding what’s important to Heather and her team, but also what the business is trying to achieve. Every conversation starts from the same point: how do we drive down risk while enabling the organisation to move forward?” Christopher Thomas, Account Executive at Interactive
This approach has shaped every project the teams have undertaken together. Rather than simply layering on new tools or solutions, Interactive began by helping Ansvar get more value from the technology it already had. That meant optimising existing services, improving configuration, tightening security controls and finding efficiencies before exploring further investment. In a heavily governed industry where budgets must be tightly managed, this approach ensured that resources were being used where they delivered the greatest impact.
Cloud migrations were handled with precision, ensuring stability and compliance throughout. Security enhancements were implemented with a clear eye on regulatory requirements and industry standards. Operational support was structured to keep systems performing consistently, ensuring seamless transition for the business and without placing pressure on Ansvar’s internal teams.
Over time, the partnership moved beyond delivery and into joint planning. Twice a year, Interactive and Ansvar come together for strategic roadmap sessions to identify where their plans intersect and where they can support one another earlier in the cycle.
Santin says these conversations have become a critical part of Ansvar’s governance and planning rhythm.
“We look at our roadmap, they share theirs, and we find the intersections,” she said. “Having that early engagement means we can plan properly – not reactively. It’s about getting more out of what we already have and making sure we’re moving in the right direction.”
The impact of this long-term, deeply aligned partnership is clear. Ansvar now operates with a secure, resilient and modern technology foundation – one that supports the business without adding unnecessary complexity or risk. With Interactive embedded as a trusted partner, the insurer has uplifted its security baselines, transitioned key services safely into cloud environments and strengthened the stability of its core systems in line with strict industry requirements.
Santin says the way the two organisations work together is what makes the difference.
“It’s never just Interactive and Ansvar on different sides of the table,” she said. “It feels like one team working toward the same outcomes.”
That sentiment is echoed by Interactive’s team. “Ansvar operates in a deeply sensitive and highly regulated space,” said Thomas. “Our role is to give their team confidence – knowing their systems are secure, supported and aligned to where the business needs to go next.”
Looking ahead, both organisations are focused on extracting even more value from the strong foundations already in place. For Ansvar, the priorities remain clear: stay secure, stay compliant and embrace the future. With Interactive by its side, the insurer is well positioned to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape while protecting the trust of the communities it serves.
